Write an essay in which they will analyze passages/texts from a literary source(s) and provide insightful analysis that looks at word choice, implications, connotations, and/or gaps in the text.
Students will be able to write an essay, based on one or two assigned literary texts, that will focus on supporting a thesis and topic sentences with textual evidence and with integrated quotes that show rather than tell, and (along with citations) are integrated smoothly into the analysis.
Purpose of this assignment:
The purpose of this assignment is for you to apply your knowledge of literary elements in analyzing a poem. You will synthesize the information you have learned in this unit in a thesis driven essay.
Poetry discussion 1 and Poetry discussion 2. From these discussions, you should choose one poem to study further as you will base your entire essay on the analysis of one poem.
You may prepare for the exam before you start the timer, such as writing an outline, selecting quotes, brainstorming, etc., but DO NOT WRITE YOUR ESSAY BEFORE YOU START THE TIMER. If I suspect that you pre-wrote and then copy and pasted your essay, you may earn a “0.” Please also remember that plagiarizing carries similar consequences.
I highly recommend using the poetry worksheet (Links to an external site.) and reviewing the page: Reading and Writing About Poetry: Close Reading, Imagery, and Elements of Poetry before taking the exam.
Please also review the sample student essay on poetry (Links to an external site.) to get an idea of what a poetry analysis essay looks like.
This essay, much like essay 1, asks you to connect literary elements with theme, except this time you’ll do so with poetry instead of fiction. The full prompt will be available once you click “Take the Quiz.”
Poems (with extra resources), part 1
Here are links to the poems you are assigned to read this week, along with some extra resources to help you better understand them:
“Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou (Links to an external site.)
Video: Maya Angelou reads “Still I Rise” (Links to an external site.)
Reading Guide (Links to an external site.)
“To Live in the Borderlands,” by Gloria Anzaldua (Links to an external site.)
Reading guide for Borderlands/La Frontera (Links to an external site.)
Video: Gloria Anzaldúa: Reflections from the Borderlands (Links to an external site.)
“Richard Cory,” by Edwin Arlington Robinson (Links to an external site.)
Reading Guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: Simon & Garfunkel’s song “Richard Cory” (Links to an external site.)
“The Tyger,” by William Blake (Links to an external site.)
Reading Guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: Helen Mirren reading “The Tyger”
Poems (with extra resources), part 2
Here are links to the poems you are assigned to read this week, along with some extra resources to help you better understand them:
“To My Dear and Loving Husband,” by Anne Bradstreet (Links to an external site.)
Reading Guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: poem reading (Links to an external site.)
“Jabberwocky,” by Lewis Carroll (Links to an external site.)
Reading Guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: Neil Gaiman reads Jabberwocky (Links to an external site.)
Video: Benedict Cumberbatch reads Jabberwocky (Links to an external site.)
“El Olvido,” by Judith Ortiz Cofer (Links to an external site.)
Video: Arianna Diaz reading “El Olvido” at Poetry Out Loud (Links to an external site.)
“El Olvido” analysis – Reading Cofer project (Links to an external site.)
“Death, be not proud,” by John Donne (Links to an external site.)
Reading Guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: Illustrated poetry by Betsy Pie Baker (Links to an external site.)
“A Poem for Pulse,” by Jameson Fitzpatrick (Links to an external site.)
Video: Poem reading (Links to an external site.)
“Summer Storm,” by Dana Gioia (Links to an external site.)
Article with section about the poem (Links to an external site.)
Video: Dana Gioia reads “Summer Storm” (Links to an external site.)
“Rosa Parks,” by Nikki Giovanni (Links to an external site.)
Reading guide (Links to an external site.)
Close Reads Podcast Network reading (Links to an external site.)
“The Hill We Climb,” by Amanda Gorman (includes video) (Links to an external site.)
The New York Times: “Lesson of the Day” (Links to an external site.)
“Mother to Son,” by Langston Hughes (Links to an external site.)
Reading guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: “Mother to Son,” read by Viola Davis (Links to an external site.)
“Harlem,” by Langston Hughes (Links to an external site.)
Reading guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: “Harlem,” read by Langston Hughes. (Links to an external site.)
“To Autumn,” by John Keats (Links to an external site.)
Reading guide (Links to an external site.)
Video: “To Autumn,” read by Janet Harris
