Assignment Description:
For this assignment, you will be writing an essay about a text or image that is open to interpretation. Your goal therefore, is to present an argument that supports your personal interpretation of either a piece of text or an image.
The poem selection is “Portrait of my Mother” by Sassy Ross: http://smallaxe.net/sxsalon/poetry-prose/poem-sassy-ross
Word Count: 500 – 650
Your analytical essay should do the following three things:
Describe the object of your analysis and identify the patterns, elements, references, or features that interest you.
Examine how these elements are connected to certain larger themes, ideas, ideologies, representations, historical contexts, or traditions? (Think what does this remind me of?)
Argue for a particular interpretation, a particular answer to the question: What might this mean?
Priorities for this assignment:
Analyze, interpret, and evaluate one of the “texts” provided; visual text or poetry.
Identify literary devices and explain their effect.
http://smallaxe.net/sxsalon/poetry-prose/poem-sassy-ross