English 1302.158 Extra Credit! Fifty points possible Due Wednesday, December 2 1. Explain why some author or poet is your favorite so far. Ten points possible. 2. Explain why it is important to write a research essay mostly in your own words. Ten points possible. 3. Explain why it is unusual for a poet (such as John Keats) to achieve greatness by the age of twenty-three. Ten points possible. 4. William Wordsworth defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling” which “takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” How would you define “poetry”? Ten points possible. 5. Please indicate how literary works should be identified in a research essay. Write “I” for italics, and write “Q” for quotation marks. Two points each. _____novel _____short story _____poem not of “epic” length _____book of literary criticism _____journal article containing literary criticism English 1302.158 Paper #4 Literary Analysis Due during the conference period on November 30 Length: approximately 500 words Format: MLA style For this assignment, you may work with the same topic you have chosen for your research essay due on 10/14, but you don’t have to. Please focus on the possibilities below (and the ones on Possibilities for the Research Essay handout). These are only suggestions. If you have a different idea, please share it with me. If it has merit, I’ll approve it. SOME POSSIBILITIES A. Describe how the circumstances of the life of an author or poet influenced the content of his or her literature. Such an essay should NOT include lengthy biography. You should mention biographical details only if you show how they are related to the literature. For example, you could write about how the emotions of a doomed John Keats are reflected in his poetry, or how the abandonment felt by Poe due to the loss he suffered in his life surfaces in his poetry and/or stories. B. Compare and contrast two or more literary artists’ approaches to a certain topic or theme (for example, their approach to aspects of war, poverty, racism, etc.). C. Describe how the poetry or fiction of an author or poet indicates his or her state of mind or psychological orientation (for example, how the poetry of Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath reflects a certain psychological disposition or orientation). D. Describe how the characteristics of a certain literary or historical movement or era are apparent in the work of an author or poet (for example, how the poetry of William Blake foreshadows the tendencies of the Romantic Age, how the poetry of John Keats directly reflects those tendencies, or how the poetry of Langston Hughes reflects the characteristics of expression during the “Harlem Renaissance”). E. Describe how the stories or poems of an author or poet coalesce to present a certain view of society or human nature (for example, how “The Lottery” reflects Shirley Jackson’s ideas abo ...

1. English 1302.158
Extra Credit!
Fifty points possible
Due Wednesday, December 2
1. Explain why some author or poet is your favorite so far. Ten
points possible.
2. Explain why it is important to write a research essay mostly
in your own words. Ten points possible.

2. 3. Explain why it is unusual for a poet (such as John Keats) to
achieve greatness by the age of twenty-three. Ten points
possible.
4. William Wordsworth defined poetry as “the spontaneous
overflow of powerful feeling”
which “takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.”
How would you define “poetry”? Ten points possible.

3. 5. Please indicate how literary works should be identified in a
research essay. Write “I” for italics, and write “Q” for quotation
marks. Two points each.
_____novel
_____short story
_____poem not of “epic” length
_____book of literary criticism
_____journal article containing literary criticism
English 1302.158
Paper #4
Literary Analysis
Due during the conference period on November 30
Length: approximately 500 words
Format: MLA style
For this assignment, you may work with the same topic
you have chosen for your research essay due on 10/14, but you
don’t have to. Please focus on the possibilities below (and the
ones on Possibilities for the Research Essay handout). These are
only suggestions. If you have a different idea, please share it

4. with me. If it has merit, I’ll approve it.
SOME POSSIBILITIES
A. Describe how the circumstances of the life of an author or
poet influenced the content of his or her literature. Such an
essay should NOT include lengthy biography. You should
mention biographical details only if you show how they are
related to the literature. For example, you could write about
how the emotions of a doomed John Keats are reflected in his
poetry, or how the abandonment felt by Poe due to the loss he
suffered in his life surfaces in his poetry and/or stories.
B. Compare and contrast two or more literary artists’
approaches to a certain topic or theme
(for example, their approach to aspects of war, poverty, racism,
etc.).
C. Describe how the poetry or fiction of an author or poet
indicates his or her state of mind or psychological orientation
(for example, how the poetry of Emily Dickinson or Sylvia
Plath reflects a certain psychological disposition or orientation).
D. Describe how the characteristics of a certain literary or
historical movement or era are apparent in the work of an author
or poet (for example, how the poetry of William Blake
foreshadows the tendencies of the Romantic Age, how the
poetry of John Keats directly reflects those tendencies, or how
the poetry of Langston Hughes reflects the characteristics of
expression during the “Harlem Renaissance”).
E. Describe how the stories or poems of an author or poet
coalesce to present a certain view of society or human nature
(for example, how “The Lottery” reflects Shirley Jackson’s
ideas about human nature or “civilization”).

5. THE DIFFERENCE
This assignment is different. The difference involves a
requirement to include one statement directly quoted from a
literary critic. Try to make sure that the statement fits the point
you are making. Introduce the statement with a signal phrase,
and identify the critical source on your Works Cited page in
proper MLA format. Except for the one statement from a
literary critic, the paper should be ENTIRELY IN YOUR OWN
WORDS.