Please read these excerpts from Claudia Rankine’s book of poetry (published in 2
Please read these excerpts from Claudia Rankine’s book of poetry (published in 2004), Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric
Discussion Prompts
Pick one of the following prompts to respond to:
1) You probably noticed that Rankine’s writing isn’t broken down into lines and doesn’t really look like traditional poetry. Why do you think her writing is still classified as “poetry”? What, if anything, makes it “poetic”? In your response, include a quote that you found particularly poetic. Explain what the quote means to you and why you think it deserves to be classified as poetry.
2) Notice the way that Rankine includes images in her writing. Television sets, torn-off labels from pill bottles, and itemized lists are all included in her text. Why does she include these images? How do the televisions and pill labels relate to her greater message? What do you think her writing is ultimately about?
3) How does Rankine’s writing approach the issue of mental health? What struggles does she convey? How does she use language in a unique way to convey some of these struggles? In your response, please include a quote that showcases her unique writing style.
