Declaration of Independence

Task You have two choices for this essay: Revisit the poem you wrote about and perform a close reading, using your passage(s) from the Declaration of Independence as a lens. In other words, How does the poem relate to the values and beliefs expressed by Jefferson and his crew? Typically, a close reading works through the poem from beginning to end, pausing at words, lines, or stanzas to explore an overarching theme in detail rather than try to take on the whole thing. OR Revisit the short story you wrote about for this unit and perform a close reading, using your passage(s) from the Declaration of Independence as a lens. In other words, how does the short relate to the the values and beliefs expressed by Jefferson and his crew? Typically, a close reading of a short story focuses on a theme and examines how the author uses character, setting, plot, and/or literary devices to support that theme. Suggestions Your introduction should prepare your reader for the overall topic of your essay and fully introduce the poem or short story and author. Your thesis should make an argument about how the theme of the poem or short story reflects or rejects the idea(s) you focused on in your analysis of The Declaration of Independence. Note: you do not necessarily have to name the Declaration in your thesis or intro: the focus should be on the shared theme. The body of your essay should use specific evidence (quote, paraphrase, summary) from the poem/short story to support your claim. You can also use the Declaration as a primary source, of course, but you don’t have to quote from it directly. Go back to your posts and review what you and your classmates discussed. Use any of the words or ideas you have already written about — they are yours, so it’s not plagiarism!! Do not quote any of your peers directly unless you have reached out to them (via Pronto or the Canvas Mailbox) to get permission. If something a classmate said in our discussion lit a spark for you, it’s okay to take that idea and run with it, but you should credit them in the body of your paper, as in “A comment made by Isabel Anderson got me thinking about…” or something like that. You don’t need to list them in your Works Cited. Take a look at this Guide to Close Reading for tips on how to really dig into the poem or short story. You may want to use the conclusion to talk about how you/we benefit from access to the Literature in this unit OR how this theme/topic fits into your/our experience of the world today. Requirements Typed 3-5 pages, Times New Roman, 12-pt font, double spaced. In-text/parenthetical citations and Work(s) Cited Don’t forget to include an original title which leads your reader into your essay. No outside research on the poem or story!! Exception: you can look up words or the author’s background but be sure to cite properly Evaluation An introduction that prepares your reader for your thesis, including the author, title, and a BRIEF overview of the poem or short story. A clearly stated thesis Sufficient and relevant evidence directly from the poem Well-organized paragraphs which combine your ideas and the poet’s Careful analysis of evidence using the techniques and vocabulary covered in this unit Mechanics (sentence boundaries, spelling, grammar) MLA formatting and citation, including a Work Cited page (see sample, below) MLA guide for formatting MLA guide for quoting Poems to choose from: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper “Songs for the People” Sojourner Truth “Ain’t I a Woman?” Phyllis Wheatley “To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth” George Moses Horton “On Liberty and Slavery” Short Story option: Harper, Frances Ellen Watkins. “Two Offers.” Works Cited (separate page at the end of your paper; copy/paste whichever text(s) you use in your essay; use the last name of the author, not my name) Harper, Frances Ellen Watkins. “Songs for the People.” Rpt. In English 002 Class Reader. Isabel Anderson. Solano Community College. Print. pp (use page numbers from the reader, not on the original text) Harper, Frances Ellen Watkins. “Two Offers.” Rpt. In English 002 Class Reader. Isabel Anderson. Solano Community College. Print. pp Horton, George Moses “On Liberty and Slavery.” Isabel Anderson. Solano Community College. Print. pp ____ Jefferson, Thomas, et al. “The Declaration of Independence.” Rpt. In English 002 Class Reader. Isabel Anderson. Solano Community College. Print. pp Truth, Sojourner . “Ain’t I a Woman?” Rpt. In English 002 Class Reader. Isabel Anderson. Solano Community College. Print. pp Wheatley , Phyllis. “To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth.” Isabel Anderson. Solano Community College. Print. pp