Essay 2 is a comparison of any two poems. They must have a shared theme or subject matter. Whether the two poems are about work or war or fatherhood or race, discuss them in terms of theme and how the author uses the elements of poetry. Specifically, you must explore aspects of Persona/Tone, Poetic Language, and Poetic Form in each poem. (THE TWO POEMS WOULD BE AT THE BOTTOM.
FORMAT:
You will follow a point-by-point format for this essay.
I. Introduction: Begin with a general statement (a ‘hook’) about the poems’ shared subject matter and theme. For example, if the shared theme of the poems is rebellion, start your essay with a general insight about the nature of rebellion, like “Rebellion is the spark behind every notable change in human history.” You could also begin with a question such as, “Is conformity truly the opposite of rebelling?” or “Is all conformity bad and all rebellion good?” Get your audience thinking about the “big” picture before diving into the specific poems.
Next, work your way toward a specific thesis statement that makes an argument about how the poems use various elements of poetry. Remember that thesis statements need to include a What? and a Why? For example: “The poems “My Papa’s Waltz” and “Sins of the Father” explore fatherhood by incorporating sympathetic personas, violent language, and repeated use of harsh-sounding consonants.” In this example, it is clear what poetic elements will be discussed and in what order.
II. Persona/Tone of each poem (describe the voice used and the tone created in each poem; who is speaking and what is their situation? are they remembering their past? are they in a position of power? do they feel guilty, happy, distraught, curious, etc.? is irony used?) *these and the questions that follow are simply guidelines to get you started
III. Poetic Language used in each poem (consider the word choices the two poets make; what are the connotations of certain words? which of the five senses are used in terms of imagery? look for metaphors, similes, personification, and symbolism, etc.)
IV. Poetic Form of each poem (do the poems have a closed form such as a sonnet, or an open form — aka free verse? how are they laid out on the page? is there a lot of negative space and how does this effect the pacing of the reading? are lines short, long, varied? is there rhyme? what do you notice about where and how stressed syllables are used, and what is the effect of that? identify some examples of alliteration, assonance, or consonance being used… what seems to be the effect of these on the way you read the poems, and, thus the poems’ themes?)
V. Conclusion: Rephrase your thesis (don’t just copy/paste it!) in terms of all the wonderful insights you just presented. Work your way back to the general statement (‘hook’) and tie all your points together to leave the reader with a strong, clear impression.
Everyone will choose different sets of poems, so everyone will be faced with unique challenges. I expect you to identify these potential challenges and contact me about any concerns you have.
As for organization, your essay will have either three body paragraphs, each one focused on one element and giving examples from both poems, OR you may choose to have six shorter body paragraphs. It’s up to you. Whatever you choose, each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence.
STYLE:
MLA format requires that you use 12-point font, either Times Roman or Arial, and 1″ margins. Points will be taken off your grade if you fail to follow these guidelines. See your handbook and textbook for examples.
Come up with an interesting title and put it at the top of the first page.
You MUST include direct quotes from the poems and cite the textbook in MLA format. Aim for a total of 4-6 quotes from each poem.
Since you will cite two works in your essay, your Works Cited page will, of course, include two entries in alphabetical order according to the author’s last names. Your in-text citations will need to include the author’s last name and the line number (not page number, as you did with short stories). They should look like this: (Auden 5-7). In this example, the numbers 5-7 refer to the lines of the poem that is being referenced.
LENGTH:
Three to four (3-4) pages or about 1000 words. Keep in mind that this is a minimum. Although writing more words in order to “fill up” space will only weaken your essay, I do encourage you to develop your ideas fully and don’t settle for ‘good enough’.
When you revise your rough drafts, adding a well-written sentence or two to each paragraph can lengthen your essay as much as a half-page. Instead of tacking on useless paragraphs to the end of your essay, develop your ideas from the inside in order to meet the required length.
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POEMS
1.
People Who Take Care
By Nancy A. Henry
People who take care of people
get paid less than anybody
people who take care of people
are not worth much
except to people who are
sick, old, helpless, and poor
people who take care of people
are not important to most other people
are not respected by many other people
come and go without much fuss
unless they dont show up
when needed
people who make more money
tell them what to do
never get shit on their hands
never mop vomit or wipe tears
dont stand in danger
of having plates thrown at them
sharing every cold
observing agonies
they cannot tell at home
people who take care of people
have a secret
that sees them through the double shift
that moves with them from room to room
that keeps them on the floor
sometimes they fill a hollow
no one else can fill
sometimes through the shit
and blood and tears
they go to a beautiful place, somewhere
those clean important people
have never been.
2.
To the Lady
by Mitsuye Yamada
The one in San Francisco who asked
Why did the Japanese Americans let
the government put them in
those camps without protest?
Come to think of it I
shouldve run off to Canada
shouldve hijacked a plane to Algeria
shouldve pulled myself up from my
bra straps
and kicked m in the groin
shouldve bombed a bank
shouldve tried self-immolation
shouldve holed myself up in a
woodframe house
and let you watch me
burn up on the six oclock news
shouldve run howling down the street
naked and assaulted you at breakfast
by AP wirephoto
shouldve screamed bloody murder
like Kitty Genovese
Then
YOU wouldve
come to my aid in shining armor
laid yourself across the railroad track
marched on Washington
tattooed a Star of David on your arm
written six million enraged
letters to Congress
But we didnt draw the line
anywhere
law and order Executive Order 9066
social order moral order internal order
You letm
I letm
All are punished.
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