Capstone Project Proposal Good Copy

Name of student: _____Manya Singla_____ Date: ___December 16, 2022___

Teacher: ____Mr. Harvailias____ Block: __D__

The Capstone strand I have chosen is _______Project________

Proposed title for my Project Proposal: (write the proposed title for your Capstone Project in one clear
sentence): ___Creating a self-written poetry book___

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that connects with
a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that you cannot just google an
answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

How can I create meaningful text that portrays my personal experiences in a metaphorical sense, with the
potential to resonate with others?

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are choosing to
investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect to your passion(s),
purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

My capstone project is to write a poetry book that is authentic and personal to me yet is broad enough to
have the potential to resonate with others. The reason why I chose this particular project is because I have
always wanted to follow my passion towards creative writing and develop my skills in this field. Aside from
my academic, career, and life goals, I have always loved reading and there are often times where certain
novels have inspired me to write pieces of my own. However, I have not been able to invest and dedicate
my time towards enhancing my skills in creative writing other than writing some poems or small pieces of
writing from time to time. Hence, I would like to take the opportunity to finally accomplish this goal through
my capstone project. Since I have always loved literature that I find myself relating to, I would also like to
create meaningful text that others are able to relate to.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area of inquiry?

Since I love to read in my leisure time, I have read many novels that have helped me gain some information
on different styles of writing and their impact on the reader, after having read it first-hand myself. I have
practiced writing poetry and short stories in my English classes since grade 8. In addition, I have written
poems since grade 10 in my leisure time as a way of journaling and coping with my struggles.

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Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What connections does this
inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

My intended career plan at this point in time is to study a health-care related field in post-secondary and
eventually obtain a profession in this field. Particularly, I am currently thinking of careers related to
psychology and counseling. I have read some research articles in the past that discuss how poetry can
serve as a coping mechanism for some, especially in terms of expressing themselves. Since I have always
been intrigued by psychology and writing poems has been a hobby of mine for more than two years, I
would like to take the opportunity to learn about poetry and its relevance to psychology on a deeper level
through this capstone project.

Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core competencies will
be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

Some subject areas connected to my capstone project include literature, specifically poetry, creative
writing, and marketing.
Some core competencies that relate to my capstone project include novelty and value, generating ideas,
and developing ideas. Through this capstone project, I have improved my skills in these areas while
working on the process of designing the genre, theme, narrative, and art for my poetry book, as well as in
drafting the poems themselves.
In terms of self-determination, self-regulation, and well-being, I believe I have utilized these core
competencies in my capstone project when persevering through the struggles I constantly seem to
experience while working on my capstone, practicing patience and optimism, and reflecting on the
decisions I take for this project in order to meet the goals I have set for this project, and ensure that I
complete my poetry book to the best of my ability without any lingering regrets.
Other core competences that have served me well throughout my project include analyze and critique,
question and investigate, and develop and design. I have used these skills when making major decisions
for my capstone. A primary example would be choosing whether to market my poetry book on social media
platforms. I conducted research on poets who have self-published their books and initiated conversations
with my mentor to discuss and receive their intake on ways I could market my poems online. This was a
difficult process, which required me to analyze and make good judgements, come up with well-developed
and thought-out conclusions, and reflect to understand the purpose for my work as well as consider my
audience if I choose to share my poems online.
Another crucial core competency that I found myself improve in while making such major decisions for my
capstone was communication. I frequently communicated my concerns, struggles, and accomplishments
with my mentor and friends to acquire their feedback and advice, which helped me tremendously in
finalizing and committing to my decisions.
Additionally, I realized that I was given the opportunity to work on my personal and cultural identity through
this project. Since my book incorporates poems that portray my own personal experiences in life, I
constantly cogitated my values and their influence on my choices and priorities. I also often self-evaluated
my abilities and strengths in terms of how I could use them to my advantage particularly for this project,
which helped me to significantly improve in channeling my emotions and thoughts into a poem. I found that
I am able to draft good poems much more easily when it stems from my own personal experiences, which
enabled to define myself in terms of my relationship with self, others, and with the world in a metaphorical
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 sense.
Lastly, I believe I demonstrated social responsibility in my capstone project particularly in the area of
building relationships since I believe I have formed a positive and meaningful relationship with my mentor
i.e. English teacher, who was a great help throughout my journey towards completing my poetry book.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present your
project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once completed. You may use a
combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o imovie presentation
o YouTube channel

I plan on using an electronic portfolio (i.e. PPT) to present my journey of capstone as detailed in the
capstone guide on what should be included for the presentation.
If possible, I would also like to present and display my poetry book in a typical book-like style, but if I am
not able to accomplish this, then I plan on just creating a physical portfolio of my poetry book out of printer
paper and organizing the poems into a portfolio-like format.

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will you
research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the end of this
project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal.

