Essay due by tomorrow...

For your next essay, pick from the following topics:

1. In this essay, you will select a whole poem (traditional poem) or passage of a poem (about 15-20 lines from a longer poem) and do an explication (close reading) of that poem. The passage should deal in some way with the thematic content of the poem (related to love in some form or fashion), even if it is only one allusion. You will pay close attention to the language and structure of the passage in order to generate a thesis that makes an argument about the relationship between the parts of the passage (its diction, syntax, poetic effects, and structure) and the whole selection. In other words, your essay will discuss specific details and patterns in order to make a generalization about its overall issue, idea, message, or effect. Your analysis should attend to the way in which your chosen theme works in the passage. Your Gardner book talks about the nature of explications so read over that and ask me or the writing center (by appointment only) if you have any questions.

2. Similar to the first choice, this option involves selecting a song of your choice (do not pick something too simplistic/literal) that deals with love and do an explication (close reading). While I don’t suggest you turn to a music lyric If you want to get extra credit, you can analyze how the video (official video) for that song adds another layer of meaning that backs up the theme to the song. So, you must look at both the lyrics of the song and the visual/cinematic elements that help create a greater meaning/theme. You MUST use the appropriate film terminology (shot types, P-O-V, camera angles, visual look—like sepia tone, etc.). You are not allowed to use “Hello”. I must be provided with a working link to the lyrics and the video you have selected in proper MLA formatting. The video discussion needs to be a well-developed paragraph, not just a few sentences.

See your Gardner text for additional information on writing explications or OWL@Purdue..