A Geographical Tour of Literary America

The Grand Tour of Literary Landmarks resulted from my students' success with another project that we called "Poetic License with THE AMAZING RACE." This new journey also begins and ends in my students' hometown. Chosen writers are specific to our curriculum and texts; however, teachers can adapt new selections to their students' needs. Side images are their original work. Photo images at each destination go directly to official sites or to the slideshows of my own travel photos. The main sources of written material here are www.Poets.org and Adventures in American Literature, Heritage Edition and Pegasus Edition.

Head Tide, Maine


On the literary map, travel from Franconia, New Hampshire, to Head Tide, Maine.

Calculate:

# _____________ Miles to Head Tide, Maine

$ _____________ Cost for Gasoline to Head Tide, Maine

Visit Edwin Arlington Robinson at www.Poets.org and fill-in-the blanks.

"Edwin Arlington Robinson was born on ____________________, in Head Tide, Maine. His family moved to Gardiner, Maine, in 1870, which renamed '_________________,' became the backdrop for many of Robinson's poems. Robinson described his childhood as stark and unhappy; he once wrote in a letter to Amy Lowell that he remembered wondering why _______________________________. After high school, Robinson spent two years studying at Harvard University as a special student and his first poems were published in the Harvard Advocate.

Read "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy"

Answer the questions.

Why is Miniver, the white fur trimming used on people’s garment in the Middle Ages, an appropriate name for for the character in this poem?



2. Explain how lines 23-24 reveal the poet’s attitude toward Miniver Cheevy.



3. How do other lines reflect the poet’s attitude toward Cheevy?



4. How does the ending of the poem affect your attitude toward Cheevy?