"To This Day" by Shane Koyczan

Re-watch the clip of "To This Day" by Shane Koyczan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY

Discussion Questions:
1. How does this poem make you feel?
2. Do you see similar scenarios, as depicted in the poem, in your environment?
3. How do "names" affect people? How are "names" used in society? What purpose do they serve?
4. What does this poem say about human weakness and human resilience? ("They have to be wrong")
5. What verses of the poem stick out to you? Explain.
6. What does the title mean? If you could re-name the poem, what title would you give it?
7. How has the outcasts, freaks, and geeks been successful in today's world? How have they taken their uniqueness and impacted the world in original ways?

"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg was one of the leading poets of the 1950's and 60's Beat Generation. As a child of Jewish progressives from the East Coast, he was inspired by Walt Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe. He moved out to San Francisco in the 1950's after his time at Columbia University. When he published his radical poem, "Howl," it was banned, and Ginsberg found himself involved in one of the 20th century's biggest censorship trials."Howl" later became one of the most widely read poems of the times. Ginsberg also participated in many social movements, including anti-war protests and gay rights.
"Allen Ginsberg." - Poets.org. The Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.

Read the poem, "Howl," by clicking on the link:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381

If you want, you can listen to Ginsberg while you read along:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_kKhRmRkM

When you are done, post your impressions. Please state your name and period at the end of your post.

Read the article from TIME Magazine about author J.D. Salinger.
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1960265,00.html#

Then, respond to the following questions in 2 cohesive, well-organized paragraphs:

1) How is Holden Caulfield similar to J.D. Salinger? Reflect on 3-5 similarities.

2) What is your general impression of Holden so far?

Be original in your thoughts.

Scoring: 15 Points
Depth of Thought (Scale 1-5)
Organization (Scale 1-5)
Grammar / Conventions (Scale 1-5)