Thesis Statement: Your
thesis statement includes the
title and author of your poem,
the theme of the poem, and the
primary way in which this theme
is developed.
Theamatic Statements:
• These are often one word concepts found
in Poetry For Students.
• You need to take the theamatic concept
and assign meaning to it.
• EX:
• Death
• Sanity vs Insanity
• Independence
Examples:
Example: In Emily Dickinson’s poem, “I could not stop for death,”
the theme of death being inescapable is illustrated through the
use of personification.
Example: In the poem by Robert Todd, “Firefly Moon” the theme
that a person may become insane when faced with death is slowly
developed through the use of repetition, and inverted syntax
structure.
Example: The theme of desiring independence and struggling
against authority is displayed through the use of figurative
language in Shell Silversteins’ poem, “To pick a pint or a pickle?”
Checklist
1.Name of poem
2.Name of author
3.Theme of poem
4. Way the theme is developed- This is what you
will be talking about in most of your paper.
• Examples of the way a theme is developed:
style, literary devices (personification, allusions,
metaphors) sentence structure, imagery, word
choice (syntax), ect.
Now write
your thesis
for your poem
in ONE
sentence.
1.Name of poem
2.Name of author
3.Theme of poem
4. Way the theme is developed
The Outline
1. Introduction
2. Author Biography- This is information about
the author that connects to the poem or theme in
the poem.
3. Your analysis of the poem- This is what you
think about the poem with direct quotes from the
poem.
4. The critics analysis of the poem- This is a
paragraph about what the critic believes about
your poem with your commentary
5. The Conclusion
The Outline
Write a topic sentence for the three “body” paragraphs.
2. Author Biography- This is information about the author that connects to
the poem or theme in the poem.
Sample: Emily Dickinson’s experience with death and her desire for
seclusion influenced the dark satirical nature of her poems.
3. Your analysis of the poem- This is what you think about the poem with
direct quotes from the poem.
(Use your thesis’ literary device you mentioned.)
Sample: The poem, “I Could Not Stop for Death” is primarily
focused on personifying death in order to explain the necessity in
accepting ones own fate.
4. The critics analysis of the poem- This is a paragraph about what the
critic believes about your poem with your commentary.
Sample: Mary Kelley, a renowned critic, believes that this
acceptance of death is noted in the personification of death, but she
also notes there is an underlying tone of satire.
The Outline
• Now try it on your own.
• You may need to get your T-notes out in
order to help you.
• Remember that the topic sentence must
be a little piece of your thesis.
• In order words, your thesis explains the
whole paper, but your topic sentences are
much more specific.