The Road Not Taken and Nothing Twice Poetry analysis
Instructions:
- Choose which poem(s) OR creation myths you write will about.
- Choose one of the topics below (must be appropriate for the texts you choose)
Topics for writing about a poem (or poems):
- Perform a line-by-line explication of a brief poem. Imagine that your audience is unfamiliar with the poem and needs your assistance in interpreting it. Refer to the different elements of poetry and provide examples.
- Compare and contrast any two (or more) poems or creation myths that treat a theme similarly.
- Research and write about how the author’s Native American background is reflected in his/her writing (poetry only).
- Consider and write about possible meanings behind symbolism that appear in a poem, or in various creation myths.
- Consider and research how gender, socioeconomic class, ethnicity, or conditions of Native American life (reservation life, for example) are reflected in the text(s).
- Write a comparison and contrast essay on two or more poems by the same poet. Look for poems that share a thematic concern or topic (poetry only).
Additional requirements:
- Minimum of three pages in essay format, complete with paragraphs, topic sentences, and transitions
- Include a thesis statement in your first paragraph
- Use the terms and definitions from “The Elements of Poetry” in your analysis
- Format your essay according to MLA guidelines
- Include examples from the text/s to support your ideas
- Include at least two outside sources from the CCBC library database to support your ideas.
- Include MLA style in-text citations and a Works Cited page
Tips for a successful paper:
- Choose a text and a topic that interests you
- If you are unfamiliar with a word or reference, look it up!
- Put the steps of the writing process to practice
- Use spell and grammar check in Microsoft Word and read your work out loud
- Back up your work (email it to yourself, save it to a flash drive, etc.)
- Follow the guidelines for a C paper outlined in the syllabus
- Refer to the MLA Sample Paper on Blackboard for help with formatting