Using a five paragraph essay form, choose one of the poems below and offer a thesis statement that articulates the poem’s message about war or death. In other words, identify the theme of the poem by offering what the poem is suggesting about either of those topics.
In addition to offering an analysis of the poem, a purpose of the essay is to apply an historical approach to the analysis. Therefore, you are to use a minimum of two (2) secondary sources (maximum four (4)) about the poet’s life (biography) and / or the time period of the poem (or poem’s topic). The sources should support or inform your interpretation of the poem’s meaning. (You may also consult literary criticism such as found in the database, Literature Resource Center to support or inform your understanding of the poem). Be sure to make a connection in your essay between the poem and the historical/biographical research you conduct.
Death:
● Dylan Thomas “Do Not Go Gently into That Good Night” pg. 337
● Emily Dickinson “Because I could not stop for Death-”
● Alfred, Lord Tennyson “Crossing the Bar” pg. 333
● Natasha Tretheway “Myth” pg. 338-339
War:
● Yusef Komunyakaa “Facing It” pg. 195-196
● Robert Lowell “For the Union Dead” pg. 215-218
● Thomas Hardy “Channel Firing” pg. 136-137
● Each body paragraph must include at least one direct quotation from the poem.
● You may paraphrase or directly quote as appropriate from the secondary sources. (Paraphrases cannot mirror the original in any way)
● All sources must be correctly cited.
For secondary sources, choose from only the following approved sources:
Approved websites for research:
poetryfoundation.org
poets.org
poetryarchive.org
Annenberg Learner Spotlight on Voices and Visions
Annenberg Learner: American Passages, A Literary Survey – See Units 10, 14, 15, 16.
Suggested Library Databases:
Britannica Academic
Dictionary of Literary Biography
EBSCO
Gale Literature Criticism
Gale U.S. History in Context
Gale World History in Context
GenderWatch
Contemporary Authors
Jstor
Literature Resource Center
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