Poetry evaluation

Poem #1 – https://poets.org/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night

Poem# 2 – https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44107/holy-sonnets-death-be-not-proud

Theme will be: Death

The
purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast and evaluate two poems
from the selected readings of Unit I. This process will also involve analyzing
and understanding each story separately. Essentially, you will answer the questions,
“How is one poet’s handling of the theme of the poet better than the others?”
You will not simply make an observation
about how an element is used in those stories, or summarize the stories, or make
an observation about what the
theme is, but rather answer the question, “Why?” Answering this question
gives you a better possibility to have a good thesis statement. Obviously, this
is a personal opinion and the question has no one correct answer. It is up to
you to use evidence within and outside of the poem to prove your point.
For this
purpose, you must choose two poems that have a common theme. Your essay should
clearly state why these poems are
comparable, but also talk about how they differ from each other in their ultimate
thematic message. Note that for you to compare two poems, you don’t have to
pretend or believe that they match exactly. A good essay will tell the reader
1) why these poems are worthy of comparison, 2) how they differ from one
another, and 3) how does comparing the two stories enhance our understanding of
both, and 4) Why, ultimately, you
think one does a better job at conveying its message over the other.
Follow
this format for the Peer Review:
1)
Introduction/Thesis
Statement
2)
Bullet points of paragraphs that follow with
at least one
sample quote using MLA format.
Tentative
structure for Final Draft:
Paragraph 1: Introduction that briefly summarizes
both the poems. Last line of intro is the thesis
Paragraph 2/3: Detailed analysis of 1st
poem, with short quotes from the text and scholarly article, chronologically
addresses the points made in the thesis
Paragraph 4/5: Detailed analysis of 2nd
poem, quotes from text and article, refers to how 2nd story connects
to the 1st, chronologically addresses the points in the thesis, why
this poem is better than the 1st
Paragraph 6: Conclusion, tie up loose ends,
show why interpretation matters in understanding of one or both stories

Your essay will be graded on the
following factors:
ü A strong thesis statement with
an essay that explores the thesis in its entirety
ü Grammar and MLA formatting
ü Quotes from your primary text
and your two secondary scholarly sources
ü Length (no less than 4 pages, no
longer than 6 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt font)

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