PAPER 1
Poetry Analysis (3—5 pages)
ENG 102 The Poetry Paper
For your poetry unit paper, you may write an analysis of a single poem (one that we read and discussed in class); this paper, like the short story analysis paper, will involve you making a claim about the way some literary element in the poem (e.g., figurative language, rhyme and meter, imagery, etc.) helps to illuminate the poem’s theme. The paper will consist of: 1) an introduction naming the author, title, basic publication information, and basic content of the poem, 2) a discussion of how you will approach the analysis of the poem, 3) a thesis in which you make a claim about the way(s) the literary element(s) help us to understand the theme. (All three steps are part of the introduction; the thesis comes at the end.) 4 )Body paragraphs develop the thesis with sub-claims (topic sentences) and provide evidence from the poem (usually quoted passages) to support the sub-claim. Body paragraphs may also use quotes from literary critics, but these MUST be cited. Evidence should be linked to the sub-claims with explanation. 5) The conclusion restates the thesis and explains the significance of the findings.
[For a fuller discussion of this approach, consult your short story analysis handout and the short story analysis checklist handout.]
Another option for this paper is to do a comparative analysis, in which you compare and contrast two poems, either thematically or formally. Some possible topics here might be:
1. Compare the way(s) Whitman and Emily Dickinson treat the topic of death in “When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloom’d” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz” or “Because I Could Not Stop For Death.” What is each author’s view of death? What ideas prevalent in culture at the time influenced them? How do the poems’ formal qualities reflect those views? (You could also compare Poe or Donne to these writers.)
2. Discuss Shakespeare’s views of romantic love as expressed in sonnets 116 and 130. Or compare his attitudes toward poetry in each of the aforementioned sonnets.
EN 102 Poetry Paper checklist
* Is your paper properly formatted, with your name, my name (Townsley), your class time and date on the first page? Do your name and the page number appear on every page? Are the pages stapled?
* Does the introduction grab the reader’s interest? (The reader here is presumed to be someone who is interested in literature and ideas.) Does it introduce the poem title, author, and date/place of publication?
* Does the introduction provide any socio-historical context necessary for your reader to understand the poem? (For example, if you are writing about William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheel Barrow,” do you mention The Objectivist School of poetry?)
* Do you briefly summarize the poem, either in the introduction or just after it?
* Does the introduction give some indication of how you will approach your analysis?
* Does the introduction culminate in a thesis that makes an analytical claim about the poem (that is, a claim about what the poem means and/or the way its parts work together to form a whole)?
* Does the thesis make a claim about the ways a literary element (rhyme, line length, figurative language, point of view, style or symbolism) contributes to our understanding of the poem’s theme?
* Does the thesis effectively predict the way your essay is structured?
* Could the wording of the thesis be more precise or specific?
* Is the central idea of your thesis too obvious? (Remember, it should be plausible but arguable.)
* Do your body paragraphs contain topic sentences that clearly relate to your thesis?
* Do your topic sentences make analytical claims, or do they lapse into mere summary?
* Do your body paragraphs develop claims with evidence from the poem?
* Have you quoted poem excerpts correctly (for example, indicating line breaks with a / for quotes of three lines or less)?
* If you cite critical essays, have you done so correctly, both in-text (using The Five Steps) and in a Works Cited page at the end? Do you use MLA format?
* Do you explain how the poem passages you cite actually support the claims you are making? In other words, do you explicitly link evidence to the claims?
* Do any passages need further development or clarification?
* Are the body paragraphs arranged in an order that makes sense? Be sure that you can explain and justify the ordering of information.
* Does each body paragraph develop a single idea? That is, does it display unity?
* Are there sufficient transitions between ideas? Do you make their connections or contradictions clear to the reader?
* Does your essay really have something interesting to say about the poem, or does it seem to be “going through the motions”?
* Is the tone of your essay sufficiently “Scholarly”?
* Does your conclusion reinforce your thesis?
* Does your conclusion consider the implications of your findings and explain their significance?
* Have you carefully proofread the paper for errors? Have you used spell check and grammar check?
PAPER 2
Drama / Research Paper (5—7 pages, not including the Works Cited page)
EN 102 Hamlet Essay Questions
Select one of the following questions and write a 5—7 page research paper to answer it. You should use a minimum of three scholarly sources (more is better), and be sure to cite them correctly, using MLA format. (The Works Cited page does not count as one of the 5–7 required.) You may also propose a research topic of your own—but I must approve it, so see me as soon as possible.
