An explication of a poem

800 words

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15393

Read the poem, and see other file "Sample Essay", then write an essay follow these requirement.

1. Paraphrase the poem.

2. Identify and discuss:

Speaker
Situation (what's happening? is there an implied listener? is there a specific time and place in the setting?)
Tone (does it change over the course of the poem?)
Figurative language & imagery
Irony -- does the poem contain any? where? why?
Would historical information about the poem (time period, setting, social contexts) help with interpretation? why?
Would biographical information about the poet help with interpretation? why?
How do your own beliefs, values, and assumptions influence your reading and understanding of this poem?

3. What are you going to discuss in the poem, your topic? Turn this topic into a thesis by adding your opinion of the topic.

4. Gather evidence to support your opinion and topic: Go through the poem stanza by stanza, line by line, and find the parts of it that support your thinking. Write all these out with line numbers.

5. Restructure your evidence into a shape that begins with an idea about the topic, the evidence you gathered, and your explanation of what the evidence suggests. Remember: Evidence will include speaker, tone, imagery, situation, etc, all the information you answered in the first half of this exercise.

Do not find any reference or information from goggle or internet!!! Just your own words.