Problem
Discuss the introduction paragraph to the Literary Analysis in the poem, using the components of an introductory paragraph, the "hook", the essay's general topic, and the thesis in the introduction.
She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH.
She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
-Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!
Example:
The Shepherd Knows the Fate of the Lamb
"The next day [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' "(English Standard Version, John 1.29). Just as the Bible refers to Jesus as a lamb, so does William Blake's poem "The Lamb." In "The Lamb," Blake uses many poetic devices but symbolism is the poetic device that shows the importance of Jesus Christ and what he has done for humanity. Using the poetic device of symbolism makes Blake's poem clearer and understandable. Blake titled this poem "The Lamb;" uncoincidentally, the Lamb is a symbol. There are many things a lamb could symbolize; for instance, lambs can symbolize children, innocence, naivety, timidity, and sacrifice. For the same reason, Blake uses the symbol of a lamb in reference to religion to express hope. Lambs are like children that are naive to the world. They symbolize innocence and, therefore, they can be unaware as to what is going on around them. Blake uses the symbol of a lamb's innocence to indicate the innocence of children. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker has a one-way conversation with the lamb. Furthermore, the speaker asks the lamb with a familiar and kind tone: Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life & bid thee feed, By the stream & o'er the mead; Commented [T1]: While Kerry's title does not explicitly reveal the title of the poem she'll analyze in the essay, do you think readers will be able to know which poem she's writing about? Commented [T2]: Here, Kerry uses a quotation as a "hook." To what extent is this "hook" effective? Does this quotation make you want to read more of her essay? Commented [T3]: Kerry then explains the relevance of the quotation. This also serves as a transition to the essay's overall topic. Commented [T4]: This is the thesis. To what extent is the thesis specific, debatable? Commented [T5]: These two sentences serve as the topic sentence that reveals the paragraph's main idea. Commented [T6]: This sentence can also be a part of the topic sentence, since it helps to reveal the paragraph's main idea. The first three sentence build on each other to reveal the paragraph's main idea.