For your analytical essay on a poem by Elizabeth Bishop, you can choose any poem, whether we have covered it or not. By Friday, October 16th at 6 pm, please send by e-mail a double-spaced Word document. Please label your document with your last name first; ie. Cleghorn Analysis. Don’t forget to include your name at the top of your essay too. A separate title page is not required. Please use APA style documentation with in-text citations and reference. You will have only one primary source for this essay. Do not use secondary sources. We will include research in your second essay of the course, which will be due in week 10. The analytical essay notes below are a shorter version of the week 3 lecture notes.
Essay Preparation
1. Choose a poem that interests you
2. Ask a focused question (not too general) about that poem
3. Begin to answer that question in a sentence – this could be your thesis statement
4. Decide on your thesis statement
5. Ask yourself why or how that thesis works in your analysis of the poem. This method or reasoning can work as support for your thesis in introduction
Thesis and Outline
Write down your topic (include author and poem) and thesis. Put support below in point form. Make an outline with topic sentences for each body paragraph in support of your thesis. Then include sub-points (evidence) below each topic sentence. Evidence should come from the text with either quotations or paraphrase of useful examples from a poem
