Poetry Essay Directions
Choose one of the topics below and write a 750-1250 word essay: *Poems are listed below to choose from
- Choose any poem in the book and write an argumentative essay identifying at least three themes or symbols present in the work.
- Choose any poem in the book and write an argumentative essay that demonstrates how the poem is (or is not) representative of the time period or culture comes from.
- Select two poems from the book, and write a compare/contrast essay. You may compare two works written by the same author, or you may compare two works written by two different authors.
- Choose any poem from the book and describe how this poem reflects a political or social movement.
- Choose any poem from the book and describe how that poem reflects something about the author’s life or personality.
Follow MLA Guidelines to format your essay correctly.
Please include a Works Cited page that contains your primary source/sources (the poem/poems you are writing about).
Note: Paper may incorporate secondary sources to further validate argument, but outside research is not required. If you do incorporate research, make sure to use reputable sources, include those sources on your Works Cited page, and use correct MLA in-text citations. Remember, in-text citations should be used for both direct and indirect quotations.
The following poems to choose from:
- “Sonnet 18” (p. 426) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Sonnet 73” (p. 426) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Tintern Abbey” (p. 448) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Anabel Lee” (p. 464) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “I heard a Fly buzz…” (p. 492) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Because I could not stop for Death” (p. 493) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Jabberwocky” (p.495) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (p. 505) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (p. 516) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “in Just-” (p. 523) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “Do not go gentle into that good night” (p. 540) in Literature: A Portable Anthology
- “My Papa’s Waltz” (p. 532) in Literature: A Portable Anthology