A Renaissance of Jazz and Poetry

Student Activity – Essay Directions 

After independently reading the poem "From the Dark 
Tower" by Countee Cullen and then listening to 
Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," write a two-
paragraph essay.  In the first paragraph, state the 
themes of the two works.  How are messages similar 
or different?  Cite specific passages to support 
your answer.  In the second paragraph, describe the 
tempo of the music.  What overall mood or feeling 
does it convey?  Does the poem reflect the same 
tone?  How are they the same?  How are they 
different?






Student Activity - Scoring Directions

Level 3 – Superior Performance
The student clearly stated the themes of the two 
works and described how they were similar or 
different.  Multiple passages were cited to support 
the answer.  Using writing that displayed thoughtful 
and thorough understanding, the student richly 
described and compared the tone and mood of the 
music and poetry.

Level 2 – Proficient Performance
The student stated the themes of the two works and 
described how they were similar or different.  At 
least two passages were cited to support the answer.  
Using writing skills that displayed some 
understanding, the student effectively described and 
compared the mood of the music and poetry.

Level 1 – Limited Performance
The student stated the themes of the two works and 
may have superficially described how they were 
similar or different.  Using writing skills that 
displayed a minimal amount of understanding, the 
student described the mood of the music and poetry.