Assignment Purpose:
Students will use their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills as they analyze how the figurative language in a poem/song/rap is used to reach an audience and make a point (teach a lesson) about a specific social, mental health, environmental, or other serious real-life issue.
Assignment Steps:
1. Conduct research and locate at least four sources:
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A poem/song/rap that makes a point (teaches a lesson) about a certain social, mental health, environmental, or other serious real-life issue; the poem/song/rap must have irony and one other type of figurative language.
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Two online sources (the 1st source must be an online reading; the 2nd source can be an online reading OR a video). (Students have the option of using the sources on Brightspace.)
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An image that pertains to one of the main ideas in the poem/song/rap
Note: To make sure your sources are suitable for a college-level academic assignment, please apply the CRAP Test (https://libguides.csu.edu.au/nut201/evaluate/CRAPtest).
2. Look through the Sample Planning. (See the last page of this handout.)
3. Type Your Planning.
4. Set up your document in APA format.
5. Write an essay that meets the requirements on this essay handout.
6. Take the image that you found (that represents one of the main ideas explored in your poem/song/rap) and paste it near your body paragraph D.)
7. Add an APA-formatted Reference page.
Assignment Requirements:
Title Page
Introduction Paragraph: Begin your paragraph with an introductory device. For this essay, the introductory device must be a quote from a relevant and informative online reading. Be sure to set up the quote with a few of your own words, add quotation marks and an in-text citation, and also include some quote analysis. End the introduction paragraph with a thesis statement that mentions the name and author of the poem/song/rap, audience, figurative language, and theme.
Body Paragraph A: Start this paragraph with a topic sentence that includes a transition and that mentions the name of the poem/song/rap and intended audience. Then add supporting sentences. Your supporting sentences should include a relevant quote from one of your online sources, an in-text citation, and some quote and audience analysis. End with a closing sentence that includes a transition and that mentions the main idea of the paragraph.
Body Paragraph B: Start this paragraph with a topic sentence that includes a transition and that mentions the name of the poem/song/rap and irony. Then add supporting sentences. Your supporting sentences should include a relevant quote from one of your online sources, an in-text citation, and some quote and irony analysis. End with a closing sentence that includes a transition and that mentions the main idea of the paragraph.
Body Paragraph C: Do the same thing as body paragraph B but instead focus on another type of figurative language.
Body Paragraph D: Find an image that represents at least one of the main ideas explored in your poem/song/rap. Then write a visual analysis paragraph. Start this paragraph with a topic sentence that includes a transition and that mentions the name of the poem/song/rap and visual representation (or a synonym). Then add supporting sentences. Your supporting sentences should include a relevant visual analysis quote from one of your online sources. Your supporting sentences should also include an in-text citation and some quote and visual analysis. End with a closing sentence that includes a transition and that mentions the main idea of the paragraph.
Conclusion Paragraph: Begin your paragraph with a sentence that has a transition. (Do not use In conclusion.) Add a concluding device. For this essay, the concluding device must be a quote from a relevant and informative online reading. Be sure to set up the quote with a few of your own words, add quotation marks and an in-text citation, and also include some quote analysis. Then summarize the main ideas of the essay while paying special attention to the theme of the poem/song/rap.
Image & Link
Reference Page
Assignment Reminders:
Submission: Turn in your assignment via the Brightspace Assignment folder on _______.
4 Sources: 1 poem/song/rap + 2 online sources + 1 image (All sources must pass the CRAP Test.)
Format: Use APA 7 format for the entire assignment.
Title: Include an original title (not Essay #1 or English Essay.)
Thesis: Compose a thesis statement in response to the assignment requirements/prompt.
Length: Make sure your essay is at least 800 words (not including the title page and reference page).
Tone: The tone of this essay should be informative and reflective.
Audience: Your audience is your instructor and other members of the class, representative of an adult, educated, academic audience. However, for clarity purposes, you will still need to spend some time summarizing key ideas, defining any terms that might be unfamiliar, and incorporating short quotes/paraphrases to help your reader get a sense of the argument.
Sample Planning
Thesis Statement: In her song Nightmare, Halsey reaches out to survivors of domestic violence by using irony and metaphor, urging them to be strong and refuse to be silenced.
Topic Sentence A: Because Halsey’s Nightmare song touches on the issue of domestic violence, it is no surprise that
one intended audience is a primarily female fanbase.
Topic Sentence B: Interestingly, this talented singer and songwriter has found a way to incorporate irony into the
Nightmare song and use it as a tool to explore the controversial topic of domestic violence.
Topic Sentence C: In Nightmare, metaphors are also used to grab the listeners’ attention and get them to take some
time to really think about this troubling and pervasive issue.
Topic Sentence D: One image that encapsulates some of the major themes in this song can be found on the _______ website.