Poetic Parallels Assessment

Part 1: Comparing Context

It's time to evaluate your primary source poems (or song lyrics) for their use of explicit and implicit details to
communicate their perspective on the historical, political, or social context of the poem/song. You'll need your
poems/songs, your secondary research sources, and your critical thinking skills to complete the chart below.

Poem/Song 1 Poem/Song 2

Poem or Song Title

February Strangers

Author
Matilda Mann Celeste

Year of Publication
2021 2019

“February came and called it enough “Isn't it strange

Implicit or Explicit
We tried to make it work How people can change
Details from
Poem/Song Pretend that it won't hurt this time From strangers to friends
Which details reflect how But you just won't confess Friends into lovers
the author feels about the
That this is for the best” And strangers again?”
topic?

The mention of February suggests This part of the song

that something major happened or
Evidence to Support was realized during that month. The
Perspective from entire tone expresses resignation and
Secondary Source acceptance that the relationship has
ended.
Implicit or Explicit “Safer to say it than breathing in dust
Evidence from I'll clear the air for the both of us”
Poem/Song
Which details reflect how
the author feels about the
topic?
The song expresses apprehension,
disappointment, and the end of a
romance. The author thinks about her
attempts to make things work, but
Evidence to Support she eventually recognizes that it is
Perspective from better to let go. The sentence "Safer
Secondary Source to say it than breathe in dust" implies
that speaking up and confronting the
issue is preferable to avoiding or
denying the truth.
emphasizes the paradoxical
nature of relationships, in
which people can go from
strangers to friends, friends to
lovers, and ultimately strangers
again.
“I tried for you
Tried to see through all the
smoke and dirt
It wouldn't move”
The first lines imply a futile
attempt to comprehend
someone or a circumstance.
Despite efforts to see beyond
obstacles "smoke and dirt",
there is a sensation of
immobility or inability to move
forward.

Implicit or Explicit “Nothing left to hold “I touch your head

Evidence from Pockets filled with holes” To pull your thoughts into my
Poem/Song hand
Which details reflect how
the author feels about the But now I can't”

Unless Otherwise Noted All Content © 2022 Florida Virtual School. FlexPoint Education Cloud™ is a
trademark of Florida Virtual School.
 topic?
"Pockets filled with holes"
emphasizes the idea of deprivation. It
Evidence to Support implies that any attempt to hold onto
Perspective from something, whether emotions,
Secondary Source memories, or tangible belongings, is
futile because it will inevitably slip
away or cannot be contained.
The line about pulling
someone's thoughts into your
hand has a desire for deeper
understanding and connection,
but the realization that such
control or intimacy may be
elusive.

Part 2: Who Said It Better?

Synthesize the information from the chart and compose a written response of 7-10 sentences that answers the
following question:
Which poem or song more effectively uses implicit and explicit details to communicate the author's perspective
about the historical, political, social, or cultural events that inspired their writing?

Your reflective response should include a topic sentence, incorporate evidence from the poem/song and
secondary sources, and effectively cite your sources.

Reflective Analysis
The final stanza of “Strangers” by celeste emphasizes silence as a source of self-reflection and self-
discovery, revealing the fundamental nature of the self. It alludes to the inner anguish and fragility that
occurs as a result of seeking to comprehend the changes that have transpired.

Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of introspection and reflection on the fluidity of relationships as well as the
inherent mystery of human connections. The emotional depth and poetic imagery combine to produce a
powerful and relevant narrative.

Other than the song “February’ the author These lyrics seem to be expressing feelings of hesitation,
disappointment, and the end of a relationship but “Strangers” go into more detail, “Strangers” lyrics convey
a sense of introspection and reflection on the nature of relationships and how they grow through time. The
song appears to reflect the sentiments of confusion loss, and the understanding that people can change,
resulting in a shift in interpersonal relations.

Poetic Parallels Rubric

(100 points possible)

On Target Almost There Needs Improvement

Analysis 50-40 points 39-30 points 29-0 points
Chart  The analysis chart  The analysis chart  The analysis chart is
(50 points) includes three specific includes three specific mostly incomplete or
examples of explicit or examples of explicit or does not reflect an effort
implicit details from both implicit details from both to locate textual
poems/songs that clearly poems/songs that evidence to support the
reflect the authors' attempt to reflect the authors' perspectives on
perspectives on the authors' perspectives on the topic.
topic.

Unless Otherwise Noted All Content © 2022 Florida Virtual School. FlexPoint Education Cloud™ is a
trademark of Florida Virtual School.
  The analysis chart
includes three pieces of
evidence for both
poems/songs that  The analysis chart
directly support the
evidence from the
poem/song in relation to
context and the authors'
perspectives.
the topic, or the chart is
missing some of this
evidence.
includes three pieces of
evidence for both
poems/songs that
attempt to support the
evidence from the
poem/song in relation to
context and the authors'
perspectives, or the
chart is missing some of
this evidence.

Who Said 40-32 points 31-24 points 23-0 points

It Better?  The student insightfully  The student attempted  The student may be
(40 points) and thoroughly reflected to reflect on the missing the paragraph in
on the effectiveness of effectiveness of the its entirety, or the
the poem/song they felt poem/song they felt paragraph may be too
best communicated the best communicated the short to fully develop a
historical, political, or historical, political, or cohesive idea about the
social context through social context, but the selected poem's/song’s
implicit and explicit reflection may be vague effectiveness.
details. or underdeveloped.  The student may be
 The student wrote a  The student wrote a missing substantial
paragraph of at least 7 paragraph of about 7 support from the
sentences and sentences and poem/song, the research
incorporated ample and attempted to source, or both.
relevant evidence from incorporate relevant  The paragraph may be
both the primary source evidence from both the lacking a topic sentence
poem/song and the primary source and/or MLA citations and
secondary research poem/song and the signal phrases.
source. secondary research
 The paragraph contains a source.
clear topic sentence and  The paragraph's topic
appropriate internal MLA sentence may be
citations and signal unclear.
phrases.  The paragraph may lack
appropriate internal
MLA citations and signal
phrases.
Grammar 10-8 points 7-6 points 5-0 points
 There are virtually no  There are a few  There are several
spelling, punctuation, spelling, punctuation, spelling, punctuation,
or grammatical errors.  or grammatical errors.   or grammatical
errors.  

Unless Otherwise Noted All Content © 2022 Florida Virtual School. FlexPoint Education Cloud™ is a
trademark of Florida Virtual School.