ENG 102 Poetry Explication Essay #2

ENG 102 Poetry Explication Essay #2

Focus of the essay:

The poetry explication essay will focus on a line-by-line or stanza-by-stanza analysis of your chosen poem that we read in our poetry unit. It must analyze at least 5 or more poetic devices in the poem.

Length of essay:

Aim for approximately 3 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. font Times New Roman. The number of paragraphs will range from 5-8, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Format of the essay:

The essay must adhere to the guidelines of MLA style, 8^th edition. Visit the Purdue OWL website online for guidelines on formatting the body of the essay and citing sources in MLA style. The only source that you will need for this first essay is the text of the short story itself (a primary source). No other sources should be consulted!

How to Write the Introduction:

Begin with an opening lead (brief anecdote (story); a quotation from story or another source; a reference to a current issue, event, or problem that leads to your thesis; a shocking, clever, or amusing generalization (fact) about life that relates to the essay’s main point).

Next, state the title of the poem and author and brief synopsis of the poem

Connect between the plot synopsis and thesis statement: narrow into your main point for the essay.

Finally, state the thesis statement: the controlling idea or the claim that you are making about the poem’s message.

How to Write the Body Paragraphs:

In the body paragraphs, analyze at least 5 of the following poetic devices:

Structure (rhyme scheme, rhythm, or free verse, unique use of line)
Speaker or Narrator
Setting and Conflict (if a narrative poem)
Mood and Sound Devices that contribute to the mood, such as Alliteration, Assonance, Onomatopoeia
Symbol
Metaphor, Simile, or Personification (Figurative Language)
Imagery
Diction and Connotation
Irony

The first body paragraph will analyze the structure of the poem, meaning the rhyme scheme, rhythm, features of stanza or line, and sound devices, such as alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia.

After the first body paragraph, each body paragraph will analyze the next set of lines in the poem until all lines in the poem have been analyzed. The number of body paragraphs will be determined by both how many lines are analyzed in each body paragraph and the total number of lines in the poem. The entire poem should be quoted and analyzed in this essay.

Each body paragraph will follow this pattern: Topic sentence (T), Introduce a quote from the poem (I), Quote a set of lines from the poem (Q), Analyze the poetic devices that apply to the quote and how the devices contribute to the poem’s theme (A), Transition to the next quote (T), Introduce the next quote from the poem (I), Quote a set of lines from the poem (Q), Analyze the poetic devices that apply to the quote and how the devices contribute to the poem’s theme (A).

Sample quote of two lines of poetry. Place a slash / between two lines of poetry:

“Come live with me and be my love,/ And we will all the pleasure prove’” (Marlowe lines 1-2).

When quoting dialogue within the poem, use single quotation marks to indicate a quote within the quote:

“We wave gaily to the arm. ‘When I hear/ trains at night I dream of being president,’/ I say dreamily…” (lines 10-11)

Depending on the length of your chosen poem, a body paragraph may need anywhere from 2-4 quotes. Ultimately, each body paragraph should help support and prove the thesis statement, the main claim of the essay.

How to Write the Conclusion:

Begin the conclusion with a signal word (but avoid the expression, “In conclusion,” because it’s cliché) and thesis summary, a completely new re-wording of and more in-depth re-statement of your original thesis statement.

Then focus the bulk of the concluding paragraph on putting together the ideas that have been presented in the essay and their significance to the poem’s theme or message. Show the connections among the ideas presented in the body of the essay.

End with a clincher—a final observation, an application to today’s world, or a call to further research or study—that is meaningful and interesting. Slow down and make each word count because the clincher statement is the last thought that you are leaving with your reader.

Constructing the Thesis Statement:

The thesis statement makes a claim about the poem’s message and should include key poetic devices that will be explored in the poetry explication essay.

Sample thesis statement, including poetic devices and theme:

The structure, point of view, allusion, diction and tone in “Hazel Tells Laverne” signify the myth of the American Dream for lower class Americans.

Note: This thesis statement argues that upward mobility is not a reality for the lower classes and that Hazel knows this is so. She believes fairy tales and princesses are for the upper classes. Think: What might a thesis statement that argues the opposite say?

Making the General Outline:

Fill out the outline below. Begin with the thesis statement and at least three topic sentences for your body paragraphs. The topic sentences must support the thesis statement.

Title of Poem: _________________________________________________________

Thesis statement = poetic devices and claim about the theme (Note: Use Action verbs such as “shows,” “causes,” “reveals,” “highlights,” “forms,” “contrasts with,” etc.)

Write Thesis statement here:

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List 3-4 Topic sentences to support the thesis statement above. Include poetic devices here.
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Detailed Outline of Body Paragraphs

Hint: For each quote below, quote 2-4 lines of the poem.

Topic sentence 1 (for body paragraph 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________

Quote 1: ___________________________________________________________________________

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Analysis of quote 1: __________________________________________________________________

Quote 2: ____________________________________________________________________________

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Analysis of quote 2: ___________________________________________________________________

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Quote 3: ____________________________________________________________________________

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Analysis of quote 3: ___________________________________________________________________

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Topic sentence 2 (for body paragraph 2): ______________________________________________

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