Reference no: EM131856487

Poetry Paper Assignmen

Requirements:

1. 4 - 5 Full Pages

2. Works Cited page

3. Must have a thesis-driven introduction

4. Only use 3rd Person (NO Second or First Person)

5. Proper MLA formatting, Times New Roman, Double-Spaced, 12 pt. font

6. Try to avoid using blocked quotes, but if you must, you may use only one and they are limited to 4 - 8 lines.

Choose any two poems that we have read in class. Analyze two literary devices from the poems that help establish its overall meaning, theme, or purpose. Successful essays will do a close-reading of a few lines of a poem and then compare and contrast them to the other poem's overarching themes.

NOTE: As we discussed the first day while going over the syllabus, every day that the paper is late, I will dock a half-letter grade from the final grade. This applies to the rough drafts as well as the final drafts.

Tips for Success:

1. As you consider which literary devices to use, it is probably best to choose the ones that you are most comfortable identifying and explaining.

2. Explain and analyze quotes effectively. For every line within that blocked quote, there should be at least 2 - 4 lines of analysis. (For example, if you choose a 6 lines as a quote, then your analysis of that quote needs to be 8 lines or more.)

3. Get to the point. After you revise, look at every sentence and ask yourself - is this making sense? Is this necessary?

4. It is best to choose a poem that you are passionate about. It will help you write more.

5. How do the two poems relate to each other? What is the significance of the language used for both of them.

6. Some things to think about as you are writing are:

a. What is the speaker's overall point or message? Why should we care what he (or she) is saying? How do the literary devices that the author uses help to bring you (the reader) to that conclusion?

b. Did the poem help you look at society or a theme in a new way? How do the literary devices help you see things from another perspective?

c. Is the speaker speaking to someone else? If so, who and why? How does this help convey the overall purpose or message of the poem?