For Essay 2, you may choose from one of the following choices:
Option 1: Analyzing a poem
Option 2: Analyzing a graphic novel (more challenging)
Option 3: Comparing some aspect of two texts (the most challenging)
Option 1: Analyzing a Poem: Theme
Remember that in poetry there is no need to understand EVERYTHING. In poetry, you, the reader and/or the listener, have to actively participate with the poem and “fill in the blanks” and deeper shades of meaning. Poems are often about subjects that you have never experienced directly. You have never met the poet, never had his or her experiences, and never thought about things in exactly the same way. To recapture the experience of a poem, you DO, however, need to understand the use of language, ideas, attitudes, and frames of reference that bring the poem to life.
For this assignment, you are to write an explication of a poem of your choosing from the group of poems that we read together as a class. To explicate a poem means to give a detailed analysis of a work, often line by line or word by word and goes beyond the assimilation required for a paraphrase and thus provides you with the opportunity to show your understanding. You do not, however, need to explain everything in the poem. What you should do is devote attention to the meaning of individual parts in relationship to the work as a whole (See the questions below). In other words, Do not simply recount the events of the poem. This is a paraphrase.
Much like Essay 1, you are to identify a central theme/idea and then argue its relevance/importance to the individual parts of the piece.
For this option, your essay should be a minimum of 2 FULL pages and no more than 3 FULL pages.
NOTE: THE IDEAS FOUND IN THIS PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. YOU MAY NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES!
Option 2: Analyzing a Graphic Novel:
For this assignment, select a single page from Alex & Ada and show how it develops a central theme (or, the relationship between themes) of that work in particularly interesting ways. Your thesis should clearly articulate the theme(s) which you perceive at work on the page; the discussion that follows the introduction will illuminate how the page develops the theme(s), connecting the page to the work as a whole.
For this option, your essay must be a minimum of THREE Full Pages and no more than FIVE Full Pages and written in MLA Format. THE IDEAS FOUND IN THIS PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. YOU MAY NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES!
The selection of the page itself represents an important part of this assignment. Choose a page which provides a rich source for you to interpret. (If you are uncertain about whether a certain page would work, please ask me.) Consider how the page contributes to the theme or themes you see at work locally on the page, and globally in the work as a whole. Focus on at least three of the following elements:
style: Is the artistic style more realistic or more iconic? (See McCloud, pp. 29-36.) Which, for example, is rendered with a greater degree of realism -- the backgrounds or the characters? Are all characters rendered in the same style?
space: How does the artist use the relationship between what is there and what is not there? Space surrounding an object may call attention to it. Lack of space may create a crowded or closed-in feeling.
size and shape: How do the sizes and shapes of panels emphasize the work’s theme (if they do)? How do the sizes and shapes of the font or fonts emphasize the work’s theme (if they do)?
line: What emotional effects does the artist’s line convey? A jagged or sketchy line may convey energy or uneasiness. A thick, even line may convey solidity.
transitions: What type of transitions does the page favor? (See McCloud on closure, pp. 70-72.) Why use these particular transitions? What theme or themes might they advance?
design: How does the artist use all of the above elements to advance the themes of the story?
As you may have guessed, that last question is the most important one. But you need to address the earlier questions before answering it.
Option 3: Comparing Some Aspect of Two Texts (The Most Challenging Option)
For this option, you may choose any aspect of two texts that you find interesting and compare/contrast how this idea develops in the works.
Ideas include but are not limited to:
The sexual objectification of Women in one literary text and one piece of art (of your choosing and does not need to be one we examined as a class).
The idea of oppression in any two texts (written or visual)
A comparison of two symbols in two texts (written or visual)
For this option, your essay must be a minimum of FOUR Full Pages and no more than SIX Full Pages and written in MLA Format. THE IDEAS FOUND IN THIS PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. YOU MAY NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES!
Keep in Mind for All Options:
What is Literary Criticism and How Do I Write a Paper of This Nature?
At its very basic definition, literary criticism is a written evaluation of a work of literature that attempts to enlighten a reader about the underlying meaning of the text, whether it is a play, poem, short story, or novel.
Purpose
In this type of paper a writer is forming an academic argument. As the writer you are arguing that your interpretation of the text is a valid - not the only interpretation - in an attempt to aid the reader in “seeing” the text in a new light or from a different perspective that perhaps may be different from their own.
