Grammar for Writing: Level Blue — Chapter 16

The American Poet Langston Hughes Imagine you've just landed a job at your local PBS station. This year's big project is a series of minidocumentaries on American poets. The list has been narrowed down to Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Marianne Moore. Each poet will be showcased for his or her unique contributions to American culture. Work in writing groups. Each group should choose one of the poets selected for the PBS series, and write a script for a five-minute minidocumentary on that poet's life and work. Plan both the video and audio portions of the script. Video includes everything you see on the screen, such as still pictures, live action scenes, graphic titles, and labels. Audio includes everything you hear, such as narration, sound effects, and music. STEP 1: Initial Search Start your research with visits to the following Web sites: Academy of American Poets Search: Find a Poet AltaVista Search: American Poets Take notes about the poetry of the era in which your poet lived, as well as biographical and literary information. STEP 2: Expanded Search Do a general search using the poet's name. Write down details, lines from poems, and any other material you feel is important. Read some of your poet's work. Visit the library to find books and articles by and about your poet. STEP 3: Plan Your Documentary Plan how you will use the five minutes of your documentary. Documentary scripts are written in the following format. Use this format to produce professional-looking work. Video Audio Fade up to: 1. Opening scene: Live action film of Langston Hughes working at his typewriter. Graphic Title: Langston Hughes Poet Laureate of the Harlem Renaissance Music: Light jazz from the 1920s. Narration: "Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.)" 2. Close-up of Hughes Music: Light jazz continues. Narration: "As a young man, Langston Hughes was drawn to the vibrant center of African American culture: Harlem, New York." STEP 4: Revise Your Minidocumentary When you've worked out the progression of your five-minute documentary in the format shown above, do a run-through with your group. You'll find places that are choppy or unclear. Revise your work thoroughly until each section flows smoothly. As you revise, remember that your audience of PBS viewers is interested in poetry and poets. Include interesting details and relevant quotations that will help your poet come alive for the viewers. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Emily Dickinson Be sure you have spelled names, places, and difficult words correctly, both in your script and in any graphic titles that will appear on screen. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, pages 245, 277, and 279.) STEP 5: Edit, Proofread, and Publish Reread your script for any errors. Incorporate any writing partner suggestions you think will improve your work. Write your final draft and proofread for errors in grammar and usage, typos, and misspellings. Display copies of the scripts in the classroom. Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.