Critical Analysis Paper—Poetry
Due Date: 1/7/09 at 8:10 AM
Poems Studied:
B “the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls” by e.e.
cummings
B “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot
B “The Rights of Woman” by Anna Barbauld
B “I Wrung My Hands” by Anna Akhmatova
Writing Task:
Compose a 2+-page analysis of one of the poems, showing off the knowledge you have gleaned about poetry in the
last few weeks. (See the back of this sheet for a possible outline.)
General Info:
Total Point Value = 175
points
Ms. HB’s email addresses
= howak001@hartfordschools.org or k8howard@aol.com
GRADING RUBRIC
|
FCA 1: Format
" Double-spaced or skipped lines
" Computer generated: <= 12 point, Arial, Comic Sans, or Times New Roman, margins <= 1.25”,
no extra spaces between paragraph
" Heading including name, due date, period, title of paper |
10% (18
points) |
|
FCA 2: Content
" Length >= 2 pages
" Introduction contains thesis (underlined), reasons (bracketed), reference to literary work & author’s
name (wavy line underneath)
" Quotations are relevant and connected to thesis
" >=3 quotations from literary work (numbered)
" MLA Citation—in-text notation & Works Cited Page
" Conclusion is different from introduction, containing reminders of thesis and reasons, and a “final
thought”
" Five of
the 18 literary terms included in essay (starred)
" Three Word
Bank words included in essay (circled) |
60% (100
points) |
|
FCA 3: Required Convention Knowledge
" No fragment sentences
" Women/woman
" It’s/its
" Your/You’re
" Apostrophes |
20% (35
points; each error = 10 point deduction) |
|
CAPT Competencies
" Initial Understanding
" Interpretation
" Connection
" Critical Stance |
10% (18
points) |
A possible
order of paragraphs may flow like this:
I. Introduction (your overall opinion about the poem—THESIS)
II. Dramatic
situation
a. Who is speaking? (point of view)
b. To whom is the speaker speaking?
c. What is the situation in the poem?
d. What is the speaker’s tone?
e. Where/When is the poem set? (setting)
III. Imagery
(an example or two & their purpose in the poem)
IV. Theme(s)
(explanation & example)
V. Diction
(word choice—why were certain words used—what impact might they have on the reader?)
VI. Syntax
(line structure)
a. length of lines
b. unusual lines
VII. Use
of Figurative Language and/or Literary Elements (choose only 2-3 to talk about)
a. foreshadowing
b. mood
c. allusion
d. apostrophe
e. hyperbole
f. irony
g. juxtaposition
h. metaphor/simile
i. rhetorical question
j. synecdoche
k. understatement
VIII.
Conclusion
Adapted from http://library.thinkquest.org/23846/writing_guide/poetry.html
