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About this Project
Our entire class, led by Humanities teacher Dr. Patton, were given time periods
Project Summary
We are writing, editing, designing, and publishing an anthology of poems commemorating events from American history, with an explanatory introduction to each poem.
Project Syllabus
student_guide_to_the_poet_laureate_project.docx | |
File Size: | 18 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Final Draft of Poem
Drafted
I am a soldier drafted in the war.
Sent far from my family and my friends.
I sailed by ship to reach the bloody shore
of European countries fighting ends.
I never wanted a part in this fight.
I did not want to kill or shoot a gun.
I wanted to have a good life, despite
the deadly war that needed to be won
In Nineteen Seventeen (1917), six months before
While the Great War raged in Europe’s own land
I was drafted and sent to the deep core
and saw the fight of the countries first hand
The food is rationed in tiny portions
The living quarters are dirty and rank
As I run through the deadly trench sections,
I see the bodies of dead lay eyes blank
So here I am, out in the fields of France
Gun in my hand, hearing the battle cry.
Wondering if I’ll have a decent chance.
Wondering if I’ll live or if I’ll die.
Poetic Form: Quatrain
Meter: Iambic Pentameter
Event: The United States Enters World War 1
Perspective: U.S. Soldier
Title: Drafted
Explanatory Essay
The main reason why I wrote about my event is because World War 1 was the most important event during that time period for the United States and the rest of the world. At the time, newer inventions such as machine guns and mortars attributed to one of the highest death tolls of the early century and tactics such as trench warfare were a commonplace during battles. Also, the United States had entered late into the war and was more of a deciding factor.
April 6 1917 was the day that the United States declared war on Germany. Before that time, during the War, the United States remained a neutral country. The event that sparked America’s interest into joining the War was when a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania in 1915, holding a various group of Europeans and Americans. President Woodrow Wilson demanded an end on unrestricted warfare from Germany. Two years later, Germany resumed their attacks on merchant and passenger ships. Realizing that this would mean war from the United States and taking advantage of United States’ small military, Germany sent a telegram to Mexico. Known as the Zimmerman Telegram, it was an invitation to Mexico into the war to fight against the United States and gain back lost territories. Intercepted and released to the public, many Americans saw it as a proximate cause into World War 1. On April 2, 1917, Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States at the time, urged for Congress to declare war on Germany in a speech addressed to the congressmen. And 5 days later, Congress declared war on Germany.
Before this event, the military of the United States had been small and relied heavily on volunteers to join. After Congress had voted for the United States to go to war with Germany, they passed the Selective Service Act of 1917 in order to increase the amount of soldiers in the military to be sent to war. Because of this act, the military had increased dramatically, contributing to more than 2.8 million for the war overseas in Europe.
I chose the perspective of a U.S. citizen drafted into the Army. A month after Congress had declared war on Germany, the United States passed the Selective Service Act. This stated that all men 21 to 30 were required to register for the military. A year later, this was changed to all men 18 to 45 were required to register. This resulted in a total of 2.8 million people being drafted into the war compared to the 2 million that volunteered. That meant that there were more than 800 thousand men that were drafted into the military compared to the amount that volunteered. A lot of those that were drafted were unmarried men with no dependants and were deemed “fit for military service”.
April 6 1917 was the day that the United States declared war on Germany. Before that time, during the War, the United States remained a neutral country. The event that sparked America’s interest into joining the War was when a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania in 1915, holding a various group of Europeans and Americans. President Woodrow Wilson demanded an end on unrestricted warfare from Germany. Two years later, Germany resumed their attacks on merchant and passenger ships. Realizing that this would mean war from the United States and taking advantage of United States’ small military, Germany sent a telegram to Mexico. Known as the Zimmerman Telegram, it was an invitation to Mexico into the war to fight against the United States and gain back lost territories. Intercepted and released to the public, many Americans saw it as a proximate cause into World War 1. On April 2, 1917, Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States at the time, urged for Congress to declare war on Germany in a speech addressed to the congressmen. And 5 days later, Congress declared war on Germany.
