Essay Instructions: Analyze a poem, using three secondary sources (in other words, at least three sources from research must be used) and the primary source (the literary work itself). The analysis must focus on one of the literary terms that have been discussed; however, the literary term can have broad interpretation. For example, if you're analysing Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach," you might research information specific to the poem; however, you can also research information specific to a literary term, such as symbolism or setting, and show how this information applies to the poem.
Choose from:
Audre Lorde, “Hanging Fire”
Matthew Arnold "Dover Beach"
Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck”
“Anthony Hecht, "Dover Bitch”
Anthony Hecht, “More Light! More Light!”
Edgar Allen Poe, "The Raven”
George Herbert, "The Collar"
Emily Dickenson, "My Life had stood--a Loaded Gun--"
W. H. Auden, "Musee des Beaux Arts"
Robert Frost, "Design”
John Keats, "To Autumn”
The following parameters for the assignment will help you structure both the content and the organization of the essay:
1. Essay must be a minimum of 1200 words, following the standard structure (an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph).
2. Essay must be analytical; it should NOT be a personal response to the poem or provide a critique. This is critical! (However, brief explanation of the poem may be acceptable if it is supporting a point being made. Assume that the reader has read the poem but is not familiar with the ideas being presented.)
3. Research must include three secondary sources that are listed on the Works Cited and quoted within the content of the paper. Remember to format MLA Documentation Style, listing primary and secondary sources on the Works Cited and citing quotes with parenthetical citations.
4. The introductory paragraph should (a) identify the piece of literature by author and title of the poem, (b) provide a statement of theme and (c) present the thesis statement, which should include the major points to be covered in the body paragraphs.
5. The body paragraphs should elaborate on a point that extends from the thesis and provide support for that point by bringing in specific quotations from the text.
6. The concluding paragraph should summarize points and make a final case for thesis.
7. As in the answering of discussion questions, provide support for the point being made in each body paragraph, and that support should include brief quotations from the story or from secondary resources. Discuss the quotes in relation to the points being made.
8. The essay should be cohesive, as a complete whole, with all parts working together. In checking for cohesion, ask if its various parts work together to make ONE statement, or if they each work separately, going off in different directions. Remember that an essay is to revolve around and derive from the thesis statement.
9. Discuss literature in present tense ("Sammy is," not "Sammy was").
10. Give the author's full name the first time you mention it, but thereafter, use only his or her last name, i.e., no titles.
11. Always place the title of a short story or poem that is being analyzed in quotation marks.
12. Always italicize or underline the title of a longer work, such as a novel or a film.
13. Do not use slang, contractions, and abbreviations.
14. Do not use the indefinite personal pronouns: "We, us, our, you, your."
15. Do not make any reference to yourself (No "I, me, or my").
16. Do not begin a sentence with "I believe that" or "In my opinion," etc.
17. Do not begin a sentence with "It is," "there is," or "there are."
18. Avoid pronoun or verb agreement problems.
19. Avoid sentence illiteracies such as fragments, run-ons, comma splices, or illogical sentence structures.
