For
this short response assignment, we will practicing two of the key tasks needed
for the full essay assignment next week, identifying literary devices and
analyzing them. It’s important to think of these two things as different;
simply pointing out the existence of a metaphor or an example of
personification does not equal analysis. Analyzing how it works, why the author
uses it, what insights we gain from its use in the poem, etc., these are
elements of analysis.
You
will be choosing one of the poems we have read so far – even if you choose to
go back to William Blake, you would choose either “The Lamb” or
“The Tyger” but not both – and explicating it (see the video in the
Tips and Tricks page for help on this). After you have read and annotated the
poem, you will identify what literary devices the author is using. You may also
identify the roles of Speaker and Listener if they apply. PLEASE DO IT ON THE LAMB.
Important Note: Make sure you are going beyond
summarizing. Simply telling what happens in the poem, even if that requires
a deeper reading, does not mean you are identifying devices and analyzing their
function.
Same requirements as
always: 1-2 pages, double-spaced, MLA formatted document. Make sure you take a
minute to refresh how to cite poetry – hint: we don’t use page numbers, but
another number instead. If you have any questions at all, send me a message,
and if we need to use Zoom, we can jump on there together. Keep going! The