Audience
Your audience is made up of academics, scholars, literary critics, professors, and students (who are academics, scholars, and literary critics). You should assume that they have read the text and are familiar with its contents. Because of this you would never merely retell the story because your audience is already familiar with it. This would also conflict with the purpose of this type of paper. You are to discuss underlying meaning, not to simply recount the events of the poem.
Because your audience is a scholarly one, your paper must be presented in a formal manner. You should use high diction and avoid first person, personal pronouns, and contractions.
Focus
The focus of your paper should be what you feel is an important idea or theme found in the work. Although there are multiple theories and methods that a writer may explore when examining a text, we will concern ourselves only with the methods of the Russian Formalist and New Critical approaches, which emphasize close readings of the text, elevating this practice far above generalizing discussion and speculation about either authorial intention (to say nothing of the author's psychology or biography, which became almost taboo subjects) or reader response.
Development and Organization
Organization and Development
For help with organizing and developing your poem, see this link: http://www.englishcompandlit.com/eng113approachingessay2poetry.html
Also be sure that:
-You use present tense verbs when relating the events of the poem.
-Keep in mind that your readers are highly educated. Don’t, for instance, provide definitions for words (i.e., Webster’s Dictionary defines confusion as …) Your audience would consider this an insult.
- Don't use first person, contractions, or personal pronouns (such as you, we, me, mine, my, our, ours). These are considered too informal. Instead, use phrases like "a reader may notice that," "one could interpret this to mean," etc.
-Be sure that you set up your quotes in the body of your paper.
-Do not use floating quotes: Read this explanation.
Questions for Discovering Ideas
•
What does the title contribute to the reader’s understanding?
What does the title contribute to the reader’s understanding?•Who is speaking? Where is the speaker when the poem is happening?
Who is speaking? Where is the speaker when the poem is happening?•What is the situation? What has happened in the past, or what is happening in the present, that has brought about the speech?
What is the situation? What has happened in the past, or what is happening in the present, that has brought about the speech?•What difficult, special, or unusual words does the poem contain? What references need explaining? How does an explanation assist in the understanding of the poem?
What difficult, special, or unusual words does the poem contain? What references need explaining? How does an explanation assist in the understanding of the poem?•How does the poem develop? Is it a personal statement? Is it a story?
How does the poem develop? Is it a personal statement? Is it a story?•What is the main idea of the poem? What details make possible the formulation of the main idea?
What is the main idea of the poem? What details make possible the formulation of the main idea?Format
Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. Refer to your handbook: Rules for Writers for other questions about format. See example student essays in Harmon's Hall of Fame.
Your grade for this assignment will be determined as follows:
Total Possible Points: 80/
Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Focus (22 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Does the writer establish a clear context for the poem in the opening paragraph? Overall claim stated? Are the broader implications of this claim made clear in the opening paragraph? Does the writer focus on a single idea, aspect, or theme of the poem? Does the writer maintain this focus throughout their essay? Are the subclaims clearly related to the claim? When read together, do the intro and conclusion form one idea?
Development (22 points): Does writer support interpretation with evidence from text? Does the writer offer a detailed analysis and avoid giving a mere paraphrase? Does writer explain for the reader how the evidence supports interpretation? Does writer quote accurately from the source, including citing specific page/line numbers? Does writer address the following questions: What does the title contribute to the reader’s understanding? Who is speaking? Where is the speaker when the poem is happening? What is the situation? What has happened in the past, or what is happening in the present, that has brought about the speech? What difficult, special, or unusual words does the poem contain? What references need explaining? How does an explanation assist in the understanding of the poem? How does the poem develop? Is it a personal statement? Is it a story? What is the main idea of the poem? What details make possible the formulation of the main idea?
Organization (22 points): Do first few sentences arouse the reader’s interest and focus their attention on the subject? Are readers expectations set and clearly met? Do paragraphs have clear focus, unity and coherence? Effective transitions? Does the writer guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (7 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone? Does writer use the literary present tense to describe events in the poem?
Mechanics (7 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO 1ST DRAFT ON DUE DATE (-7 POINTS)
NO PEER CRITIQUE (-7 POINTS)
NO REFLECTION (-7 POINTS)
NO PROCESS=NO GRADE
Grading scale:
A 72-80
B 64-71
C 56-63
D 48-55
F 0-47
