Poetry, Paper II: A 3 ½- 5 page Literary Analysis of Two Poems by One Author from Our Reading Packet or Handouts (one of the poems must come from our coursework but the other may be of your own choosing).
Observe the following guidelines:
1. Maintain an objective point of view; keep references to the first-person “I” to a minimum. The focus should be on the poems and their contents.
2. Write as an essay. The formula we adopt for writing short essays in literature is the same one you learned in English Composition classes: a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
3. Remember that the various features of the essay are connected to a thesis statement, or unifying central idea. This statement should appear in the introduction to your paper and serve as an umbrella for your text. It may be expressed as a divided thesis that blueprints the body of your essay (we will review this format in class).
4. Pay special attention to the language of the poems. Are there any figures of speech? Are there any unusual words? You may scatter your comments on the poems’ language throughout the paper or make them the focus of a separate paragraph, or section, in your text. [You are expected to quote from the poems, but your must observe the rules of quotation form (see Ch. 25, in your text, or consult the MLA Handbook).]
5. Write 3 ½ -5 pages (1000-1500 words). Reminder: the Works Cited is not counted as part of the text but is paged as if it were.
6. The margins on your page should be set at one inch (12 pt. type, serif font). These should be the default settings on your computer, especially if you are composing on a campus computer. Double-space throughout! Simply set the spacing at “double” and don’t change it.
7. You are welcome to use paper clips or staples to organize the pages of your paper. You may also use a folder or other binding, should you prefer.
8. As always, place your name, class, your instructor’s name, and the due date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. I don’t require a coversheet; however, if you provide one, you still need to place a heading (and header) at the top of page one.
9. You must consult and cite at least two outside sources for your paper. (Hard copies of these sources must accompany your text.) These sources must come from JSTOR or one of the other approved AUD Library databases.
10. Conclude with a Works Cited in MLA form listing both your poems and your outside sources.