1. Is something rotten in the state of Denmark? If so, precisely what is it? What particular images does Shakespeare use in order to describe Elsinore and the castle itself? To what extent does the setting affect the mindset of Hamlet or other characters?
2. Select one of Hamlet’s soliloquies and by a detailed attention to the poetry discuss the nature of Hamlet’s feelings as they reveal themselves in this speech. What insights might this speech provide into Hamlet’s elusive character? Confine your attention strictly to the soliloquy you have selected.
3. How do you interpret the nature and intentions of the ghost? Do you believe the specter is really the ghost of Hamlet’s father, or is it a demon in disguise? How significant is the fact that only Hamlet can hear the ghost? How might your interpretation of the ghost affect your understanding of the play? (What would Elizabethan audiences have believed? Conduct some research on popular Elizabethan belief regarding the occult and the supernatural.)
4. Discuss Hamlet’s treatment of and attitude toward women. How might these help to clarify some of the thematic issues of the play? You might want to consider the way Hamlet talks about sex and sexuality.
5. Contrast the characters of Hamlet and Laertes. Also, consider whether they may share certain traits. How does an understanding of their differences and similarities help us to interpret the play?
6. Consider the character of Gertrude. Why do you think she married Claudius so soon after the death of her husband? Were they having an affair prior to Old Hamlet’s murder? Or is there something in her character that compelled her to behave this way? Be sure to use evidence from the play to support your hypothesis.
ENG 101 The Argumentative Research Paper
INTRO—introduce the issue to be explored, providing sufficient background & stirring reader interest
* Explain why the issue is important
* Describe the various positions taken on the issue
* End the Intro with a three part thesis statement that explains the opposition view(s), your view, and the reasons for your view (or reasons against your opponents’ views)
BACKGROUND SECTION—if necessary, provide more relevant background on the issue
CONCESSION SECTION—provide a fair overview of opposing viewpoints, making concessions where necessary. But you must end this section with a refutation of some facet(s) of the opposition view; this, in turn, will lead to the presentation of your own view
BODY—Each paragraph of this section will explain one of your reasons as stated in the thesis.
CONCLUSION—sum up your view and explain the consequences of accepting (or not accepting) it for the reader.
Checkpoints:
Does the intro introduce the topic and get the reader’s interest?
Does the intro move too quickly to the thesis, or is sufficient background info supplied?
Does the intro end with a clear, specific, focused three-part thesis?
If there’s a background section, is the information sufficient to give the reader an understanding of the issue in all of its complexity?
Does the concession section provide a fair assessment of the opposition’s best arguments? Does it make necessary concessions? Does it end with a strong refutation?
Does each body paragraph provide sufficient evidence in support of its claim? Does each claim relate back to the thesis?
Does the conclusion adequately sum up your argument and give the reader something to do or think about? Does it discuss consequences of resolving the issue one way or another?
Has the writer used an adequate number of credible sources?
Has the writer linked sources to his/her own ideas?
Are sources cited correctly within the text and at the end?
Has the writer expanded on each source by explaining or refuting it or linking it to another source?
Are sources placed in conversation with each other?
Is the paper free of grammatical and mechanical errors?
Hamlet Paper Overview Prof. Townsley EN 102
INTRO (@ 2/3–1 page):
Please, no extended bio of Shakespeare and no overview of the plot—get to the point quickly.
What is the issue you are writing about?
Why is it important to our understanding of the play?
What positions have been taken on this issue?
Thesis: What is your position on this issue? What reasons can you summon to support your position?
BODY
Most paragraphs should be at least 1/3 to half a page long, especially if you are using sources and The Five Steps.
If a Background Section is needed to supply historical context, explain key terms, etc., it should follow your introduction and thesis.
Next, if you are arguing against rival theories or approaches to your issue, you should fairly and accurately explain their positions, using quotes. Then explain what you feel is wrong or missing in their analysis. (Concession/Rebuttal)
Each subsequent paragraph should focus on developing a single idea—e.g. one of the reasons in support of your thesis. You should support your position with critical sources, using The Five Steps.
CONCLUSION
Sum up your case and explain the consequences of accepting (or rejecting) your position on the issue. Conclusion should be 1/3 to ½ page in length.