POETRY

POETRY

Essay 2- Comparing an Element

(4-5 Pages)

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Write an essay of 4-5 pages that compares two thematically similar poems by using either formal or stylistic elements in each.

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1. Select two of the poems assigned this semester that you believe share a common theme. Remember, themes are large ideas:

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Examples of themes:

Families

Personal Identity

Love

Nature and the Environment

Life’s Journey

War and Peace

The Individual and Society

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2. Isolate formal or stylistic elements in each poem.

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Examples of elements:

Symbols

Images

Rhyme scheme

Metaphors

Meter

Stanza

Speaker

Figurative Language

Tone

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You should be sure that each poem uses the selected element(s). For instance, you do not want to talk about symbols in one poem and meter in the other. You need to discuss symbols in both or meter in both.

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3. Decide how the way the poem is written (i.e., form or style) affects its meaning.

Remember, when we talk about meaning, we are talking about the argument a piece of literature is making about a larger theme.

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4. Decide on your purpose.

Every comparison needs to have a purpose. It is not enough to compare and apple and an orange. You need to have a reason for the comparison. You would be interested in different qualities of each depending on whether you were going to eat the fruit or arrange it artistically in a bowl somewhere. What can your reader learn by looking at BOTH poems that s/he cannot learn by looking at only one?

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You may want to make your purpose relate to the larger overall theme.

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5. Decide on your organization.

This is a classic compare and contrast essay, much like an assignment you might have done in EGL 1010. To do a compare and contrast, you must come up with criteria for the comparison. Whatever you discuss for one text, you must also discuss for the other.

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You must demonstrate:

A clear statement of their shared theme. (ex: individual in society, families, love, etc.)
A clear understanding of the meaning of each individual text
An ability to isolate and explain specific formal or stylistic features of each text.
A clear purpose for comparing the two
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Your essay must include:

A clear, argumentative thesis that presents your argument
Focused, unified paragraphs that contain no more than 1 idea and are controlled by strong topic sentences.
A logical organizational structure that leads the reader through the argument you are making.
Direct quotes from the text itself to support your claims.
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Your essay should not:

Spend unnecessary time on summary. Assume that your reader has read the story.
Use Wikipedia, Sparknotes, or any other internet source to come up with or craft your argument.
Use outside sources without carefully citing them.
Use words or ideas that belong to others without citing them in correct MLA format.
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Essays must be submitted in a MS Word file.

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Final Essay Due online at the end of the unit. See Blackboard for official dates.

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