Essay 3 Guidelines

EGL 102 ESSAY #3

Write a 500 word (two typed pages) essay comparing and contrasting two of the poems we have read this semester. These are the poems you can choose from to compare and contrast: 1. My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Rothke; 2. My father in the Navy by Judith Ortiz Cofer; 3. Those Winter Sunday's by Robert Hayden; 4. Photograph of my Father in his 22nd year; 5. Suicide Note

All of the poems focus on relationships between parent and child. You can choose two poems that express similar or different points of view about the parent child relationship.

Use specific evidence/quotes from the poems to back up your judgment. Note page number in parentheses at the end of a quote. Your essay will consist of at least five paragraphs: an introduction, three or more body paragraphs and a conclusion.

Some tips:

∙
The intro paragraph should focus on the subject of parent/child relationships. Your thesis, at the end of your intro will focus on what the poems say about the subject. Do not say something like "there are differences and similarities between the two poems" for your thesis.

∙The body paragraphs need to be arranged either point by point (speaker/speaker, situation/situation, images-theme/images-theme) or subject by subject (write about one poem entirely and then the other). Do not organize paragraphs around similarities and differences. Make sure your topic sentences relate/develop your thesis and that you only focus on one main point per paragraph.

∙Use transitions when you move from one poem to another.

∙Don't forget the "so what" factor in your conclusion.

∙Do not write "I am going to write about..." or "I think." Avoid "I" anywhere in the essay.

∙Keep verbs in present tense.

∙Try to vary your sentence length and style.

∙PROOFREAD for grammatical errors.