Analyzing “Morning Song” and “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath would be a compelling choice. Both poems delve into complex emotions related to motherhood, identity, and relationships, offering rich material for comparative analysis.Topic: The term literary critical theory refers to philosophical approaches that seeks to confront the social, historical, and ideological forces and structures that produce and constrain literature and interpretations of literature. Literary critical theory consists of various schools of thought, each focusing on differing though often overlapping elements of literature in relation to culture and cultural issues. There are major critical theories focusing on topics such as gender roles and gender performance, socioeconomic class divisions and inequality, racial identity and ideology, postcolonial and historical influences, and psychological impulses, just to name a few. While there are vastly differing approaches to analyzing literature, what all these theoretical approaches have in common is their concern with the relationship between the individual and the culture at large and the way this relationship is represented in works of literature.
So, with these ideas in mind, choose two poems from our assigned readings in which you find a strong basis for comparison to write about. Write an analytical essay interpreting the two poems you choose and your comparison of them, explaining what the poems teach us about human beings as individuals or as a society. By analyzing the relevant elements of poetry, such as speaker and listener, point of view, character, style, imagery, symbolism, tone, and theme, show how the poems address human nature and the human condition. Interpret what the poems together suggest about life in the real world. Explain and support your interpretation.
Subject: Choose two poems from our class selection of poetry that share a strong thematic connection and basis for comparison warranting further analysis. Keep your analysis focused on the poems. The poems are the subject of your analysis.
Structure:
Complete a minimum of 5 pages (not counting the works cited page) of written analysis in and thesis-and-support essay structure, as covered in the Week 1.
Include the formal elements of thesis-and-support structure and be sure to stay focused on the two poems you’re writing about. Remember you’re writing an analysis of your comparison and the text of the poems: the poems together are your subject.
Give your essay a title that is creative and relevant to the poems and to your comparison of them. (Consider an informative subtitle to accompany your creative title.)
Develop a formal introduction paragraph with a hook, a well-developed orientation, and an interpretive thesis — all focused on your subject.
Develop a thesis statement that is complete with all the required parts: subject, opinion, and logic. (The poems are your subject, your interpretation of your comparison of the poems is your opinion, and what you see happening in the poems or in your comparison that leads you to your opinion is your logic.)
State your thesis at the end of your introduction paragraph. Have your hook and orientation build up to your thesis, and then make certain that every supporting paragraph that follows relates to and supports that thesis.
Provide at least four supporting paragraphs that are each complete with a topic sentence, a sufficient number of evidence sentences that support the topic sentence, and a summary statement — all unified by your thesis.
Maintain a balanced analysis of points of comparison between the poems.
Use your own words and ideas for all your topic sentences. Topic sentences are to be analytical, meaning that they address your subject and connect it to a supporting topic. (Do not use any plot points or plot summary without connecting it to a topic. Do not use quotations in a topic sentence or summary statement. Supporting paragraphs should begin and conclude with your own ideas.)
Only use quotes as part of your evidence sentences. The evidence sentences of your supporting paragraphs are the only sentences in your essay that may include quotations from your research and subject. (Think of quotes as support; therefore, they belong in between topic sentences and a summary statements.)
Bring your analysis to a fitting close with a conclusion paragraph that stays focused on your subject, gives your essay a sense of completion and resonance, and reaffirms your thesis in retrospect of the analysis you’ve presented.
Research:
Search the Pierce College Library databases for a minimum of four peer-reviewed articles written about the poems you’re writing about (at least twofor each poem) that you can reference to support your analysis. Use the title of the poems as keywords in the various search terms you try.
All articles attained through research must be written about the poems you are analyzing, must come from the Pierce College Library databases, and must be peer-reviewed. (If you find an indispensable source that’s in the databases but is not directly about the poem, you may use it as an extra source, but don’t let it lead you off topic, and you’ll still need to use four articles that are about the poem/poems specifically, to meet research requirements. That would make five secondary sources in that case to document on your works cited page.)
Access peer-reviewed articles through the Pierce College Library’s online databases that specialize in literature, such as Academic Search Complete,Gale Literary Sources, and JSTOR. Start your research with the OneSearch feature on the library homepage.
Quotations/Synthesis:
Support your thesis with evidence, examples, and quotes from both poems. In every supporting paragraph, include at least one significant and representative passage quoted from a poem as effective support. That’s a total of four quotes from the poems (two from each poem), minimum, one in every supporting paragraph. All of your points should be founded in the text of the poems, and you should quote enough to make the connection clear. Do not quote for summary. Do not quote fragments or incomplete thoughts. Quote important passages for support.
Support your thesis with research. In every supporting paragraph, include at least one significant and representative quoted passage from a peer-reviewed article about the poem/poems as effective support for your interpretation. Use at least four peer-reviewed articles (two for each poem). That’s a total of four quotes from secondary sources, minimum, one in every supporting paragraph. Do not quote summary of the poems. Do not quote fragments or incomplete thoughts. Quote important passages.
Quotations are to be used in the evidence sentences of supporting paragraphs only. (Do not use any quotes from primary or secondary sources in your topic sentences or summary statements or in your introduction or conclusion paragraphs.)
Use mechanics of quotation. Remember quotations cannot stand alone: every quote needs to be integrated and made part of your own sentence in a way that maintains the grammatical integrity of your sentence. Otherwise, it’s free floating. For a long quote that needs to be set off from the rest of the text of the paragraph, use a colon to introduce it. Review MLA mechanics of quotation and documentation for poems.
Formatting:
Format your essay according to 9thedition MLA guidelines, including headers, heading, margins, indents, spacing, and mechanics. Use 12-point font, Times New Roman. Follow this link for complete details: MLA 9th Edition Formatting and Style Guide and use the official website for extra guidance: MLA.org – Formatting.
Cite all quotations and sources according to 9thedition MLA guidelines, including in-text parenthetical documentation and corresponding works cited page.
Use appropriate mechanics for short quotes and long quotes, according to MLA guidelines.
Your works cited page should have at least six listings: two for your primary sources (the poems you are writing about) and at least four for your secondary sources (the peer-reviewed articles you attain through research). Your works cited page is to correspond to your parenthetical documentation and to list only those sources you have actually referenced in your essay.
Other important requirements:
Don’t mention the terms “human nature” or “human condition.” They are too broad for your purpose. Your assignment is to connect your subject to a more specific topic within the broader concepts of the human condition and/or human nature.
Throughout your essay, be direct, stay focused, maintain an active and academic voice, eliminate filler, refrain from making announcements, and revise your writing thoroughly.
You may summarize to develop your orientation and briefly for the sake of supporting a point — but not as filler. Summarize no more than necessary.
Be mindful that you’re emphasizing and staying focused on what’s important about your subject and opinion: maintain a sense of exigency.
Rubric: Your essay will be scored primarily, based on the inclusion and completion of assignment requirements for structure, focus, qualifying research, synthesis, effective use of researched material and quotations, and MLA formatting for layout and mechanics of quotation and documentation, including parenthetical documentation and corresponding list of works cited, and secondarily, based on conventions of English writing, including spelling, grammar, and usage, for readability.
