Essay analyzing the following poem

Construct a college essay in MLA format of no less than two pages and no more than three pages analyzing the following poem (directed prompt follows the poem):
[“As for me, I delight in the everyday Way”]
As for me, I delight in the everyday Way,
Among mist-wrapped vines and rocky caves.
Here in the wilderness I am completely free,
With my friends, the white clouds, idling forever.
There are roads, but they do not reach the world;
Since I am mindless, who can rouse my thoughts?
On a bed of stone I sit, alone in the night,
While the round moon climbs up Cold Mountain.
Write a close-reading analysis of this poem.
Who could the speaker be, and what is the situation (approximate time and place—speaker’s relation to theme) of the poem (tone and mood are useful to consider here as well)? Is there tension in the poem? Identify that tension and relate it to theme. Line two of the poem uses aesthetics to set the scene with economic use of words. This line also employs synechdoche and metonymy—how and to what representational effect are they used? How does ‘mist-wrapped’ work metaphorically? What could the ‘roads’ and ‘the world’ be metaphors for? How is personification used in this poem and to what effect? ‘Since I am mindless’ is a paradoxical statement—how does it exhibit irony, and what could it mean for the theme of the poem? What feelings does ‘Cold Mountain’ exhibit and how does it do so as the poem’s ender relates to the theme of the poem?
Your analysis should follow the following rhetorical pattern:
Original title, introduction. Introduce subject, give a signal phrase, make focus clear. Interest the reader (relevance to the here-and-now).
Give clear position stating how the poem’s dominant imagery and diction (word choice and usage) reveals its theme. (your thesis)
Brief Background. Reveal the experience of reading the poem, first impressions. (whatever your reader needs to know to gain more insight into your analysis).
Supporting Evidence and Analysis. Work with the poem, assume your reader is familiar with the poem, but exhibit and explain the details answering as many of the questions as you can deal with as space and your theme allows.
Dispute the idea that the speaker is an animal, mineral, or vegetable and reinforce the notion that this is a human consciousness. Give the best supporting reasons for this. (refutatio)
Conclude. Make the poem relevant to the here-and-now, and leave the reader with a galvanizing thought and an impactful line or phrase from the poem that underscores your position.
*Do not think of these guidelines as paragraphs (though you should apply paragraph organization) but as tasks your analysis must address and complete.
Writing Strategy.
Think of this as a regular in-class mid-term in your approach. Write your original response in one sitting for a rough draft then edit that into your completed polished draft for submission. You have time for close and careful editing and proofreading (revision) on this one, so take advantage of that opportunity and turn in an excellent essay.
Read your work aloud, listening for clarity, before you turn it in.
Do not do internet searches on this poem as that will cloud your reading and thought and put you in danger of plagiarism.
Make this poem as meaningful as your writing allows.
Write on!
Submission
Paper should be submitted to Turnitin.com between 8JUL21-13JUL21
Class ID: 27950655
Enrollment Key: Hamlet
Rubric
A 90-100: Essay begins with an introduction that interests the reader, makes the topic clear and has a clear and specific arguable thesis on a topic that is not readily apparent from reading the poem. It employs a clear signal phrase(s). The essay follows college essay structure and has logical progression of ideas and effective paragraph organization. It makes proficient use and correct citation of supporting quotes (at least two per paragraph) in body paragraphs. The sentences are clear and easy to read. It considers an objection to the thesis and refutes it. Conclusion is focused and specific and returns to the ideas of the introduction and offers specific closure. A correct MLA Work Cited and entry or entries is presented at the end.
B 80-89: Essay begins with an introduction that interests the reader, makes the topic clear and has a clear and specific arguable thesis on a topic that is not readily apparent from reading the poem. It employs a clear signal phrase(s). It mostly follows college essay structure and the paragraphs are mostly effectively organized, some paragraph transitions may be unclear. It makes proficient use and correct citation of supporting quotes (quotes may not be as frequent or used as effectively as an ‘A’ essay). The sentences are mostly clear and easy to read. It may consider an objection to the thesis, but the objection is not completely fitting or clear, and may not address the objection clearly. The sentences are mostly clear and easy to read. Conclusion is focused and specific but does not clearly return to or affirm the ideas of the introduction. A correct MLA Work Cited and entry or entries is presented at the end.
C 79-70: Essay begins with an introduction that may gain reader interest, but topic is not completely clear or too general. Has a thesis that is workable, but not specific and focused enough for the task; it may be a thesis that is sufficient, but too general in scope. College essay structure is apparent but lacks clarity in areas and some may have confusing transitions between paragraphs. It has some supporting quotes, but inconsistencies in employment and citation. Some sentences are confusing or contain errors in clarity in mechanics or spelling or displays usage errors. No objection or alternative to the thesis is considered. Conclusion is general and does not address or close the ideas of the introduction. MLA Work Cited has flaws.
D 69-60: Introduction is general, with an unclear or too factual thesis that is easily apparent from reading the story; topic and outlook are unclear; may lack signal phrase or relevance to the reader or the poem. College essay structure is not used effectively to convey the flow of ideas or to support the thesis. Sparse or incorrectly or inaccurately presented supporting quotes with confusing MLA citation. Contains more summary than analysis and development of ideas. Sentence level errors are common, affecting clarity of ideas. No alternative to unclear thesis presented. Only parts of the body paragraphs follow and support thesis. Conclusion is too general or confusing and does not close the essay effectively. No MLA Work Cited presented.
F 59-0: Introduction is confusing and does not gain reader attention. May lack clear signal phrase. Thesis factual, confusing, general, or not present. Outlook is confusing. Paragraphs are unorganized or there are no paragraph breaks. College essay structure is not apparent or too closely follows a simplistic form, like the ‘five-paragraph’ essay. No supporting quotes are presented or are presented completely inaccurately or not cited. Contains mostly summary and little to no analysis and development. Sentence level errors are frequent and harm clarity of the writing. Conclusion is not fitting, too general, or is not present.
Of course, all of the above presume a clear and comprehensive understanding of the story, an original title for each essay, a complete response to the tasks of the prompt, and a complete lack of plagiarized passages or ideas.

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