For my capstone, I plan on creating my own poetry book incorporating 15-20 poems. I will begin this
project by conducting research first on a few guiding questions that will aid me in the creative process of
writing poems as well as in ultimately working towards and answering my main inquiry question. These
questions include:
1. Why do people write poetry?
2. What classifies as poetry?
3. What makes poetry unique from other written works?
4. What are the common characteristics of a poetry book?
5. What are the limitations, if any, of writing poetry?
6. How do poets create meaning in their poems?
7. How do poets self-publish their poetry books?
8. What are some strategies that are commonly used by poets to market their poetry books when they
first begin their journey as a poet?
After gaining some information on the above questions, I plan on starting my own journey of writing poems.
For my poetry book, I plan on writing poems that are all corelated to each other in such a way that they
serve as chapters or fragments of a short novel and narrate a particular story, rather than choosing a
theme and writing several individual poems based on that singular theme. The main goal for my poetry
book is to create meaningful text that portrays my own life experiences in a metaphorical and lyrical sense
while simultaneously being broad enough that its interpretation can vary according to the reader and is
able to resonate with the reader on a personal level.
For mentorship, I plan on connecting with my English teacher from grade 11, who has known me for a year
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 and is familiar with my writing abilities. I believe they will be a great help in providing feedback and will be
much more easier to access than a local poet or editor. Nonetheless, I also plan on connecting with local
editors, who are willing to mentor me in my journey towards creating this poetry book. I would like to reach
out to a poet by the name of Jasmine Kaur since I admire her work in poetry. If possible, I would like her to
be my mentor by sharing her experiences as a poet and providing any advice or guidance that can be
useful for me in the creative process of writing poems.
Along with making a poetry book, I would also like to experience its marketing aspect. If given the
opportunity, I would like to publish my poetry book with the help of a publisher and market it myself on
media platforms. To accomplish this, I plan on reaching out to local publishers who are willing to mentor
me in the publication of my poetry book with the help of my English teacher. I also plan on promoting my
poems on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
To ensure that I am on the right track, I plan on writing bi-weekly short journals to self-monitor my
progress. In terms of presentation, I plan on using an electronic medium i.e. a PowerPoint presentation
which discusses my entire journey of creating a poetry book including my experiences and hardships while
working on this project, along with a physical copy of my poetry book in a typical book-like format, if I am
able to publish my book. If my poetry book does not get published, then I plan on making a simple portfolio
of my poetry book instead.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and skills you will
need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to access/learn all of the resources
necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail your plans.

Skills that I believe would be necessary in creating my own poetry book include creative thinking. I will
also need to learn how to write poetry in different ways than just free-verse. In order to do this, I plan on
doing research-based learning on my own, and seeking advice and guidance from mentors. Some
potential mentors that I plan on connecting with include my English teacher as well as local editors, poets,
and publishers.
In terms of promoting my poetry book on a media, preferably online, platform in order to receive honest
feedback, specifically from the community of poetry, I will learn and develop my marketing skills. In order
to do this, I plan on doing research-based learning on my own and connecting and seeking guidance from
local publishers and poets.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will you need to

help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you? What is your plan to access
the mentorship/community connections necessary for this project?

I believe I would need a local editor, publisher, and poet as my mentors, who I can seek guidance and
feedback from to help me improve my writing. I plan on researching local editors, poets, and publishers
and connecting with these mentors by emailing them with the help of my English teacher, who will also
serve as one of my mentors that I can seek advice from as they would be much more easier to access

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 than a local editor, publisher, or poet.

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee that might
affect progress with your Capstone Project?

Some obstacles I can foresee affecting my progress with the capstone project include not being able to
find a local editor/publisher/poet who is willing to be my mentor, as well as writer’s block. I am quite
worried that I may not be able to find a local editor, publisher, or poet who is willing to be my mentor for
this project and is able to guide me through the entire process of writing my own poetry book. I feel very
anxious about experiencing a writer’s block as well, where I am not able to generate and develop on my
ideas for no particular reason. I am worried that I might not be able to overcome a writer’s block, which
would drastically impact my progress on my poetry book.

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about your project
that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

N/A

References: Provide a literature review of 5-10 PEER REVIEWED ACADEMIC references: research,
videos, etc. that offer some preliminary research you have done for your project that shows you are able
to access the key information that you will need to be able to complete this project/work. Your list should
be written using correct APA formatting.

Anderson, L. H. (2019). Speak. Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Speak is a work of fiction written by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of a high school

freshman Melinda Sordino, who is raped at an end-of-summer party, which causes her to struggle

with her mental health as she increasingly isolates herself and practically stops speaking

altogether. Melinda’s character is described to be stuck in a constant inner conflict within herself

about wanting to repress the memory of her trauma while simultaneously desiring to speak about

it. Towards the end of the novel, however, the protagonist can be seen choosing the latter when she

fights back and refuses to stay silent during another violent encounter with the upperclassman in

her school who raped her. Along with conveying the powerful message of speaking up for oneself,

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 the author also provides a deeper insight into depression and related mental illnesses through

Melinda’s character, a relatable teenager with a sarcastic sense of humor and an ironic voice that

delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school.

