ENG1300 Week 2 Project Outline:
Writing about literature
Before writing:
Read each poem from the lists in the Week 1 or Week 2 Discussion Post threads and choose a poem that you like, or that you think you can analyze well. Think about what is happening in the poem and what it is about. Then, choose one of the following literary terms to focus on in your analysis: theme, imagery, symbolism, or characterization. Here are the definitions of each of these literary terms:
theme = the overall meaning of a poem or piece of literature.
imagery = visually descriptive or figurative language that causes readers to envision what is happening in a story, play, or poem.
symbolism = when an object has greater meaning than its simple use. For example, a broken wine glass might symbolize violence or tension between a couple.
characterization = the way a writer describes a person in a poem, story, or play that makes them feel real to the reader.
Once you have chosen one of these to focus on in your analysis, you can outline your paper below. Because these papers need to be 750 words, you will likely need 6 medium-length paragraphs. This includes an introduction, 4 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. An outline for this is below:
Introduction:
Introduce readers to your topic. For example, if you are focusing on a theme, like finding peace in nature, you might begin by describing the positive qualities of being alone in nature.
State your thesis statement. This would be something like “The theme of __________ is present in ___________’s poem, “_____________________.”
Body Paragraph #1:
Introduce your quotation. No sentence should start with a quotation mark. Example: The first example of the theme of _______________________________ in ______________________’s poem can be seen in the lines, “___________________________________________________________” (Lastname, Year, Lines 1-2).
Explain what is happening in this quotation. Example: In this moment of the poem, ______________________________________________________________________.
Explain why it showcases the theme you are noticing. Example: Here, the theme of ______________________ is showcased because _________________________________________.
Body Paragraph #2:
Introduce your quotation. No sentence should start with a quotation mark. Example: The first example of the theme of _______________________________ in ______________________’s poem can be seen in the lines, “___________________________________________________________” (Lastname, Year, Lines 1-2).
Explain what is happening in this quotation. Example: In this moment of the poem, ______________________________________________________________________.
Explain why it showcases the theme you are noticing. Example: Here, the theme of ______________________ is showcased because _________________________________________.
Body Paragraph #3:
Introduce your quotation. No sentence should start with a quotation mark. Example: The first example of the theme of _______________________________ in ______________________’s poem can be seen in the lines, “___________________________________________________________” (Lastname, Year, Lines 1-2).
Explain what is happening in this quotation. Example: In this moment of the poem, ______________________________________________________________________.
Explain why it showcases the theme you are noticing. Example: Here, the theme of ______________________ is showcased because _________________________________________.
Body Paragraph #4:
Introduce your quotation. No sentence should start with a quotation mark. Example: The first example of the theme of _______________________________ in ______________________’s poem can be seen in the lines, “___________________________________________________________” (Lastname, Year, Lines 1-2).
Explain what is happening in this quotation. Example: In this moment of the poem, ______________________________________________________________________.
Explain why it showcases the theme you are noticing. Example: Here, the theme of ______________________ is showcased because _________________________________________.
Conclusion:
Restate your thesis.
Add any ideas about this theme can be applied to our real lives in positive ways.