ENG 205, “Poetry”
Spring 2009
Paper 1
5-6 pages
Drafts due Monday, February 23 (peer editing)
Essays due Friday, February 27
Write a short (5-6 pages) paper addressing one of the following topics. This paper should be a close
reading of a poem or grouping of poems, paying close attention to the use of language and form. It does
not require secondary research. You should rely solely on your observations to produce the reading. For
this paper, you may write about one of the following topics:
1. Examine how a poet uses a specific situation to comment on society.
2. Pick two or three poems that describe a similar “situation” (love, childhood, death, etc). Consider
how isolating the subject matter can be both useful and misleading. Identify the ways in which
the poems obey and depart from the conventions we anticipate in their choice of subject.
3. Consider how language is used to create tone in a single poem or pair of poems.
4. Compare and contrast two poems written in the first person. Examine how the poet conveys the
identity of his/her speaker. You may with to consider some of the following questions: What
details are revealed about him/her? What details are withheld? What is the self-image of the
speaker? How does the poet situate the speaker in a particular moment in history? How does the
poet play with language to reveal the speaker’s personality?
5. Examine a poem that reflects on a past experience. In what ways does the poet render that
experience visible to the reader? In what ways do we have to fill in gaps to connect with the
experience? How does the poet play with language and/or poetic form to gain perspective or
come to terms with the experience?
This paper is an exercise in close reading. You should do more than simply talk to me about the plot of
the poems. In other words, don’t simply tell me what external event the poet or poets are talking about.
Instead, you should provide an interpretation and—even more important—show how your interpretation
is built upon the specific features of the poem: its language, structure, typography, images, metaphors,
similes, allusions, etc. (If you look at the syllabus, you’ll see that we will be talking more about these
devices in the weeks to come.) Remember that what you are writing is essentially an argument, and you
want to be as persuasive as possible in composing your argument.
You need not talk about every aspect of the poem(s). Instead, you should focus on the details that will
best help you make your case. At the same time, you might find it rhetorically helpful to acknowledge
other potential understandings of the poem(s) and the subject matter or situation within them. I have often
found it helpful to begin a thesis statement with the word “Although” simply because it forces you to
engage in a rhetorical structure that acknowledges multiple viewpoints.
We will work in pairs on Monday, 23 February to edit the drafts. You will then turn both drafts (with
notes from the editing workshop) in to me on Friday.
Details
You do not need external sources. The assignment is short and you cannot effectively do a thorough
reading and integrate research in the allotted pages. You do need to appropriately cite your primary text
within the body of the paper using parenthetical citations, MLA style. I strongly encourage you to get a
draft ready to take to the Writing Center. The best strategy for improving your writing is to get another set
of eyes on the piece and to then, however painful it might seem, take some of that advice and make
substantive changes to what you have produced.
Your paper should have an introduction that is engaging and avoids being too general when you start. It
should contain a clear thesis statement (1-2 sentences) that indicates what the argument of your paper is.
A thesis is not just a topic, but rather presents a specific argument. A topic says, “Rita Dove’s poem
‘Daystar’ is about motherhood.” A thesis makes an argument about this topic. You might think about
your thesis starting with the topic as the sentence’s subject: “In writing about motherhood in ‘Daystar,’
Rita Dove suggests that…” Your paper’s conclusion should briefly summarize some—not all—of the
points of your paper and suggest avenues for further inquiry or how the argument you have made should
help us see the world differently. Your use of transitions should help the reader logically follow the
connections between paragraphs.
Grading
I will be focusing on a seven discreet things in grading: thesis, paragraphs, evidence, prose, introduction,
and formatting. What follows are questions you might ask yourself as you revise your paper.
1) Thesis: Is it an argument? Is it supported throughout? Is it too broad or too narrow? Is it more
than just a rephrasing of the writing prompt? Is it successfully demonstrated?
2) Paragraphs: Does each paragraph have a topic sentence somewhere? Does the evidence within the
paragraph relate to this topic sentence? Do you effectively demonstrate what you are asserting
within the paragraph? Is the order of the paragraphs (i.e., the paper’s organization) logical?
3) Evidence: Do you support your claims with the text? Do you analyze the specific language of the
poem in a clear manner for the reader (A  B  C  D) without skipping steps? Do you pay
attention to more than just the plot details of the poem(s)? Are your quotations effectively
integrated in your text or do they just float?
4) Prose: Do you use varied sentence structure throughout your paper? Do you vary your use of
nouns and verbs, even when talking about the same thing? (Avoid Shift-F7ing though.) Do you
write in active (i.e., not passive) voice? Are there mechanical errors? Does your prose contribute
to your rhetorical argument by its effectiveness?
5) Introduction: Do you avoid beginning with an all-encompassing statement or generality? Do you
work logically toward your thesis statement? Is it engaging and makes the reader want to read
more? Does your introduction give the reader a sense of the topics that will be covered in the
paper?
6) Conclusion: Do you briefly summarize your argument and the evidence you present? Do you help
the reader make a connection between the paper and the world? Do you avoid straying too far
into generalities?
7) Formatting: Do you observe the nitpickery below?
Nitpickery (AKA Manuscript Formatting):
 Your paper must be in 12-point Times New Roman font.
 It must be double-spaced except for where you type your name and the date on the first page.
 It must have a title.
 The pages must be numbered and stapled.

Finally, the margins must be 1” on all sides.