Before this event, the military of the United States had been small and relied heavily on volunteers to join. After Congress had voted for the United States to go to war with Germany, they passed the Selective Service Act of 1917 in order to increase the amount of soldiers in the military to be sent to war. Because of this act, the military had increased dramatically, contributing to more than 2.8 million for the war overseas in Europe.
I chose the perspective of a U.S. citizen drafted into the Army. A month after Congress had declared war on Germany, the United States passed the Selective Service Act. This stated that all men 21 to 30 were required to register for the military. A year later, this was changed to all men 18 to 45 were required to register. This resulted in a total of 2.8 million people being drafted into the war compared to the 2 million that volunteered. That meant that there were more than 800 thousand men that were drafted into the military compared to the amount that volunteered. A lot of those that were drafted were unmarried men with no dependants and were deemed “fit for military service”.
Rough Draft of Poem
Drafted
I am a soldier drafted in the war.
Sent far from my family and my friends.
I sailed by ship to reach the bloody shore
of European countries fighting ends.
I never wanted part in this harsh fight.
I did not want to kill or shoot a gun.
I wanted to have a good life, despite
the deadly war that needed to be won.
So here I am, out on the fields of France
Gun in my hand, hearing the battle cry.
Wondering if I’ll have a decent chance.
Wondering if I’ll live or if I’ll die.
Poetic Form: Quatrain
Meter: Iambic Pentameter
Event: The United States Enters World War 1
Perspective: U.S. Soldier
Title: Drafted
7 Questions About My Event
1. What caused your event?
The sinking of the Lusitania
2. What other circumstances shaped your event? (think Haitian Earthquake vs. Chilean Earthquake)
Zimmerman Telegraph, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare
3. Who suffered because of your event? (and in what ways?)
The entire world, mainly the European countries the war was based in
4. Who benefited from your event? (and in what ways?)
Gun, Vehicle, and Supply Manufacturers
5. List at least 10 "moments" in your event that your poem could focus on?
- The first soldiers sent to war
- A U.S. citizen's reaction to them entering the war
- The announcement of the United States entering the war
- The first battle the Americans fought in
- A U.S. citizen's reaction to the sinking of the Lusitania
- The Zimmerman Telegraph
- Men enlisting into the Army
- Germany’s Reaction
- One of the battleships sent to join a British fleet
- President Woodrow Wilson negotiating a settlement with Germany
6. List at least 5 real people whose stories you can use as source material?
- Woodrow Wilson
- A German-American Citizen
- Former President Theodore Roosevelt
- An American Soldier
- Former President William Taft
7. Connect your event to the present day (by cause-and-effect or by analogy)
- Because of the stalemates caused by trench warfare, it is no longer used
- The machine gun, one of the first of its kind used during the war, became an important weapon of all wars after it
1. What caused your event?
The sinking of the Lusitania
2. What other circumstances shaped your event? (think Haitian Earthquake vs. Chilean Earthquake)
Zimmerman Telegraph, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare
3. Who suffered because of your event? (and in what ways?)
The entire world, mainly the European countries the war was based in
4. Who benefited from your event? (and in what ways?)
Gun, Vehicle, and Supply Manufacturers
5. List at least 10 "moments" in your event that your poem could focus on?
- The first soldiers sent to war
- A U.S. citizen's reaction to them entering the war
- The announcement of the United States entering the war
- The first battle the Americans fought in
- A U.S. citizen's reaction to the sinking of the Lusitania
- The Zimmerman Telegraph
- Men enlisting into the Army
- Germany’s Reaction
- One of the battleships sent to join a British fleet
- President Woodrow Wilson negotiating a settlement with Germany
6. List at least 5 real people whose stories you can use as source material?
- Woodrow Wilson
- A German-American Citizen
- Former President Theodore Roosevelt
- An American Soldier
- Former President William Taft
7. Connect your event to the present day (by cause-and-effect or by analogy)
- Because of the stalemates caused by trench warfare, it is no longer used
- The machine gun, one of the first of its kind used during the war, became an important weapon of all wars after it