ENG-2012
APPROACHES TO LITERATURE
Spring 2007
Instructor: Saba
PORTFOLIO CHECKLIST
PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW
Your portfolio will be a compilation of writing that you do during the semester.
The “checklist” will be updated periodically throughout the semester with descriptions of (and due dates
for) all of the required writing assignments.
Although the assignments will be announced and discussed in class, it is very important that you access
and review the “checklist” at least once a week, to insure that you are up-to-date with the required work.
Portfolio Grading Criteria
The criteria for grading the portfolio are: 1) completeness and professional presentation; 2) fulfilling the
instructions and guidelines for each assignment; 3) clear, well-developed, and meaningful writing.
It is crucial that all of the assignments are completed. Any missing (or substantially missing) assignments
will receive a pro-rated zero.
For example, if the final portfolio checklist consists of 15 assignments and two assignments are missing,
the final grade will be reduced by 6.5% for each missing assignment. In other words, if the evaluation of
the completed work comes out to a B (84.5), the final grade will be reduced by 13% as a result of the
missing work. That means that the final grade will be 71.5 or a C-.
Additional Guidelines and Suggestions

Present your portfolio in a pocket folder, with your name and course information on the cover.
Please do not use plastic page-protectors for individual pages.

It is extremely important that all portfolio assignments are presented in the correct,
chronological order and clearly labeled, with an assignment number and title or heading, as
required. Portfolios that are carelessly presented, with assignments out of order and/or
inadequately labeled will not receive a passing grade.

All assignments should be typed or computer-printed and conform to the formatting guidelines
in the syllabus, unless otherwise specified.

