English 102 Paper 2

poetry

This shorter paper (2-4 full pages) will be worth up to 50 points; it must be in MLA format and use line-number citations when quoting the poems.

Remember to review the lectures on poetry

Papers must be at least two full pages, or they will not earn passing grades (at least three full pages if you are trying for a "B" or an "A")

Papers should be on topic, focused, edited, proofread

Any paper not in standard MLA format will not be graded; please review your handbook

Late papers will be accepted up to a week after the due date, but they will be penalized 10%

If you have any questions, please contact me via e-mail

Your second paper will be a comparative analysis of two poems. After reading this week's lecture, compare/contrast any of the pairs of poems listed below. Some brief tips have been added after each pair:

but first

Poetry is actually cited differently from prose. Since you absolutely must read closely, quote relevant (often very brief) sections of the poem, and document those quotations parenthetically, you will need to know how to cite correctly. Instructions on citing poetry can be found here: How to Cite Poetry.

now the choices

"To Lucasta Going to the Wars" and "Dulce et Decorum Est"--Look up the meaning of the title of Owen's poem and consider how it applies to Lovelace's poem; what do the two poems suggest about changing attitudes towards war over time? Why?

"To an Athlete Dying Young" and "Ex-Basketball Player"--even though Flick Webb is still alive, the young athlete in Houseman's poem seems better off. Why? Compare this to other real-world examples if you can.

"Living in Sin" and "Balances"--both show changing attitudes/situations; how can Giovanni's poem be seen as a continuation of Rich's poem? Which character is closer to acting on her changed impressions? Why? Consider just how long the woman in "Living in Sin" has been living at her boyfriend's apartment. How does this affect the idea(s) of the poem?

"Ulysses" and "Let Me Die a Youngman's Death"--both poems seem to be about dying, but are they really? Be sure to look up Ulysses/Odysseus to see what his life was like before he returned to Ithaca; also, consider the ages the speaker of McGough's poem includes and each type of death he describes.

Edward Arlington Sing’s “Richard Cory” and Stevie Smith’s “Not Waving but Drowning” both explore the difference between how people are perceived and what is (may) really be going on inside a person’s mind/heart. Explain how the two poems relate, and, if possible, apply this to a real-world example of a person who was mis-perceived by the public as a whole.

As we have seen with other works, modern poems often take traditional material and try to re-imagine it in fresh, modern ways. Although the folk tale “Hansel and Gretel” (on Etudes) may seem like a preachy story for kids, how does Louise Gluck’s “Gretel in Darkness” suggest what the deeper, real implications of the story might be? Note that Gluck’s poem looks not only at the psychological implications of the folk tale, but it also looks at gender differences.

some tips:

Remember, you must back up your obervations with examples (documented quotations).
When analyzing poetry, you want to look very closely. Do not quote huge chunks of the poem and give brief explanations; instead, look at a couple of lines or just a phrase to analyze, and then move on to another example to explore. Explain patterns of words and phrases in great detail. Why "the idiot pumps" (l. 7) in "Ex-Basketball Player," for example?
Do not jump to conclusions. For example, if you see a religious word, such as sin in "Living in Sin," that does not necessarily mean there are religious implications in the poem. HINT: that poem really is not about religion.
Look things up! The title, "Living in Sin," for example, has a very specific meaning. If you do not read closely and look things up, you will likely jump to those conclusions you don't want to jump to :)