Description
For this essay, you must select a poem from Please Excuse This Poem and perform a detailed analysis of its materiality and form in support of a clearly stated interpretation of the poem. Your goal is to persuade your audience (your classmates and professor) of what you feel the poet was trying to communicate with the poem and his/her strategic use of auditory, visual, and multimodal information. You want to cover as many relevant aspects of the poem as possible in your analysis.
Guidelines
The final paper should be about 500-750 words long in MLA format (about 3-4 pages long, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and a 12-point font). Any use of sources must be documented in impeccable MLA format—parenthetical citation (author’s last name & page number) and works cited page. There is no research component required for this essay beyond basic reference materials, though if you find an audio or video performance you might want to incorporate its information (gesture, tone, and other performance elements) into your analysis.
The essay is due on Tuesday, October 8.
Evaluation
Your essay will be evaluated in the following areas, with areas 1-3 carrying most of the weight of the grade:
- Assignment (fulfilling requirements, quality of thesis, and depth of analysis),
- Organization (clarity of thesis, thorough paragraphing, overall organization),
- Development (relevance of claims, adequacy of support, and textual evidence),
- Sentence Structure, Word Choice, and Grammar (weaknesses will be identified in these areas, but they will not affect grade significantly unless they get in the way of understanding the essay).
An essay that satisfies all the requirements of the assignment with a clear sense of organization and adequate development earns a “C” in this class. An essay that achieves the goals at an above average level of proficiency, with only minor problems in one or two areas earns a “B.” The “A” is reserved for nearly flawless, elegant essays that excel in all the criteria described above. Essays that do not fulfill the minimum requirements for the assignment earn a “D.” Essays that are not turned in or are plagiarized earn an “F” in this class, and may result in a failing grade in the course.