Grading:
The points you earn for this assignment will be placed in the “Writing” category of the course. The outline is worth 20
points, the rough draft is worth 50 points, and the final draft is worth 200 points (100 points for grammar and 100 points
for content.
Objectives:
• To demonstrate your mastery of poetic and literary devices
• to practice the art of literary analysis in a compare and contrast paper, sharpening your analysis skills along the way
• to demonstrate your deep understanding of some of the essential questions (themes) we have discussed this semester
• to master the art of revision
• to give you an opportunity to engage with both your imagination and your critical thinking skills as you pull together your
own original argument.
General requirements for all topics:
3-5 pages (3 pages minimum and 5 pages maximum), double spaced, MLA standards for heading and citation, minimum of six
quotations used for textual support (at least three from each poem, but certainly, you will probably need more). Be sure to
include an introduction, body paragraphs (you decide how many you will need), and a conclusion. Your intro should include a
hook sentence, a sentence that introduces the poems with their authors and titles, and a thesis that is one clear and
specific sentence at the end of your introduction. Use formal language (no slang or colloquial words), eternal present tense,
and plenty of hearty analysis that, whenever possible, specifically addresses the language in the lines you quote for
evidence. Note: Discussing poetic and literary devices is often essential to a successful literary analysis paper that
addresses poetry. As such, be sure to discuss the devices in the lines you cite that are relevant to your overall argument.
Topic: Time
Many of the poems we have studied explore the inevitable passing of time or the inevitability of death. Do these poets offer
any sense of hope, celebration, and/or optimism while considering time’s inevitable passing? After choosing two of the
following poems, analyze how their ultimate messages about time create parallels or differences that enable readers to better
understand an overall truth about time’s passing.
Here are the poets and poems:
Billy Collins’ “Design”
Robert Frost’s “Design”
William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 60”
Edward Smallfield’s “after niedecker”
Ezra Pound’s “A Station in the Metro”
William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow”
(Other options would be Yeats’ or Eliots’ works, but I imagine you now feel fatigue when thinking of them).