Unit 2 Essay: Analysis of a Poem

• Using Dorothy Parker’s Interview: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44830/interview-56d22412c4b44
• You will closely read your chosen poem, considering its structural elements, patterns of figurative language, and other literary elements.
• Read and reread the poem; by paying attention to the varied features of a poem, you will build an interpretation of the poem’s meaning.
• See the Interpretation vs. Analysis, How to Approach the Analysis of a Poem, The Four Modes of Approaching a Poem, and the Explication pages, as well as the Sample Poetry Analysis using Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” for assistance.
• Take notes and use your notes to create an outline of textual evidence that points to the same or a similar conclusion.
• Use this outline to develop your working thesis. You can then use the guidelines on the the Starting Your Poetry Analysis Essay page to write your introductory paragraph.
• Read/review this Purdue OWL link on Close Reading of Poetry and this overview of how to write about poetry to help you develop your remaining paragraphs.
• Draft your concluding paragraph, in which you will restate your thesis in a slightly different way (for example, possibly relating it to other elements of the poem, the author’s work, or other poems).
• PAPER WILL BE TURNED INTO TURNITIN!

Criteria on Which You Will be Graded:

• The specificity and development of your thesis
• Your supporting claims, logic, and organization
• The quality of your writing, to include paragraph development and organization: topic sentences, conclusions, transitions, etc. See Starting Your Poetry Analysis Essay
• Your engagement with the text (how you explain your examples, your choice of supporting quotations)
• Format: You are required to use MLA style for all writing assignments. Proper MLA citation and a correctly formatted Works Cited page (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spacing, Last name and page number on each page, etc.). Please refer to the Purdue Online Writing Lab for MLA formatting and style guide.
• Academic Honesty (all sources must be cited)
• Length Requirement: 750-1000 words