Essays (college papers)
“a. A short literary composition on a
single subject, usually presenting the
personal view of the author.
b.Something resembling such a
composition: a photojournalistic essay.”
(from http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=essay )
Academic essays are usually structured around
thesis (or hypothesis) statements, which provide
the reader with an exact statement regarding what
will specifically be covered in the essay and how
(in what order) that will be covered.
Thesis
Every college essay ought to be
guided by its thesis.
The main point you are trying to prove,
explain, attack, or defend.
Provides a specific blueprint for what
your paper will cover.
Addresses the assignment’s
requirements.
Is contained in one sentence.
Your Assignment
Explain what (the theme, the
message) is and how you know that
theme (how the poem communicates
its meaning). You should discuss how
at least one of the elements the
writer uses in the piece is essential to
the communication of the poem’s
theme
Thesis Requirements
Poem’s Identifying Information
“Title”
Poet’s full name
Theme
Moral or lesson that can be applied to reader’s
own life
Elements
Speaker and situation
Sound
Syntax
Style: Tone, Diction, Imagery, etc.
Structure
By Element Highly Recommended
Introduction with thesis
Body: Paragraph for each element, in order of
their listing in the thesis
Conclusion
By Stanza
Introduction with thesis
Body: Paragraph for each stanza, covering the
elements listed in your thesis in the order
Conclusion
Citing Poetry
Where to Include Citations
Generally, put a citation at the place
where a pause would naturally occur, as
near as possible to the cited material—
usually at the end of a sentence, line,
clause, or phrase before the final
punctuation. If identifying the poet in the
text, then give only line number(s) in the
parentheses after the quotation marks.
Short Citations
Cite poetry by the line (and section)
number.
You can cite up to three lines this way,
with quotation marks, as long as you
separate the lines with a slash mark ( / )
with a space on each side.
Shakespeare concludes with the line "I
never writ, nor no man ever loved"(14).
Emily Dickinson explains that "God made
a little gentian; / It tried to be a rose / And
failed, and all the summer laughed" (
"XLVIII" 1-3).
Long Citations
To cite a longer
section of poetry,
start your quotation
on a new line,
indenting each line
two tab spaces, ten
spaces, or an inch.
As when quoting
long sections of
prose, you do not
add quotation
marks:
Emily Dickinson's poem, "XLVI," plays on
seasonal symbolism, as its speaker seeks
to determine the time of year:
It can't be summer,—that got through;
It's early yet for spring;
There's that long town of white to cross
Before the blackbirds sing.
It can't be dying,—it's too rouge,—
The dead shall go in white.
So sunset shuts my question down
With clasps of chrysolite. (1-8)
Work Cited
Don’t forget to cite your poem, per the
Stylebook’s explanation
Other MLA Formatting Concerns
Use 1” margins
Header should be placed to print at
½”
Header contains your last name and
page number at right margin
Left justified
12 point, Times New Roman font
Double-space throughout