Read another of Zagajewski's poems from Mysticism for Beginners and lead a class discussion comparing and contrasting the poem's focus on mysticism to that of “Self-Portrait.”

Choose two New Wave poets and read a poem by each of them. Prepare a computerized slide presentation on their political themes. Give background information on the political topics addressed in the poems.

Write a poem or short story that could be considered a self-portrait of you.

Zagajewski outlined his attitude toward individual artistic expression in his collection of essays Solidarity, Solitude (1990). Read at least one of these essays and write your own essay summarizing Zagajewski's attitude about artistic expression and relating your conclusions to “Self-Portrait.”