American Songs Comparison and Contrast (1900-1940)
Word Limit: No Limit
Due: Thursday 2/16 – 10pm
Form: Analytical Essay (You are expected to quote, cite, and not use the word “I.”)
Counts for both classes! (10 marked by Maguire; 10 marked by Mounkhall)
In joint classes, we have listened to and participated in presentations of 19 different American songs
among the following five genres:
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Blues – Jazz -- Folk/Spirituals – Classical -- Soundtrack
"Your job is to compare and contrast two songs that were not part of your group's presentation,
choosing the following categories that best suit your chosen pair of documents:
-
Apparent meaning (what do the lyrics or music seem to say?)
Actual meaning (what layers of meaning exist beyond the apparent meaning?)
Historical context (when and where was each written and/or performed?)
Rhetoric of lyrics (how did the writer of the lyrics use words, stanzas, symbols to communicate
meaning?)
Rhetoric of music (how did the writer of the music use melody, tempo, instrumentation, dynamics or
rhythm to communicate meaning?)
Purpose (why was each written?)
Success factor (to what extent did each song achieve its purpose?)
You may do outside research for this assignment. If you do, you need to include a bibliography and properly
cite all information. You do not have to do outside research for this assignment, as the main focus of the
assignment is the list above, most of which can be determined from the songs and the presentations
themselves.
You should be quoting from both songs – cite them correctly also. If you chose a song without lyrics, then
you will not be “quoting” per se, but you should, nonetheless, be explaining specific musical examples and
what they mean.
Remember, this assignment is not meant to be a general assessment of each song – that would earn, at
highest, a grade at the C level. Instead, you are expected to take a side as to whether these songs are more
similar or more different and then to support that idea with clear quoted examples from each text.
All of the presented songs are up on Mounkhall’s schoolwires from the original assignment, except in a few
cases where students chose different songs. Those links have been added to schoolwires under the “added
songs” title.
Structure:
Title: Should be catchy and clever and relevant and should be at the top of the file
Introduction:
-
Opening: works off the title and turns the reader’s attention toward the topic at hand. (2-3 sentences)
Background information – list the two songs, their dates, writers, performers and purposes. (2-3
sentences)
Transition into the thesis. (one sentence)
Thesis – must take a side, must have ideas in it, must not have examples in it and must be provable
using the text of the documents. Try one of the following…


“Although song a (use the actual name in italics) and song b (use the actual name in italics)
seem similar because of idea one, they are actually more different because of idea two and
idea three.”
“Although song a (use the actual name in italics) and song b (use the actual name in italics)
seem different because of idea one, they are actually more similar because of idea two and
idea three.”
Concession: (one paragraph)
-
This paragraph should argue for the side that you believe in less, but should still be substantial. For
example, the concession should have at least one quote from each song in it.
A topic sentence should connect the idea from the thesis with specific examples from the text.
Specific, properly cited quotes should be included as proof.
Analysis of these quotes should pay attention to apparent meaning, actual meaning, historical
context, rhetoric of lyrics, rhetoric of music, purpose and success factor.
A transition between paragraphs that show how the concession is less important for your argument
than your assertion is necessary.
Assertion: (as many as paragraphs as you need to make your point persuasively)
-
These paragraphs should argue for the side that you believe in more. They should be more
persuasive than the concession, at least twice as long and well documented and developed.
A topic sentence should connect the idea from the thesis with specific examples from the text.
Specific, properly cited quotes should be included as proof.
Analysis of these quotes should pay attention to apparent meaning, actual meaning, historical
context, rhetoric of lyrics, rhetoric of music, purpose and success factor.
Transitions between paragraphs that show how the various paragraphs within the assertion are
related are necessary.
Conclusion:
- Should recap the main points in a few sentences.
- Should connect to another artifact we have studied this year. This artifact does not need to be one of
the other songs from the list, although it could be. You could use any of the poems, songs, books,
documents or paintings we have studied this year in this part of the essay.
- Be sure to make the connection to this other artifact a developed one.
Rubric
How well does this essay’s title set up the essay?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay express meaning through its word choices?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay express meaning through its sentence structures?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay express meaning through its paragraph structures?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay express meaning through its transitions?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay’s introduction set up the thesis?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well developed is this essay’s thesis?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay’s concession develop the lesser side?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay’s assertion develop the greater side?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay use specific quotes from each song?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay’s develop those quotes?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay’s conclusion develop a connection?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay persuade?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
How well does this essay use appropriate Standard Written English?
Well
somewhat well
needs more attention
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