Essay Instructions: The Assignment -
Write an explication of a poem from the Romantics section of the reading list. Your paper should be approximately 2 pages long in proper MLA format. (See your Gardner text if you have any questions about essay format.) You may, but are not required to use secondary sources. If you use secondary sources, document them properly according to MLA format as described in and Gardner, Writing about Literature. Review the sectionin Gardner about "Writing about Poems" (although the sample essay on Sonnet 116 is not particularly good.) The essay is due on Feb 23.
Use MS Word to write your essay. Upload the essay to the assignment drop box. (Be aware that the assignment closes after you upload a file to the drop box.) Make sure the poem you've selected is on the reading list for this course. If you select a poem from the textbook or elsewhere that is not on the reading list, your essay will not be graded.
When preparing to write an essay which explicates a poem, keep these steps in mind:
Begin by reading the poem a sentence at a time, making sure that you understand the meaning of each word. (Notice that I did not say a line at a time because sentences in poetry may end in the middle of a line.) Poets choose each word carefully, depending on both denotative and connotative meaning. The denotation can be found in the dictionary, but since some words may have several meanings -- some now obsolete ? be sure to choose the meaning that is appropriate to the context in the sentence. The connotation relates to the emotions that the word may evoke because of our past experiences.
Think about the poem's meaning. Determine the rhetorical situation (also known as the dramatic situation). In brief, who is the speaker, to whom is the poem addressed, and what is its purpose? (Remember that the speaker and the poet are not the same. Avoid the false assumption that all poems are personal expressions by the poet.) Then also consider
What is the scene in the poem? Determine the themes and conflicts that the poem addresses and questions it raises.
Who is the speaker (also called the voice or persona) in the poem?. Who does the poem address? Who are the characters in the poem? What motivates the speaker?
What is the plot (what happens in the poem on its surface)? Does conflict occur? How is it resolved?
What is the significance of the time and place the action occurs and is reported?
Once you understand the meaning of the poem, read it again to identify words that rhyme or that contain alliteration, assonance, or consonance. Mark any examples of similes, metaphors, or symbols, and note any images and the sensory impressions that they convey. Note unusual word orders, vocabulary, sound devices, imagery, and other stylistic devices. Also decide on the tone of the work based on the subject, the word choice and order, and the poet?s overall style. Determine patterns and how they convey meaning and contribute to the success of the poem. (The explication should not just be a line by line paraphrase or description of the poem, but it should show how each line contributes to the meaning.
Essay Organization
Introduction
After an interesting lead or ?hook,? the introduction should include the following:
the author?s full name and the title of the poem
the type of poem ? narrative, lyric, dramatic monologue, etc.
the voice of the poem ? the narrator, the speaker, or an identifiable character.
the setting in time an place if it is stated or can be inferred from the text
a brief summary of what the poem is about.
your thesis statement. The thesis statement should reveal in general the discoveries you made about the poet?s use of specific poetic devices and a statement of the poem's theme.
Body
elaborate on the larger issues such as the significance of the poem's form, type, etc. that you may have mentioned in the introducion.
explain what motivates the speaker, how the conflicts are resolved, their relationships to theme
discuss the stanzas, explaining the meaning of each sentence/line by paraphrasing and quoting and by pointing out and explaining the effects of any poetic devices that the poet employs. Remember that each sentence/line of the poem must be explained because each one contributes to the total effect of the work; you may, however, explicate sentence/line four before sentence/line three, for example, if that approach would help clarify the poem?s meaning. Your discussion must elaborate on how your analysis on the line supports the thesis.
discuss formal poetic elements that contribute to the meaning and understanding of the poem. (All poems have a metrical pattern, but it might not have particular significance for every poem. )
Break the discussion into paragraphs at logical points. (DO NOT assume that a 5 paragraph format essay will satisfy). Use transitions to make connections between the paragraphs.)
Conclusion
The conclusion should comment on the poet?s effective (or not) use of poetic devices to convey his or her meaning and then discuss that meaning as it relates to the universal human experience.
Editing
Discuss literature in present tense
Maintain a 3rd person point of view focusing on the work (Avoid inserting "the reader" into your essay since you are the only reader for whom you can speak.)
Consult Gardner, Writing about LIterature or one of the suggested websites for specifics in quoting and citing poetry and for details of MLA format.
Please Do Not Use Wikipedia Thanks.
