english paper

Lengths:               

A minimum of 3 complete pages plus Works Cited 

Format:

All submissions must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font.  They should be double-spaced and have one-inch margins.  All papers should conform to the MLA style of documentation and format listed in The Little, Brown Handbook (sample format begins on page 199).  As all papers should quote from primary and secondary sources, all papers should contain a Works Cited page.

Assignment:

Look through the poetry section of our book (pages 670-1120).  Pick two poems that have some factor in common (for example, a factor that concerns either ethnicity, race, gender, class, sexuality, formal technique, or topic).  Do not pick a poem we have read for this class.  After conducting research, put these poems in their contexts by focusing on that one specific idea.  Construct an original argument that analyzes what these poems reveal about the factor you are studying.  Do the two poems have the same view of this topic?  Are these poems unusual on this topic as compared to dominant impressions of the time? What do you think the author was trying to say about that idea? Is it rebelling against the norm or just calling it into question?

In addition to analyzing the words of the poems, your paper should make use of at least one scholarly print source (that is, scholarly material found in books or journal articles).  These articles can address the idea that your are discussing in your poem as well as the poem. For instance, if you are writing about women's roles or gender equality within a poem, it is perfectly acceptable to use an article about the changing roles of women during that time period, even if it does not mention your poem. Support your argument by analyzing the words of the poems in relation to what you have discovered in your  research. 

As with all of the papers for this course, no purely Internet sources (that is, sources that do not exist in print form) should be used for this paper.  Scholars use print sources, rather than Internet web pages, because the information contained in print sources has been peer reviewed and checked for accuracy.  Please see the “Introduction to the Art of Research” handout (found under the Week One button) for information on how to find acceptable print sources.

Tips:

·                      The more precise you are with the factor you are analyzing, the easier time you will have writing the paper.  Remember, in this case, a narrower topic is better.

·                       At the end of the first paragraph, state the thesis of your paper.  This is a strong statement you are asserting about your topic.  Each body paragraph should be devoted to a main point that proves your thesis.  Each main               point should be supported by the words of the poems and by your research.  Your conclusion then explains why what you have written matters. 

·                      The focus of your paper should always remain on your thesis and the poems.  

·                      When quoting from poems, indicate line breaks with a slash.  For example: “Mary had a little lamb / whose fleece was white as snow” (lines 4-5).

·                      You should have at least three entries on your Works Cited page: two poems (listed individually by author) and at least one secondary source.

·                      Do not use the general “you” in your paper to refer to the reader. This assumes a common background that can be offensive. You may use first or third person voice.

I choose two poems from our book(Pages670-1120)