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Suggestions for Essays about Poems 1.
Choose a poem, preferably one by a poet you admire, and elucidate its
meaning according to your interpretation.
You will state a claim about the poem's meaning and support that claim
with analysis, interpretation, and lines from the poem. You might also cite a critic or scholar who
has published work about your poet and/or your poet's work. Such citation adds depth to your essay. 2. Write an extended definition of
poetry. In your essay you will make a
general claim about the nature of poetry and support that claim with
analysis, interpretation, and reference to 3-5 poems. You might want to cite claims made
by poets you admire. 3. Choose one of the following terms that
interests you and write an essay that claims that poetry presents insight
into the nature of the abstract term: love, fear, changing, war, death,
sexual relationships, aging, friendship, marriage, family, politics, mental
illness, etc. In
your essay you will need to cite 3-5 poems that take as its subject or theme
your chosen term. 4. Write an essay that shows how two
seemingly unrelated subjects, such as poetry and business, or poetry and
medicine, are in fact related. You may
choose any term you wish to pair with poetry.
In your essay you will need to use 3-5 poems
to help support your claim. 5. Discuss the similarities and differences
between poetry and songs. Consider at
least 2 points of similarities and 2 points of differences. Use 2-4 poems and songs to support your
claims. 6. Sharon Olds' "The Victims" In
J. Paul Hunter's commentary on Olds' "The Victims," he claims that
"a bit of sympathy begins to surface for the 'bums in
doorways'." Do you agree that the
speaker shows "sympathy" for the bums? Does the speaker show sympathy for her
father? In your essay, state a claim
that asserts your opinion about whether the speaker shows sympathy or not. Then support your claim with evidence from
the poem. You will have to interpret
the meaning of the imagery, analyze the separate parts, and explain how they
function to provide meaning. 7.
Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll" Discuss
the function of the last line of the poem:
"To every woman a happy ending." You might want to consider the concept of
the "stereotype." Also consider the function of "Barbie Doll" as a
metaphor. Is this girl in the poem a
real person, or a figure made up to make a comment
on society? How successful is the
comment? Are there claims in the poem
that undermine its purpose? In
your essay you will need to focus on one issue
only. For example, if you want to
support the claim that the "happy ending" is ironic, you will need
to show how the statement means its opposite. You will need to use specific references
from the poem to support your claims.
You will also need to analyze and interpret images, figurative
language, and statements made by the speaker of the poem. 8. Robert Frost's "The Road Not
Taken" In
your essay explain the nature of the
"sigh." Is the sigh one of regret
or relief? How can you know? Can you know the nature of the
"difference" the speaker's choice will have made? Why is the poem titled "The Road Not
Taken," instead of the "The Road Taken"? Wouldn't the latter have shown a more affirmative stance?
Remember that whatever you claim, you must be consistent in supporting
it with specific and convincing analysis and interpretation. Refer to the poem. Cite lines when necessary to help support
your claims and help clarify your ideas. Compare
these two poems in terms of theme.
Show how they both deal with grief.
In your essay you will state a general claim
that focuses on both poems. Then using
evidence from both poems you will support the
claim. Be sure to balance your
analysis and interpretation so that you elucidate meaning for both poems. 10. Rita Dove's
"Daystar" Linda Pastan's "To a Daughter Leaving Home" Discuss
the attitudes towards motherhood presented in these poems. 11. Waring
Cuney's "No Images" Wiliam
Carlos Williams' "This is Just to Say" Focus
on the idea of "image" as presented in these two poems. Write an extended definition of
"image" using the ideas/attitudes presented in these poems. You might need to read about images in a
literary handbook or look up the term in a dictionary. But be sure you concentrate mostly on the
poems in your essay.
Remember that whatever you claim, you must be consistent in
supporting it with specific and convincing analysis and interpretation. Refer to the poem. Cite lines when necessary to help support
your claims and help clarify your ideas. |