EN283: Essay 2

1. General Instructions

• Your essay must begin with a clear thesis. This thesis must be an opinion, something requiring an argument. If the thesis is merely factual, it is not a thesis. Ask yourself, “Can my thesis be refuted? Can it be doubted? Is it possible to imagine a contrary point of view?” If the answer is “no,” then the thesis is not a thesis. Discovering and refining a good thesis is not possible by writing a single draft, so be sure to schedule time to revise your paper. Several drafts might be necessary.
• You must state your thesis clearly and build a sustained argument supported by evidence from the readings. This evidence should be selected judiciously. Do not fill your essay with many references or quotations; a pertinent few will suffice. As a rule, the analysis preceding and/or following a quotation should be at least as long as the quotation itself. In short, dedicate as much space as possible to your argument, quoting only enough evidence as is necessary to support it.
• There is no need to consult secondary sources. The central task here is for you to grapple with and analyze the readings in light of some particular problem or issue. References to specific passages should be clear and simple. For example, if you quote lines 23-25 from Act 3, Scene 2 of a play, follow the quotation with (3.2.23-25). There is no need to write “Shakespeare” or “King Lear” or the words “Act,” “Scene,” and “Lines.” Keep it simple; do not fill space with padding. If the passage is from a poem, simply cite the line number(s).
• Do not refer to yourself. Phrases such as “I think” or “I believe” are totally unnecessary and should be avoided. Also, be sure to use the literary present tense. For example, do not write, “Cordelia said to Lear"; write, “Cordelia says to Lear.” What happens in a work of literature happens in the present—every time we see or read it. Do not think of it as taking place in the past. Finally, be sure to edit your final draft carefully. Essays riddled with spelling and/or grammar errors will receive a grade of F.

2. Prompts

1. Analyze and compare sonnets or other lyric poems by at least two writers. You may focus on some combination of thematic content (meaning) and form (the material aspects of the poem). Formal features might include structure (stanzaic arrangement, the relationship between rhyme scheme and syntax); figures or sound effects such as meter, rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, caesura, enjambment, repetition (e.g., anaphora and anadiplosis); tropes or conceits (imagery and metaphor). Do not merely list examples. Rather, be selective in choosing which of these features to include, for your analysis should be organized around a thesis, an argument about some significant difference or similarity. For clarification of poetic terms, consult the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics and/or visit Sylva Rhetoricæ.
2. Examine the convergence of religious and secular concerns in Donne’s love poems and devotional verse. Are these concerns conflicting, complementary, or both?
3. Compare Donne’s love poetry to that of Mary Wroth. Do not merely list similarities and/or differences without organizing your observations around some specific thesis.
4. With reference to “Penshurst” and at least two epigrams, discuss Jonson’s attitude toward the social ideals and practices of his day. Be sure to devise a thesis that somehow connects the short poems to the longer.
5. Compare Jonson’s “Penshurst” to Lanyer’s “Description of Cooke-ham.” How are their concerns similar, how do they differ, and why do the differences matter?
6. Milton’s purpose in Paradise Lost is to construct a theodicy, to “justify the ways of God to men” (1.26). Does he succeed?
7. According to biblical tradition, Eve is primarily to blame for the Fall. As St. Paul writes, “Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not seduced, but the woman being seduced, was in the transgression” (1 Tim. 2:13). In what ways, and to what extent, does Milton’s Eve complicate this conventional understanding of her character? (If you wish, consult Aemilia Lanyer’s “Eve’s Apology” which, though not officially on the course syllabus, is highly relevant to Paradise Lost.)
8. Compare Pope’s handling of heroic convention and allusion in The Rape of the Lock with that of Beowulf and/or Paradise Lost. To what extent and in what sense does Pope share his predecessors’ heroic values?
9. A central feature of satire is an incongruous gap between the lofty and the trivial—between implied heroic action and tone, and the actual characters and circumstances in which heroic qualities are invested. Compare the effect of this combination in Chaucer’s Nun’s Priest’s Tale and Pope’s Rape of the Lock.
10. Compare Shakespeare’s and/or Milton’s handling of female characters with Behn’s in The Rover. Do not automatically assume that their gender determines the authors’ sympathies (or lack thereof). You may well conclude that Behn is more sympathetic toward women than is Shakespeare or Milton, but either way be sure that your argument is based on evidence from the readings.
11. Even though it concludes with the pairing-off of characters in marriage, as is typical of comedies, The Rover remains in some respects a deeply disturbing and unsettling play. Discuss the ways in which Aphra Behn’s comedic vision complicates her society’s apparent social values.
12. Formulate some other topic or problem, based either on something from the class discussions, or something addressed neither there nor in any of the prompts above. Another option is to alter one of the prompts. Consult with me first if you plan to do this.