For this essay, you must select a poem from our textbook that has not been discussed in class. In addition to performing detailed analyses of your chosen poem, this essay assignment will require you to do some research and analysis outside of the poem—specifically on the poet’s life and poetics (influences, style, goals)—to inform your interpretation of the work. Your essay must have a clearly stated interpretation of the poem as its thesis, and detailed analyses of the text, its poet and his/her poetics as support. The final paper should be 3-4 pages long in MLA format (typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and a 12-point font). Any use of sources must be documented in impeccable MLA format—parenthetical citation (author’s last name & page number) and works cited page.
Recommended Procedure
The steps described below are a recommendation on how to proceed to prepare for and write your essay. Read them carefully and note that you won’t actually be writing your essay until part 3 of Step IV. Feel free to come see me at my office hours if you need any help.
Step I: Description -- The first step one should always take when seriously exploring a poetic text is to carry out detailed observations of the text.
Paraphrase—What does the poem say? Summarize the poem in your own words, in detail. Formulate an initial idea of what you think the poem means, but allow yourself the flexibility to change your mind.
Identify and describe the major elements in the poem, considering what they contribute to the poem:
Speaker
Tone
Situation
Setting
Language
Word choices
denotation, connotation
irony, ambiguity
imagery
figures of speech: metaphor, simile, allegory, symbol, etc.
Step II: Analysis-- Once one has described the poem thoroughly, one should think about what these elements contribute to the poem.
What is the poet doing with each element described in Step I?
Which elements are significant to understanding the poem? Why or why not?
What patterns can you identify in the poem? Where is there variation? Do the patterns and/or variations signal something important in the poem?
Are there any convergences of elements? What do they highlight?
Step III: Research
Research any allusions, references, vocabulary, or relevant contexts that help you understand the poem.
Avoid researching other analyses and/or interpretations of the poem.
Step IV: Interpretation-- This last step is an ongoing process. As you read, describe and analyze the poem, your interpretation will be taking shape, solidifying with the evidence you observe in the text. Remember, that just because a poem can have multiple readings, doesn’t mean that all readings are supportable.
Go back over your analyses and descriptions and think about what the poem says or evokes.
What does each element contribute to your understanding of the poem?
What do you think poet wanted to express with this poem?
What choices did the poet make to achieve that?
Formulate your interpretation as a thesis statement, and select analytical elements that support your thesis.
Step V: Writing -- Write your essay, in which you try to convince your readers of your interpretation of the poem. To be persuasive, you must provide details from Steps II and III that support your reading of the poem.
Guidelines
This essay must be about 500 - 750 words in length, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and in a conservative font (about 4 pages). You must have a title page with the following information: Your Name, Date, Course and Section Number, the Assignment (Essay #1), and the Title of Your Essay. Underneath the final draft, include all previous drafts and available prewriting. The essay is due on Wednesday, October 2.
Evaluation
Your essay will be evaluated in the following areas, with areas 1-3 carrying most of the weight of the grade:
Assignment (fulfilling requirements, quality of thesis, and depth of analysis),
Organization (clarity of thesis, thorough paragraphing, overall organization),
Development (relevance of claims, adequacy of support, and textual evidence),
Sentence Structure, Word Choice, and Grammar (weaknesses will be identified in these areas, but they will not affect grade significantly unless they get in the way of understanding the essay).
An essay that satisfies all the requirements of the assignment with a clear sense of organization and adequate development earns a “C” in this class. An essay that achieves the goals at an above average level of proficiency, with only minor problems in one or two areas earns a “B.” The “A” is reserved for nearly flawless, elegant essays that excel in all the criteria described above. Essays that do not fulfill the minimum requirements for the assignment earn a “D.” Only essays that are not turned in or are plagiarized earn an “F” in this class, and may result in a failing grade in the course.