Discussion 1

Prior to beginning your initial post, read the poems "We Real Cool" and "My Papa's Waltz" in your textbook. You are also required to listen to "We Real Cool" and "My Papa's Waltz" before completing this discussion. These clips demonstrate the importance of performance, rhythm, and musicality in the poetic form.

Reflect: Poetry is a literary form that can offer readers a different experience based on whether the poem is read silently, read aloud, or simply listened to when read by someone else. For example, you might hear a certain rhythm or change of pace that you might not catch when simply reading the poem silently to yourself. For this week's discussion, you read and listened to poetry.

If you didn't the first time, read and listen with careful eyes and ears so you can respond thoughtfully to the two parts of the discussion this week.

Write: Part One - Answer the following questions about one of the poems based on your readingof them:

Identify the theme of the poem. How do you know this is the theme?

Define the poetic devices (e.g., rhythm, figurative language, etc.) used in the poem. Offer at least two examples.

Analyze how these poetic devices contribute to the development of the poem's message.

Support your ideas with textual details and analyses.

Part Two - Describe your listening experience of the same poem you wrote about above. If you are unable to listen to these poems due to an auditory impairment, please reach out to your instructor for an alternative prompt for this discussion. Respond to at least two of the following questions:

How did hearing the poem recited aloud compare to a silent reading of it?

Did the performance highlight certain words or phrases that were not as apparent in a silent reading?

Did the pace change and, if so, how did it change your understanding of the poem?

Did words have different connotations when spoken aloud, and, if so, what kind(s) of connotation did you associate with the poem?

Do you think reading poetry aloud is a worthwhile endeavor when analyzing it? Why, or why not?

Discussion 2

First, read the information on the Ashford Writing Center's web page, Thesis Statements. Then, read the ENG125 Sample Literary Analysis. Pay close attention to the body paragraphs and thesis statements.

Reflect: Compare your working thesis statement to the thesis statement in the Sample Literary Analysis. Does your thesis address relevant points like the example thesis? Then, look at a body paragraph in the Sample Literary Analysis. Compare its construction to a body paragraph in your own paper.

Write: Post your working thesis and your strongest body paragraph into the discussion by Thursday (Day 3) at midnight; do not attach it as a separate document. For the purposes of this discussion only, signify your working thesis by including it in bold type and italicize the topic sentence of your body paragraph.

Your body paragraph should include at least three examples of paraphrases and/or quotations (there should be at least one of each) with correct citations in APA format. After the body paragraph, be sure to include reference page citations for the paraphrased and cited sources. Then, in a separate paragraph, answer the following three questions:

Explain the connection between the topic sentence and your working thesis. Would this connection be clear to someone without your explanation? If so, why? If not, how can you modify your topic sentence and/or thesis statement to make this connection more clear?

Explain the choice of reference material. How do the references support the topic sentence? Would this connection be clear to someone without your explanation? If so, why? If not, what information should you add to the paragraph to make this connection more clear?

Does the paragraph contain any unnecessary information? Does everything in it work to support the topic sentence? What information could be added or removed? In essence, you are being asked to evaluate the cohesion of your paragraph.

Note any other specific challenges faced or successes experienced when writing this paragraph or completing this discussion post.

Assignment

For your Week Three assignment, you will write a two and a half page draft (excluding the title and references page) of your Week Five Literary Analysis. Be sure to review Part B upon completion of Part A.

The draft should contain a working thesis (which you wrote in the Week One assignment), an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Be sure to include some paraphrases and quotations of the reference material in your Week Two Annotated Bibliography. You should use your research to help you develop and support the thesis.

Copy and paste the writing prompt you chose to explore in Week One at the beginning of your draft (this will help your instructor see if you focused well on the prompt).

Restate your working thesis after the copy-and-paste prompt.

Develop your working thesis based on the feedback you have received. Again, the thesis should offer a debatable claim in response to one of the prompts on the list.

Analyze the literary work from the approved list of prompts chosen in Week One that pertained to your selected topic and include the three key ideas developed in the Week One Proposal.

Focus on one primary text.

Include references from at least two secondary sources identified on your Week Two Annotated Bibliography. More sources are not necessarily better.

Apply your knowledge of literary elements and other concepts in your response to the prompt. Reference the List of Literary Techniques.

Avoid any use of the first person.

Do not summarize the plot.

Part B

Required submission of draft to the Ashford Writing Center:

To complete Part B go to the Writing Center & Library tab. There is a link to the Ashford Writing Center's Paper Review service. Prior to the end of Week 3, submit your Literary Analysis draft to the Writing Center. The writing center will include a tracking number beginning with "ntp" at the top of your reviewed paper that you will need to input in a Week 4 discussion.