looking for a poet analysis website/book

[Ksandra]

OK so I take the last two parts of the CSET English exam in a month, and I need a little help finding a resource to study (sadly there are really only two study guides for the test, I have both, and both are extremely vague).


Basically part III of the test has you critically analyze two poems in about a 3-4 paragraph essay. I have been reviewing poetry terms and formats, but what I really need is a review on famous (and not so famous) poets and a good idea as to when they lived, what they liked to write about, why they wrote about them, etc. For example: This poem is about the strife and suffering of the factory workers during the industrial revolution. [the author] was a young man during these times and could related to this class of worker because both his parents had to work in one. etc. etc. etc.



Most of the grading on these tests are about how you write vs. correct information, BUT it's easier to write a clean organized essay when I know wtf I'm talking about.

I have a good memory on some more famous poets, Frost, Hughes, Whitman, etc. But obviously there are many I haven't studied in 10+ years, and names I might forget to look up.


If anyone knows of a good online resource, or a good book to buy, please let me know.

Until then I'll keep typing up random poets into good and see what I can find.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

T.S. Elliot's The Wasteland is a classic poem, and rather lengthy. There is also a generous amount of information out there about his life and the creation and publication of the poem. I don't have any specific sources for you, but it's a suggestion.

Also, a recording of Elliot reading the poem is out there, and hearing him read it is quite the experience.

[Darus Grey]

Not really about specific poets... but Lakoff's "More than cool reason" is one of the most insightful books about analyzing poetic metaphor around.

[Ksandra]

T.S. Elliot's The Wasteland is a classic poem, and rather lengthy. There is also a generous amount of information out there about his life and the creation and publication of the poem. I don't have any specific sources for you, but it's a suggestion.

Also, a recording of Elliot reading the poem is out there, and hearing him read it is quite the experience.

Wasteland is too huge, they wouldn't have me analyze it lol (they show you the poem on the test.)

To get an idea of what I'm talking about look here:


http://www.cset.nesinc.com/PDFs/CS_107items.pdf


That's an example test on the official website.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

Wasteland is too huge, they wouldn't have me analyze it lol (they show you the poem on the test.)

To get an idea of what I'm talking about look here:


http://www.cset.nesinc.com/PDFs/CS_107items.pdf


That's an example test on the official website.

Well, looking at the sample test, it doesn't seem like the two items have to be poems, or that either of them have to be anything in specific. If that's not the case, you'd know better than me, but the sample test at least indicates that.

If you just have to find two texts to compare and contrast, that broadens the scope a bit, and you could figure out what sort of subject matter you'd like to discuss and work your way back from there.

[BerenTebogo]

Poetry is for fags

[Komm Suesser Tod]

Poetry is for fags

Fags who pull skinny emo chicks.

[BerenTebogo]

And skinny emo boys!

[Komm Suesser Tod]

And skinny emo boys!

Truth.

[Ksandra]

Well, looking at the sample test, it doesn't seem like the two items have to be poems, or that either of them have to be anything in specific. If that's not the case, you'd know better than me, but the sample test at least indicates that.

If you just have to find two texts to compare and contrast, that broadens the scope a bit, and you could figure out what sort of subject matter you'd like to discuss and work your way back from there.

like I said the literary parts I'm fine with but it is these two parts I want to focus on:

compare and contrast the two writers' perspectives on the theme you have identified

evaluate the author's reasoning;

Now yes, I can take a guess on these parts by thinking about the poem, but if I have some knowledge of the authors in question then it'll help me out a whole lot in figuring out what the author's usual perspective is in their writings, and their reasoning for writing the things they do.


Basically, this is the one section most people fail on the CSET (there are 4 in total), and I want to try to be as prepared as possible. I may get unlucky and get authors I don't study, but I'd rather study as many as I can in the hopes I do get lucky vs. sitting on my ass and not studying at all lol.

[Ksandra]

Poetry is for fags

Trust me sath, if I could put that as my answer and get a 4/4 on it, I so would. Just for you.