When it is time to submit your finished portfolio for review, remember to re-read everything
that you have written and write an Evaluation Statement (see details below). The statement
is an important assignment and will be a pro-rated part of the portfolio grade.
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
Completed portfolios will be due approximately three or four weeks before the end of the
semester. The exact due date will be given in class. Late portfolios will receive a 10% grade
reduction for each class-day late, up to one week after the due date.
No portfolios will be accepted more than a week after the due date.
Assignment List
1. Evaluation Statement (Due upon completion of the portfolio)
Your “Evaluation Statement” should consist of a meaningful review and evaluation of the whole
portfolio, along with a more specific discussion of what you consider to be your best pieces of
writing (two or three). Comment on the substance, insights and reader-relevance.
2. (Tue. Jan. 9) Statement about a Movie, Book, Story or Song
Write a statement about a movie, book, story or song that made a strong impression on you at
some point in your life. Specifically describe “artistic qualities,” themes, or characters (if
applicable) that had an impact on you and why. In what way are the qualities that impacted you
relevant to other people and their lives?
Length: 1 or 2 pages.
3. (Thurs. Jan. 11) Interpretation and Thematic Analysis of “Ain’t Talkin’”
After a careful reading of the song “Ain’t Talkin’” by Bob Dylan, write an interpretation that makes
a case for what you consider to be the song’s central theme and its relevance to an audience. Use
specific examples to support your points.
Length: 1 or 2 pages.
4. (Thurs. Jan. 18) Description of Some Artistic Issues Related to the Novel that You Are Reading
In general, good essays address relevant issues, questions and problems. Good essays about
literature are no different.
With this in mind, describe two or three issues (questions or problems) that you have identified
regarding the novel that you are reading – for example, issues related to themes, interpretation,
the actions and choices of characters, or the writer’s craft (i.e. style, use of humor, point of view,
plotting).
Explain why these issues are of interest to you, and why and how you think that they could lend
themselves to a meaningful, critical essay.
Length: 1 or 2 pages.
5. (Tue. Jan. 23) Proposal for a Critical Essay on a Novel
Write a professionally-formatted proposal for your critical essay assignment.
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Make sure to title your proposal so that the novel is identified (e.g. Proposal for a Critical Essay on
Nabokov’s Lolita).
The proposal should include the following sections & headings:
a) The Main Issue that you will explore. b) The Viewpoint or Thesis that you intend to support. c)
The Relevance of the Essay. Elaborate on what you see as the relevance of your essay –
specifically, why you think the issue is interesting and important, and how you foresee supporting
your viewpoint/thesis.
Note that your proposal needs to be approved before you proceed to write the essay. An essay
submitted without prior approval will not be accepted or receive credit.
The essay should be analytical and interpretive – i.e. based on your reading of the novel, not on
secondary research. Details about organizing the essay will be covered in class.
Make two copies of your proposal—one to turn in, the other to put in your portfolio.
Length: one or two pages.
6. (Tue. Jan. 23) Who’s Who in Kenneth Rexroth’s “Thou Shalt Not Kill”
“Thou Shalt Not Kill” is in some ways a very “personal” poem. Although most readers will be able
to identify and respond to a central theme, Rexroth does mention many names in the poem that
most readers will not know of or recognize (e.g. Elinor Wylie, Bodenheim, Weinstock, Moloch,
Vanzetti, etc., etc.).
Choose three names (preferably from parts of the poem that intrigue you) and do some Internet
research on them (or library research if you prefer).
Describe what you find out about each, then elaborate on how and why the information is relevant
to the poem, and supports, expands or perhaps changes your initial interpretation.
Length: approximately 2 pages.
7. (Thurs. Feb. 15) Comparative Thematic Analysis - Story and Poem
Read the story “A & P” by John Updike (399), the poem “A Supermarket in California” by Allen
Ginsberg (197).
Identify what you think is the main theme of each work (support your points with specific
examples). Then write a comparative analysis discussing to what extent the two works are
thematically similar (if at all) and thematically different.
Length: approximately 2 pages.
8. (Tue. Feb. 20) Comparative Thematic Analysis – Poem, Song and Painting
Read “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Elliot (147), the song “Mr. Tambourine Man”
by Bob Dylan (posted under “Song Lyrics” on the class web site), and examine the painting titled
“The Love Song” by the British painter Edward Burne-Jones (posted under “Selected Paintings”
on the class web site).
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(To enhance your examination of the painting, do some light, background research on BurneJones and the “Pre-Raphaelites” - e.g. at http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/praf/hd_praf.htm ).
Write a comparative, thematic analysis that 1) identifies what you think is the main theme of each
work (support your points with specific examples), then 2) discusses to what extent the poem, the
song and the painting convey similar or parallel themes despite the differences in genres and the
eras in which they were produced.
Length: 2 pages or more.
9. (Thurs. Feb. 22) Commentary on Three War Poems
Read the following poems about war: “Dulce et Decorum Est” (155), “Do Not Weep, Maiden, War
Is Kind” (130) and “Bomber Flight” (posted under “Selected Poems” on the class web site).
Write a commentary that identifies and describes differences in the writers’ views and in their
methods of getting their points across (e.g. irony, persuasion, invective, etc.).
Which of the three poems makes the most effective statement in your view? Elaborate on the
reason for your choice.
Length: 1 or 2 pages.
10. (Thurs. Feb. 22) Commentary on Walter Pater and Kandinsky’s “Composition 8”
In his study of the Renaissance, the English essayist and critic, Walter Pater (1939 – 1894),
referred to music as the “consummate art” and argued that “all art constantly aspires towards the
condition of music.”
Write a short commentary elaborating on what you think is the reasoning behind Pater’s
statements, then go to the Guggenheim Museum web site, “Arts Curriculum Online,” and look at
the painting titled “Composition 8” by Vasily Kandinsky (click the +-mark under the painting to
enlarge it) at:
http://www.guggenheim.org/artscurriculum/lessons/collections_kandinsky.php)
Using your response to Pater as a point of departure, answer questions 1, 3, 4 & 6 under “View +
Discuss.”
Length: approximately 2 pages.
11. (Tue. Feb. 27) Comparative Thematic Analysis – A Short Story and Two Poems
Make a case for a thematic connection (not necessarily the “main” theme) between the following
three works: the short story, “Sonny’s Blues” (304), the poems “Ode on a Grecian Urn” (80) and
“Kubla Khan” (61).
Length: 1 or 2 pages.
12. (Tue. March 6) Love and Romantic Complications - Comparative Analysis of Three Short Stories
Read the following three stories that deal with the theme of love and romantic complications –
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“Hills Like White Elephants” (253), “Araby” (140) and “The Lady and the Dog” (66).
Write a comparative analysis that identifies the view of love that each story conveys and what the
stories say about the role of love in people’s lives.
Length: approximately 2 pages.
13. (Tue. March 12) Meanings of Love – Three Classic Poems
Read the poems “Dover Beach” (111), “Annabel Lee” (84) and “To His Coy Mistress” (24), then
write a comparative analysis patterned on the assignment above – i.e. identify the view of love that
each poem conveys and what the poems say about the role of love in people’s lives.
Length: approximately 2 pages.
14. (Thurs. March 14) Two Short Stories: A Comparative Commentary
Read the stories “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (354) and “The Metamorphosis” (146),
then write a commentary that compares the views of human nature and humanity that the two
stories project.
Length: 1 or 2 pages.
First Essay Revision - Final Portfolio Assignment (Optional)
This assignment should be submitted as the final assignment in your portfolio but it will receive a
separate grade.
To complete the assignment and qualify for a higher grade on your first essay, you will need to do
three things:
1) Write a “Revision Statement” that includes a self-evaluation of the original version of the essay
(i.e. its strengths and weaknesses) and an overview of needed changes and improvements.
2) Revise the original essay and include the revised (i.e. “new and improved”) version after the
“Revision Statement.”
3) Attach the original, graded essay to the back of your revision for comparison.
Please note that the revision statement and the original essay must be included or the original
grade will remain the same.
Also, note that revising the essay will not automatically result in a higher grade. Your revision must
improve the readability and substance of the essay. Otherwise, the grade will remain unchanged.
Final Portfolio Reminders:
 The Portfolio is due on or before Thursday March 29. Portfolios must be submitted directly to
the instructor (i.e. not placed in a faculty mail box, under the office door, etc.).
 Keep copies of all of your portfolio assignments until the portfolio is returned to you with a
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grade.
 Remember to write your “Evaluation Statement” (described on page one) before submitting
the portfolio. Put the Evaluation Statement at the beginning of the portfolio.
 Make sure that your portfolio is complete (a pro-rated penalty will be applied for missing
assignments, as described on the first page of the checklist).
 Present your portfolio in a two-pocket folder, with your name and course information on the
cover (do not use plastic page-protectors for individual pages).
 Make sure that the assignments are presented in correct, chronological order and clearly
labeled, with an assignment number and title or heading, as required. Portfolios that are
carelessly presented, with assignments out of order and/or inadequately labeled will not
receive a passing grade.
 If you are submitting a revision of the first essay, make sure that you carefully read and follow
the guidelines described above. Revisions submitted without a “revision statement” or the
original, graded essay will not be considered for a higher grade.
 Late portfolios will receive a 10% grade reduction for each class-day late. Portfolios more than
a week late will not be accepted, and will receive a grade of zero.