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.

Macon, Georgia



On the literary map, travel from Columbus to Macon, Georgia.


Calculate:

# _____________ Miles to Macon, Georgia

$ _____________ Cost for Gasoline to Macon, Georgia

Visit Sidney Lanier at www.Poets.org and fill-in-the-blanks.

Sidney Lanier was born in ____________ Georgia.

Music first captured his interest. He learned to play the _____, _____, ____, ___ and ______.

In 1874, Lanier published his poem "Corn," which earned him many admirers, one of whom, Bayard Taylor, commissioned the poet to write the cantata for the
_____________________________________ .

Read "The Song of the Chattahoochee."

Explain the PERSONIFICATION in line 13.

Each stanza opens and closes with a slightly varying refrain to indicate a cycle - that is, in the river's end is its beginning. Write the refrains of each opening and closing of stanzas.

What is the regular rhyme scheme of each stanza?

Internal rhymes intensify the sense of the harmony Lanier so vales in nature. Analyze the following as use of internal rhyme:

I hurry AMAIN to reach the PLAIN
With a lover's PAIN to attain the PLAIN
HINT: examples of assonance and consonance

List five (5) examples of ALLITERATION in the second stanza.