English 10 Online
Summer 2014
Response 1 – Poetry Analysis
Texts Needed
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Hughes’ “Theme from English B”
Hughes’ “I Too Sing America”
Hughes’ “Dinner Guest Me”
Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”
Okita’s “In Response to Executive Order 9066”
Walker’s “For My People”
Two poems of your choosing that fit our theme
Handouts Needed
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“Analyzing Poetry”
“MLA Sample”
Links Needed
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http://www.nku.edu/~rkdrury/poetryexplication.html
http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/2005/types-communication/academic-writing/analyzing-poetry/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Assignment
Poetry is a logical choice for people experiencing struggles of inequality to express themselves and
reach a wide range of audiences. Consider poetic devices used in the texts this unit. I DO NOT want a
summary of each of the poems—I have read them, surprisingly enough. I want to know how they work.
How are the moods similar and different? Why do some of the authors use rhyme, while others don’t?
Who are the intended audiences? What more information would you like to know regarding the
background or meaning behind each poem? How does each poem fit into our theme—into what category
of inequality? Produce a well-organized essay in which these and other questions are answered thoughtfully
and logically.
Still confused?
1. Inequality is your main theme. Don't lose sight of it.
2. Choose no more than four poems.
3. Compare what they say and how they say it.
4. Show the kinds of words the authors use--analyze them like you did in your grammar assignment.
5. Pull it all together with a claim about how your specific poems contribute to the inequality/equality
discourse.
Requirements
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No more than one line quoted per work
In-text citations for quotations
Works Cited
Double-spaced, 12 pt TNR
Clear thesis
4 pages of content
Grading
Each response is worth ten points. An overreliance on summary will be an automatic C.
Formatting errors will result in a B. Good content but lack of organization will result in an A-.