Stop All the Clocks

Module 5: Poetry Reflective Essay Topics Instructions: Choose one of the 6 poems you have studied and, using one of the topics below, write a two-page essay. Address every point in the directions and use textual evidence from the literature to support your points. In poetry, that means quoting phrases or words from within lines and citing the lines correctly. Before planning and drafting your essay, refer to the reflective essay instructions and grading criteria on pages 5-7 of our syllabus. Also, remember you may not write this essay as a text-submission (i.e. you may not type your response into this box). You must type your essay as a Word document, use Save As, browse your computer (below), and attach the document for submission. Choice 1: Write a Poetry Explication (for poems 10 lines or shorter) Start your introduction by naming the title and author of the poem and by talking about the subject of the poem. Perhaps you could briefly discuss the title and identify the speaker and/or tone. (You don’t need a thesis statement.) Then begin the body of the paper which should be a line by line analysis. Don’t simply summarize what each line “says”; discuss the techniques the poet is using and what ideas and feelings these techniques help the poet convey. You will be talking about things like imagery, denotations and connotations of words, figures of speech (such as similes, metaphors, personification or hyperbole), symbols, irony or humor (if they exist), and sound effects. For each point, you make, refer to and quote individual words or phrases within the lines of the poem to help you illustrate and explain your idea. In conclusion, summarize points and give an explanation of the theme of the poem. Choice 2: Write a Poetry Analysis (for poems longer than 10 lines) Start your introduction by naming the title and author of the poem and by talking about the subject of the poem. Perhaps you could also briefly analyze the title, the speaker, and the tone. Also, include a thesis statement that forecasts the aspect(s) of the poem you are analyzing. (imagery? symbolism? figures of speech? sound effects? irony?) The body paragraphs of the essay will support the thesis. Your paragraphs can be organized in several different ways. For instance, you could have a paragraph on figures of speech, a paragraph on visual imagery, and a paragraph on denotation and connotation of words. Or, if your poem has several stanzas, you could organize the body of the essay on a stanza by stanza basis. Regardless of how you organize, remember, you are not merely talking about what each line “says”; you’re explaining what techniques the poet is using and what meanings and feelings these techniques help to convey. For each point, you make, refer to, and quote individual words and phrases within the lines of the poem to help you illustrate and explain your ideas. In conclusion summarize your points and give an explanation of the theme of the poem