Final project Please read carefully and check the attachment

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Dr. Shafer | TSU | Fall 2017 | ENGL 2320: World Literature II | Final Project (200 pts)

PURPOSE(S)

KNOWLEDGE + SKILLS

Competency 1: Analyze significant primary texts as forms of cultural and creative expression.

Competency 2: Explain the ways in which humanistic and/or artistic expression throughout the ages

expresses the culture and values of its time and place.

Competency 3: Explore global and/or cultural diversity.

Competency 4: Frame a comparative context through which they can critically assess the ideas, forces, and

values that have created the modern world.

Competency 5: Recognize the ways in which both change and continuity permeate artistic development.

Competency 6: Practice the critical and analytical methodologies of the Humanities, including MLA format.

TASK(S)

ANNOTATE LITERARY TEXTS + RESPOND IN WRITING

 Your final project in this course has two components: COMPONENT ONE: Annotation of Literary Texts (worth up to 100 points): Choose (at least) two

poems and two fairy tales—each from a different poet/author—that have not been studied in class

and annotate (at least) twenty language aspects of these four chosen texts (for a total of 80: 4 texts x

20 language aspects = 80). The kinds of language structures and patterns to consider marking would

include any that we have studied and practiced identifying this semester (denotation vs. connotation,

literal vs. figurative language, word patterns, opposition binaries, metaphors, similes, personification,

symbolism, ideology, gender, race, class, references to birth/death/colors/season/time, etc.). These

annotations must be specific and detailed. Each annotation must demonstrate the following three

elements:

o First, a specific label for the item using the kinds of language terminology that we have been practicing with all semester (Symbolism? Literal language? Metaphor? Binary?

Theme? Pattern? etc.)

o Second, the specific meaning of the item (what is being symbolized? What does the literal language refer to? What does the metaphor stand for? How does the binary add to

the overall effect of the text? How is the theme expressed? How does the pattern create

meaning? Etc.)

o Third, the specific evaluation—from your personal point of view, NOT right” or “wrong”—regarding how effective you find each item (is the meaning of the symbolism

clear or unclear? Does the literal language help paint a stronger picture or not? Is the

metaphor engaging or boring? How much sense does the binary make? How well does

the theme relate to the rest of the text? How well do the language patterns work to create

the meaning in the mind of the reader? etc.)

COMPONENT TWO: Respond to Ten Questions about Literary Texts (worth up to 100 points):

Write (at least) one well-developed paragraph per question (see the questions listed on the back of

this page). Rather than discuss the four texts separately, please discuss ALL FOUR of the texts—the

two poems AND the two fairy tales—together in the paragraphs. For example, when answering

Question 1, you might write something like:

1. What examples of references to time and movement are presented in your two poems and two fairy tales? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

All four of my literary texts include references to time and movement. The first poem, “New Love”

by Robert Frost (www.frost.org/newlove.pdf) repeats the words “early morning” five times. I believe

that Frost is using these repeated words to equate the hope that can come with a new day with the

hope that can come from a new relationship. The second poem, “Old Barn” by Nikki Giovanni

(Poems by Nikki Giovanni, 2nd ed.) starts off with the words “The old barn died years ago.”

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Giovanni is using personification to suggest that the barn could die like a person in the past as way of

setting the time frame for the rest of the poem: the American Civil War. The first fairy tale, “The Red

Ring” by Hans Christian Andersen includes the language pattern . . . [and so on and so forth until you

have fully answer the question].

CRITERIA

 COMPONENT 1: The annotated poems and fairy tales can be submitted on eLearn as either high resolution digital photos of handwritten annotations on printouts OR typed annotations on pdfs or Word documents. In

any case, make sure to include the full title of the poems and fairy tales, the names of the authors, and where

you got the texts (web address, name of book, whatever). The titles of poems and fairy tales are usually

placed in “quotation marks” in MLA (example: “Sonnet 29” or “Cinderella”) while books and webpages are

placed in italics (Robert Frost’s Best Poems on Death or www.poetry-for-all.com). You may annotate with

pencil, pen, marker, highlighter, whatever. Just make sure that your annotations are clear.

 COMPONENT 2: The answers to the ten questions need to be typed in a single digital document (Word document, NOT an apple file or a pdf) and formatted according to current MLA guidelines. Because this

assignment is not really a typical research paper, asking you to follow MLA guidelines really just means that

your text will need to be 12 pt font (Times New Roman or Arial), with the poem and fairy tale titles in

“quotation marks,” 1-inch outside margins, etc. Google: OWL MLA for more information about MLA.

 Your answers to the ten questions need to be well developed (include specifics, details, on-point information, etc.). Bare-boned answers will not earn very many of the available points.

 If you plagiarize your answers—at any level and in any manner—you will receive a zero for the assignment and you will not be able to revise it. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, just ask.

We will definitely be discussing this in class. I want to see YOUR answers to these questions. If I wanted to

see other people’s analyses, I would look them up myself.

 You may work on these final projects individually or in groups of two or three. However, these are your only choices. Therefore, work submitted from groups with more than three students will not be accepted.

 Both parts of this assignment are due in the Final Project dropbox on eLearn by 11:59pm on Sun, Nov 26.

 This is the only way to ensure that you receive credit. Bringing a hardcopy to class will not guarantee credit. However, I will accept hard copies if you have any trouble uploading your work eLearn.

TEN QUESTIONS

1. What examples of references to time and movement are presented in your two poems and two fairy tales? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

2. What examples of references to human relationships are presented in your two poems and two fairy tales? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

3. What examples of references to color and nature are presented in your two poems and two fairy tales? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

4. Which oppositional binaries are the strongest in your two poems and two fairy tales? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

5. Which examples of literal language presented in your two poems and two fairy tales stand out to you the most? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

6. Which examples of figurative language presented in your two poems and two fairy tales stand out to you the most? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

7. Which examples of gender constructions presented in your two poems and two fairy tales stand out to you the most? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

8. Which themes presented in your two poems and two fairy tales stand out to you the most? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

9. Which patterns of language presented in your two poems and two fairy tales stand out to you the most? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.

10. Which words’ connotations found in your two poems and two fairy tales stand out to you the most? Explain your personal interpretation or understanding of their meanings.