English 2202 / Summer 2006

Essay Assignment

So far this summer, we have been studying the literary genres of poetry and drama. In addition to studying the more "technical" aspects of poetry and drama, we have also tried to stop occasionally to simply appreciate and enjoy the literature. Now, it's time to put a bit of a creative spin on things and to think about poetry and drama in a different way -- which, hopefully, might also enable us to continue to appreciate and enjoy the literature in a different way.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "poetic"? For example, "She was very poetic in her speech last night," or "That was very poetic of him." And, what comes to mind when you hear the word "dramatic"? For example, "She is a very dramatic person," or "He shouldn't be so dramatic all the time." In addition to forming your own definitions of these words, consider the following definitions from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th edition, 2004):

"Poetic":

"Dramatic":

Writing Assignment:

Using these ideas, write an essay in which you either:

Obviously, for this essay, you are going to need to be creative as well as analytical. And, there might be two ways to begin thinking about this assignment.

1.) You might take a very literal approach to the assignment. For example, you might analyze the play we read and look for some of the elements of poetry that we discussed: rhyme, rhythm, diction, metaphor, simile, imagery, etc. Or, you might analyze some of the poems we read and look for some of the elements of drama that we discussed: speakers, situations, dialogue, plot structure, props, staging, etc.

2.) You might take a more creative (or figurative?) approach to the assignment. For example, you might look at the play and ask yourself, What makes this play "poetic"? What things about this play are "poetic"? How are the words, or the messages, or the characters, or the situations "poetic"? Or, you might look at some of your favorite poems and ask yourself, What makes these poems "dramatic"? How are these poems "dramatic"? How are the speakers, or the situations, or the words, or the messages "dramatic"?

How to Prepare:

1.) Decide whether you are going to concentrate on the poetry or the play.

2.) Read or skim through the text(s) again, looking for things that you consider "poetic" or "dramatic." You might want to think about what these words mean to you before you begin this step, but keep an open mind: you might change or modify or expand or restrict your definition as you go through the text(s).

3.) Make a list, using page numbers (and possibly line numbers, if it's poetry), of those things in the text(s) that you consider to be "poetic" or "dramatic." Perhaps add your own commentary at this point about what makes each item "poetic" or "dramatic."

4.) Review your list and try to put similar/related ideas together. Form groups. These groups can then form the main ideas or the main sections of your essay.

What to Avoid:

In terms of structuring your essay, avoid examining one poem at a time and explaining what makes each poem "dramatic." For example, avoid this structure:

Likewise, avoid going through the play from beginning to end and explaining what makes different parts of the play "poetic." For example, avoid this structure:

Yes, these structures will be the first that your brain suggests to you because they are "easy" and the "path of least resistance." But, while they are very straightforward and easy to follow, they are also somewhat boring and do not encourage "higher levels of thought." They stay almost at the summary/comprehension levels instead of moving to the more complex levels of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. And these are where papers become interesting, ESPECIALLY if you can make CONNECTIONS that we did not discuss in class and that other people might not have thought of.

Creating Connections / Main Ideas:

Try to come up with some "main ideas" (or "connections") that you have about things that are "poetic" or "dramatic," and then organize your essay around these main ideas, using the poems or the play (or parts of the poems or the play) as evidence or support for your main ideas. You then move back-and-forth throughout your essay between your examples (quotations or summaries of the texts) and your explanations of your own ideas.

For example, perhaps you think that something that is "dramatic" has a very noticeable tone (a somber tone, an emphatic tone, an excited tone, etc.). So, tone would be one of your main ideas. Next, you would examine the poems we read and pick those which you feel have a "dramatic tone" to them. Then, you would develop this part of your essay (one or more paragraphs) by alternating between explanations of what makes a dramatic tone and giving examples from various poems that illustrate different aspects or kinds of dramatic tone. And, another main idea might be the example I gave in class: you decide that anything having to do with death is dramatic. And so on. Such an organization might look like this:

I.) Introduction

II.) Background - definitions, etc. (optional)

III.) Dramatic Tones

IV.) The Drama of Death

?.) etc.

?.) Conclusion

Similarly, suppose you think that something that is "poetic" is very melodious (i.e., "pleasant sounding; tuneful"). So, melodious would be one of your main ideas. Next, you would examine the play we read and pick those parts or lines which you feel have a very "melodious" sound to them. Then, you develop this part of your essay (one or more paragraphs) by alternating between explanations of what makes something melodious and giving examples of various parts or lines from the play that illustrate the idea of being melodious. Another example of a main idea might be that of "poetic truth." (Hopefully, you have the idea by now.)

Due Dates:

Hand in with your final draft:

Format of the final draft:

Your final draft will be graded on:

Any questions?