Poetry Explication Essay Assignment
Prompt:
Write a 2 – 2 ½ page explication (analysis) of the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” by Robert Hayden or the poem “There Is No Word for Goodbye,” by Mary Tallmountain. Decide what you believe is a prominent conflict/theme of the poem and then explain how various elements (imagery, figures of speech, diction, sound devices, tone, etc.) develop and/or resolve the conflict or theme.
Process:
· Read the poem out loud to hear the sound devices and rhythm
· Fully annotate the poem – highlight interesting or important passages and write comments in the margins of the paper.
· Brainstorm your ideas: Free-writing, listing, mapping, reporter’s questions, etc.
· Create a rough outline
· Write a rough draft
· Edit, proofread
· Revise for final copy
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