John Donne Comparative Essay
This is a summary of the ideas we have discussed in class about the essay. The essay
should use the five-paragraph essay form. You must develop a theme that encompasses
the four Donne poems “Song,” “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” “Meditation 17,”
and “Death Be Not Proud.” Select three rhetorical devices that are present in the poems
that help to express the theme. Provide examples from each work that support the theme.
Provide commentary on how the rhetorical devices are used.
The first paragraph should include your thesis statement, theme, author name, and titles
to which you refer as well as the rhetorical devices you will explore.
The first body paragraph should include one rhetorical device and an application to all of
the poems. It should also include commentary about how the rhetorical device helps to
reflect the theme.
The second paragraph should include another rhetorical device and an application to the
four poems. It should also include commentary about how the rhetorical device helps to
convey the theme.
The third paragraph should include the third rhetorical device and follow the same outline
as the second and third paragraphs.
The last paragraph is your conclusion. Avoid repetition of the first paragraph.