Analysis Essay

Summary/Response Essay - Song Analysis

English 1301

Instructions for Turning in Your Essay:

 Submit all drafts and the final version of your essay in the Summary/Response eCampus folder.

 Essays turned in late will be subject to late penalties. See late policies in the syllabus.

 This assignment counts 150 points (15%) of your course grade.

Overview of the Assignment: You are writing an essay that summarizes and analyzes a song

that is a protest or that deals with a social issue.

Detailed Instructions:

Your essay should consist of 2 ½-3 typed, double-spaced pages.

Title

 Create a relevant title that refers to the song or social issue.

 Avoid creating a boring or too-general title, and avoid using the song title as your title.

Introduction/background paragraph

 Begin with an attention-getting “hook” (not a question).

 Provide the song’s title, the name of the songwriter, the name(s) of the performer/band, and the year the song was released.

 Summarize/describe the song (what is the song about?).

 Present a thesis statement that indicates why the song is a protest or identifies the social issue it addresses.

Second and third paragraphs (analysis)

 Analyze important components of the song. One approach to this is to have one paragraph that refers to lyrics and a second paragraph that considers vocals and

instrumentals. To strengthen your analysis, use excerpts of lyrics as well as descriptions

of the music to support what you want to say.

For depth, be specific in your analysis. We will practice doing this in class.

(Note: if you want to have three analysis paragraphs instead of two, that’s okay.)

Conclusion paragraph

 Indicate when and where you first heard the song and why you decided to write about it.

 Assess how well the song addresses its social issue or what makes it a “good” or “bad” protest song.

(Optional) Use of Additional Sources: This isn’t a full-blown research paper, so the analysis in

the body paragraphs should come from you. However, if you want to include 1-2 pieces of

information (no more) from credible sources to describe or explain the song, you may do this.

You must use MLA style documentation if you use information from sources:

Documentation (using MLA style) for all quoted and paraphrased information

 Summarize, paraphrase and quote correctly. (see pgs. 546-560 in your textbook, “Skill 22.2: Know When and How to use Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation.”)

 Include in-text citations and a Works Cited page (see pgs. 561-566 in your textbook, “Skill 23: Citing and Documenting Sources.”). We’ll talk about these elements in class,

too.

Tips and Reminders:

 Study the sample essay for organization and depth.

 Use the Detailed Instructions above as a checklist.

 Use MLA format (specified in the syllabus). Include the heading on the first page only.

 Don’t include extra lines between your title and first paragraph or between paragraphs.

 Avoid using “I” as phrases like “I think that …,” “In my opinion …,” “I believe …”.

 Put song titles in quotation marks and album titles in italics.

 Put periods inside quotation marks unless the sentence also includes an in-text citation in the form of a parenthetical reference (in-text citation within parentheses):

Example:

The song’s lyrics are conversational, and Lynn sings them in a fittingly natural tone.

After her husband hangs up on her, she notes with slight bewilderment, “Well, I’ll be.”

(Note: period inside quotation mark)

Example:

The Vietnam War claimed over 58,000 American lives (“Statistical Information

about Casualties”).

(Note: period after in-text citation in the form of a parenthetical reference)