There are two questions that need to be answered. Each answer should be a single well–organized paragraph of 250–300 words (+ / –
25 words is acceptable). Edit your answers carefully so that you make the best use possible of
your limited word count. This part of the assignment will be two paragraphs and total 500
words.
this poem, there are many words that belong to the semantic field of [X], such as” (and then
quote a couple of specific examples); or, “phrases like [X] and [Y] establish a formal [or
colloquial, or angry, or sarcastic, or …] tone;” or, “We can tell from [X] and [Y] that this poem
is written from [Z] point of view”; or There are several repeated lines/words/images in the
poem; the most important of them is [X].” These mock sentences are intended simply as models
of the kind of analysis you should make, not of exactly the points you will make!
This paragraph should convincingly show that you have paid close attention to how the poem is
written—to details of its language, literary elements, and form. In other words, this paragraph
demonstrates the results of your close reading of the poem, as also reflected in your annotations
Your answer to this question should address the poem’s theme, as distinct from its subject.
After reflecting on your close reading and on the insights you gained from studying the elements
you examined in your annotations and discussed more broadly in Question 1, explain in your
own words what you think is one of the poem’s central themes and why you think that.
Keep in mind the point made in our Broadview Introduction to Literature that a “theme” is not a
topic (love, family, or war, for instance) but is “an idea about or attitude toward the
subject matter” (xxv). What do you think your poem, as a whole, is saying to us about the
things it talks about—based on the way it talks about them? You should include at least two
quotations that you think are particularly important to your interpretation, being sure to explain
how they support your reading.
Again, there will be some overlap with your annotations (where you may have alluded to
themes), but your discussion here should draw the elements together. This paragraph
demonstrates your ability to develop an interpretation from your close reading of the poem.