English Literature Assignment: Literary Analysis Essay Description

Page Length: 5-6 pages, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, size 12 Times New Roman Font.

Choose a poem that we have not read in class by any author that fits within the confines of this course. Only one student can choose a poem, so once you have settled on your poem be sure to email me. I will create an Announcement on our ECLearn page where I will keep a list of the poems that have been claimed.

Your essay should not be a paraphrasing of the poem, but instead an examination of the poem, including any rhetorical strategies and literary techniques that you notice. In literature courses this is often called close reading or unpacking the text. Examples of the types of questions you should consider include: What is the overall meaning of the passage? What form is the poem?

Does that form affect its meaning? Is there an important metaphor (or metaphors) at work? What work is the metaphor doing? What is the rhetorical goal of the passage? Does the poem tell us anything about the author? About the historical moment it was written in? For other possible questions, see the introduction to the chapter on Close Reading in The Poetry Toolkit, (available on ECLearn).

This paper should not be a list of observations about your chosen poem, but a cohesive essay. You are essentially writing an argument for your interpretation of the poem. This means that in your introduction you should have a thesis and a roadmap. The body of the paper should support your overall thesis through supporting sub-claims and analysis of the poem.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) can provide historical definitions. I believe you can access the OED through the library's website.

• You will likely need to do outside research for this essay. When using secondary sources, be sure that you are using those sources to support what you are claiming about the poem and not just repeating others' arguments.

• Although you should focus your analysis on your chosen poem, it is possible (but not necessary) that you will have to refer to or quote other poems to provide evidence for your analysis.

• Use MLA style format. For more information on MLA style formatting, you can consult. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

• The Works Cited does not count toward the page total.