Digital Whitman at UMW’s Annotation of Drum Taps (due November 3)

Eleves, I salute you! come forward!
Continue your annotations, continue your questionings. (Whitman 1867 38:249)

For this assignment, you will work with the following partners. (Your group might want to name itself so we can avoid calling you A, B, C.)

  • A. Brendon, Meghan
  • B. Courtney, Allison
  • C. Sam P, Sarah
  • D. Sam K, Jessica
  • E. Chelsea, Erin
  • F. Ben,Virginia

Each group will be responsible for deeply annotating a poem that was first published in Drum-Taps (readings from September 22 or October 6); make sure you choose one that will bear up under scrutiny, and as soon as you choose, post it to the blog to stake your claim. Using the commentpress site that the Reverend shows you in class, you will annotate the poem by researching historical, geographic, personal or other references and critical commentary on the poem or its specific lines. Of course, other annotations will come from your own interpretations and readings of the lines, symbols, and so on. The annotations may include image links where appropriate.

As these proceed through the weeks, they may be subject to random peer reviews in class.