This novel is one of my favorites of all time, because the style of writing is quite inspiring due to

its ability to deliver important messages such as speaking up for oneself, while being rather simple

and informal. Furthermore, I believe that Melinda’s character is written brilliantly. The sarcastic

sense of humor of the protagonist makes her very relatable to the reader and her struggles with

depression and anxiety help the reader have a better understanding of individuals with related

mental illnesses by being able to see the ongoing events of the story through her eyes and point of

view. In my poetry book, I would like to write meaningful pieces of writing similar to this novel,

that educate the reader on a deeper level while being relatable at the same time. This novel,

particularly Melinda’s character, serves as a major inspiration and starting point for my own

poetry book.

Blake, R. W. (1990). Poets on poetry: Writing and the reconstruction of reality. The English Journal,

79(7), 16. https://doi.org/10.2307/818710

This journal article discusses the importance of poetry in terms of its ability to reconstruct reality.

The author of the journal article, Robert W. Blake, who is a poet himself, writes about his

conversations with other poets on how they perceive poetry, why they choose to write poems, and

what, if at all, poetry is good for. Blake also mentions some methods that he observed were

commonly used by poets in different context or ways to write poetry. These methods include the

need of solitude as well as tempered confidence that, as stated by the author, refers to the assurance

learned by poets as a result of constant practice, which aids them throughout the creative process of

constructing a poem. I believe this journal article is a great introduction to poetry for me, because it

provides excellent insight from various experienced individuals into some of the basic questions I

have about poetry, including its meaning, significance, why it is written, and methods one can
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 practice to improve their poetry skills.

Glatch, S. (2021, March 9). How to write a poetry book and get it published. Writers.com. Retrieved

October 6, 2022, from https://writers.com/how-to-write-a-poetry-book

This website article provides an excellent well-rounded guide on the how-to of writing poetry books

as well as publishing them, by using a classic format of answering frequently asked questions on

poetry. From choosing themes as well as the order of individual poems in a poetry book to

publishing the book itself, this article discusses many aspects of a poetry book in excellent details

and explanations, which can serve as a great beginner’s guide for me when starting my journey of

composing my own poems and eventually, my very own poetry book.

LONGENBACH, J. (2011). Why Is A Good Poem Good? Salmagundi, 170/171, 169–173.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41638729

This journal article discusses important characteristics of a good poem that differentiates it from a

bad poem. The author, James Longenbach, who is also a poet, specifically analyzes a poem called

“Brazil, January 1, 1502” by Elizabeth Bishops that he personally seems to admire, in order to

explain what makes Bishop’s poem a good one. While mainly referring to the first two lines of the

poem, the author describes several characteristics in those two lines alone that make the poem a

good one right from the start. I believe this journal article can aid me in gaining a better

understanding of poetry through a poet’s perspective in terms of what the community of poets

consider to be a good poem as well as the characteristics that are crucial to writing good

meaningful poems. I can use this journal as a guide I can refer to, whenever I may be skeptical and

unsure of whether my poems are good.

Wagamese, R. (2016). Embers: One ojibway's meditations. Douglas & McIntyre.

Embers: One ojibway’s meditations is a collection of carefully selected everyday reflections by

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 author Richard Wagamese, that portray his observations on the various concepts of life, including

gratitude, grief, spirituality, and healing. Unlike classic full-length novels with a plot, theme, and

climax, Embers is an exceptional piece of written work presented not only in words, but also

through digital media such as photography. In this book, Wagamese shares his personal thoughts

and individual experiences while simultaneously keeping his book universal and exploratory,

allowing the reader to interpret the context in a way that relates to them, rather than reading the

definite meaning of a given text. Having read the novel myself, I find Embers quite inspiring. Just

as in this novel, I would also like to write meaningful text that can be left up to the reader for its

interpretation, while ensuring that the written work is personal to my own thoughts and

experiences. This novel can serve as important and motivational readings that I can return to for

inspiration.

YouTube. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=JwhouCNq-Fc.

This Ted-Ed video is a lesson by Melissa Kovacs that explores the question many poets often

struggle to answer: What exactly makes a poem, a poem? The video examines this simple yet

complicated question in many different ways, including a brief overview of the various types of

poems and the three characteristics that seem to be common among all poems, using examples of

various poets and their written works in poetry throughout history. The video also discusses the

inclusion of visual art and songs in poetry of modern times as well as the idea that poetry can only

be written by humans since they are the only ones who can comment on what it is to be human,

unlike robots. This lesson is a great introductory video that I can use to understand and gain some

background information on poetry, its various forms, and common characteristics.

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