The Art of Literature OST (Official Sound Track):

Final Project and Presentation

This assignment is meant to be fun, expressive, creative, but should also be informed by the aspects of the course we have covered over the semester, including literary elements, interpreting literature, juxtaposing, and literary analysis. Most importantly, this project is meant to show you that literature always is a part of our daily lives ̶you just have to stay “tuned in.”

Assignment Overview: This assignment has three parts (all of which are explained in detail below): First, you will build a “playlist” of songs that are connected by a similar concept. Second, you will write brief justifications for each song, in other words stating why they belong on your list followed by a short explanation of the list as a whole. Lastly, you will present your playlist to the class, which will consist of naming the songs on your list and briefly telling why you picked them.

1)The Playlist: Your playlist will consist of (at least) 8 songs that are connected by a literary concept. This concept can be broad or focused. The concept can be one of the literary elements (plot, setting, character, figurative speech, symbol, theme, narration), it can be a specific character we have, it can be theme-driven or consist of songs that rely heavily on narration or setting, for example. Get creative, but compile a list that has a common thread that you can defend.

2)Justifications and Explanations: After you have decided on your list, write 2-3 sentences about each item to explain what you see happening in it (your interpretation) and why you included it on your playlist. At the end of this list, write a 4-5 sentence paragraph explaining the concept, element, character, etc. that threads your playlist together and how your list adds to your understanding of that concept (see sample on the back of this sheet for formatting). This will be collected on the day of your presentation.

3)Presentations: On the day you sign up to present, you will share your playlist with the class, which will consist of naming the songs on your list and briefly telling why you picked them. You will then (time allowing) play one song or a portion of one songfor the class (over the speakers)[1].These presentations should run no longer than 5 minutes, so just hit the main points of your playlist.

Sample format for the “Playlist” portion of the assignment (#1&2 on the front) and to be handed in on the day of your presentation.

Student Name

Prof. Name

Course Number and Name

Date

Creative Title

“Song” and Song-writer

(Transcribing the lyrics here is not required, but you are encouraged to do so)

Here you will write 2-3 sentences. One should deal with your brief interpretation of the song or poem, how you read it or specific lines or images that jump out to you. Another sentence or two should explain or justify why you added it to your list.

(Repeat the above sample for your 8 songs)

This final paragraph will bring all of the songs on your list together in a way that concentrates your concept. It will be 4-5 sentences long. Here you should look at the commonalities or the thread that holds your songs and poems together. This explanation is meant to show how building this compilation shows you something new about the concept, literary element, etc. and why. This is where you answer the “so what?” question about why your playlist contains the songs and poems it does and what you learned afterbuilding this list of poetic literature.

  • This should be single-spaced
  • Your final playlist (including justifications and final paragraph) should be 2-3 pages long (unless you include the transcribed lyrics, then it will be much longer)
  • This is due the day of your presentation

[1] It will be easiest to use a YouTube video,get a file to me to play from my laptop, or plug in a phone or mp3 player, but we will arrange this closer to the week of presentations.