Assignment+2+-+Surprise

Directions for “Surprise” by Jane Kenyon

With a partner, brainstorm all of the specific events that become “milestones” in a person’s life (examples: birthday parties, getting a new job, a first date, graduating college, renting the first apartment, etc.).

Next, what tone or mood or emotional undercurrent would you associate with this event? Explain.

Now it’s time to switch it up a bit. Is there some way you could rethink this tone—some way you could reasonably have a situation where a tone or mood from the opposite end of the spectrum could emerge? One way is to give a character in the situation a secret, either good or bad.

Example: A funeral for the town’s butcher. Tone: dull, dreary, sleepy...the worn down funeral home, a line of people snaking across cracked concrete sidewalks, etc. Characters: a young couple with their parents...they grew up on neighboring farms. Shift in tone: she’s gotten them tickets for a vacation. Moment revealed: in the diner afterwards, the ticket stubs in hand, reflecting the morning sunlight


 * As a group, write a poem based on the ideas you generated in class yesterday. Go ahead and post it by clicking on the discussion bubbles in the upper right hand corner of this page. Thanks!**