Essay 2 must be no less than 1800 words in length, double-spaced,
and in Times New Roman 11 pt. font. Avoid unnecessary white space (including between
paragraphs) and/or padding. There is no need to begin with your name or mine, the
course name/number, the date, etc. Begin simply with a title, followed immediately
by your opening paragraph. Failure to adhere to these length and formatting
requirements will result automatically in a grade of zero for the assignment. No
exceptions. The essay is due by the date and time specified in the course [Schedule](../283/283schedule.html). No exceptions. Submit the essay
as an attachment using [EduCat](https://educat.nmu.edu/). The file name should consist simply of your last name followed by
the number 1, all lower case letters and no spaces. For example, if your name is
Letitia Hildegard Smith, the file should be simply smith1.docx.
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.
Prompts
Choose one of the following.
- 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](http://rhetoric.byu.edu/).
- Examine the convergence of religious and secular
concerns in Donne’s love poems and devotional verse. Are these
concerns conflicting, complementary, or both?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- Milton’s purpose in
Paradise Lost is to construct a theodicy, to “justify the
ways of God to men” (1.26). Does he succeed?
- 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”](http://faculty.fairfield.edu/repstein/apology.pdf) which, though not officially on the course syllabus, is
highly relevant to Paradise Lost.)
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.