Practice the process of interpreting and supporting claims about literature. Our focus in this unit is on how poetry makes meaning through formal literary elements and how interpretations of these elements may be clarified or enhanced by individual readers’ knowledge and experience. This assignment aims to further develop your understanding of how individual claims about a literary text can (and should be) supported by attention to the text itself.
Choose either Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost and write a 1000 – 1100 word paper in which you analyze 3 or 4 of that author’s poems from the list of poems provided. All of the poems can be found online. You must develop an argument about the poem’s central meaning and clearly explain how you reached your interpretation, how the formal elements of the poem work together to inform your understanding. Do not write a long summary of the poem.
Then choose several elements of poetry that we have discussed in class to use to analyze each of the poems you selected. Choose 2 or 3 elements for each poem so you allow yourself enough space to develop each idea completely.
Use ONLY poems in the lists provided.
Do not write a biography of the poet.
Concepts to consider:
• Themes
• Symbols
• Word choice
• Word order
• Tone
• Imagery
• Metaphors
• Irony
• Sounds
• Alliteration
This assignment should have the following organization for each poem.
• Write 1-3 sentences explaining the idea(s) the poet is trying to get across. This is NOT what the poem literally says. This explains the MEANING.
• Then select whatever elements of poetry (listed above) that help communicate that meaning. Which elements you choose will be different for different poems.
o Each element must be explained in detail, and must explain how that element communicates meaning. Do not simply identify the element.
o Do not define the element. Do not write a definition of “symbol” or “irony.”
o Do not explain why the element is important in a general sense, only write about it in connection to the poem you are writing about.
o “Symbols are important to poems because poems are usually short so they must say a lot with very few words. One important symbol in this poem is…” DO NOT write anything like the bolded sentence in this example.
• Use line numbers and stanzas, do not quote or rewrite more than 2 WORDS of the poem. If you are talking about a specific part that is more than 2 words just reference the line number.
o “Line 6 is symbolic of…”
Format requirements: (these are Requirements, not suggestions)
• Use 12 point Times New Roman font.
• Double space all drafts.
• Be sure to put your name and the date on your assignment, and the title “Essay 2, Poetry”
• Write the number of words at the end of your paper (####).
Essay 2 by the numbers
• Choose 1 author
• Choose 3-4 poems by that author from the list provided
• Choose 2-3 elements of poetry from the list to analyze each poem
• Explain the meaning of the poem in 1-3 sentences.
• Do not quote more than 2 words in a row in the poem. Use the line number.
• First draft 800-900 words
• Final draft 1,000 – 1,100 words.