1. Choose the tone of the myth. Is it a cautionary tale on responsibility? A story of communication with higher powers? Actions of empathy for the greater good? A lighthearted, ironic tale of adventure and consequence?
2. Choose the intention of the myth. Is this the story of a character who is responsible for the creation of something (such as a god, a human, an animal, a personified planet, etc. who has taken action) OR Is this the story of the accidental/inadvertent existence of something that created something in the world today?
3. Choose a subject or concept that is interesting to you. (Ex: the creation of stars, the formation of mountains, the existence of empathy, the origin of sunsets, the flow of the wind)
4. Create strong characters and/or a strong setting that places the reader in the mindset of the myth.
Are you trying to emulate traditional myths: Use impersonal language in the 3rd person to write a cautionary tale about a flaw in human nature that led to the formation of something in the natural world (humans loved to imagine they had an impact on the creation of earth)
Are trying to write a modern take on the myth: Choose a more informative and less critical tone to explain the occurrence of a facet of the world TODAY (something specific to the century) and how it came to be
When reading a poem it is important to understand the general subject that is being developed in order to have a general idea that helps the reader to continue with further analysis. This main idea that the author is trying to convey is called theme. Therefore the strategy that would help the reader get the most out of reading a poem is B: identify any notable theme or main idea in the poem.
