Exploring Themes and Literary Devices in Selected Poems
In this essay, you will analyze the thematic aspects and literary devices employed in a collection of selected poems from various poets. The essay should be a minimum of 500 words and is worth 50 points.
Requirements:
- Minimum of 500 words
- Adherence to MLA formatting guidelines (12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, one-inch margins, etc.)
- A unique, relevant title reflecting the essay’s content
- Submission in PDF or Word file format (.doc or .docx)
Instructions:
Your essay should include the following:
- Introduction: Begin with a brief introduction to the selected poems and their themes or major ideas.
- Thematic Analysis: Analyze each poem’s theme or major idea, discussing how the poets utilize literary devices such as imagery, metaphor, rhyme, rhythm, and symbolism to convey the themes.
- Comparison and Contrast: Compare and contrast the thematic interpretations across the selected poems, identifying commonalities and differences in how the poets approach and develop their respective themes.
- Conclusion: Conclude the essay by summarizing your findings and offering your overall assessment of how effectively the selected poems convey their themes and utilize literary devices.
Additional Guidelines:
- Read and analyze each selected poem carefully, paying attention to its themes and literary devices.
- Take notes, underline key passages, and annotate the poems to support your analysis.
- Ensure that your thesis statement focuses on the poems themselves, not just the subject matter they explore.
- Support your analysis with specific examples and quotations from the poems, providing detailed explanations and interpretations.
- Avoid summarizing the poems extensively; instead, focus on analyzing and interpreting their thematic elements and literary devices.
- Stick to the MLA format guidelines for citation if you refer to specific passages or quote directly from the poems.
- No additional research sources are required, but include a Works Cited page if you consult any external sources.
Proofreading and Grading Criteria:
- What does the essay do especially well?
- Does the title effectively reflect the content of the essay? How could it be improved?
- Does the introduction provide a concise overview of the selected poems and their themes?
- Are the thematic analysis and examination of literary devices thorough and insightful?
- Does the essay present a coherent comparison and contrast of the thematic interpretations across the selected poems?
- Does the conclusion effectively summarize the findings and offer a clear assessment of how effectively the poems convey their themes and utilize literary devices?
- Is the essay well-organized, with logical transitions between paragraphs?
- Is the tone of the essay appropriate for an academic assignment?
- Is the essay free of grammatical and surface errors?
- What revisions or additions would strengthen this essay the most?
Selected Poems:
- William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 29: When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes” (1609)
- John Donne, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1624)
- William Blake, “The Lamb” (1789)
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ozymandias” (1818)
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “A Psalm of Life” (1838)
- Emily Dickinson, “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers” (1891)
- Rudyard Kipling, “If—” (1910)
- Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” (1916)
- Edgar Albert Guest, “To a Young Man” (1916)
- Mitchell Parish (for a melody by Hoagy Carmichael), “Stardust” (1927)
- William Carlos Williams, “This Is Just To Say” (1934)
- Langston Hughes, “Let America Be America Again” (1936)
- W. H. Auden, “Song No. XXX” (aka “Funeral Blues” or “Stop All the Clocks”) (1938)
- Dr. Seuss, “Horton Hears a Who!” (1954)
- Bob Dylan, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” (1963)
- John Lennon, “In My Life” (1965)
- Paul Weller, “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight” (1978)
- 2Pac (Tupac Amaru Shakur), “Dear Mama” (1995)
- Billy Collins, “The Lanyard” (1998)
- Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb” (2021)