The document provides detailed instructions for writing a poetry essay, including requirements for a 750-word analysis of a selected poem from a specified list. Students must submit a thesis statement and outline by the fourth week for feedback, followed by the final essay submission in week five, adhering to MLA, APA, or Turabian formatting styles. The grading rubric outlines evaluation criteria such as development, organization, grammar, and adherence to formatting guidelines.

1. Poetry Essay Instructions
In preparation for the Poetry Essay and by completing your
textbook readings, you will be equipped to objectively respond
by compiling information from a variety of sources to compose
a paper that allows you to write a persuasive analysis of a
literary work; follow standard usage in English grammar and
sentence structure; identify the theme and structure of each
literary selection as well as the significant characteristics or
elements of each genre studied; and evaluate the literary merit
of a work (Syllabus MLOs: A, B, C, D, F, G and Module 5 LOs:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
In Module/Week 5, you will write a 750-word (3–4 pages) essay
that analyzes 1 poem from the Poetry Unit. Before you begin
writing the essay, carefully read the guidelines for developing
your paper topic that are given below. Review the Poetry Essay
Grading Rubric to see how your submission will be graded.
Gather all of your information, plan the direction of your essay,
and organize your ideas by developing a 1-page thesis statement
and outline for your essay as you did for your Fiction Essay.
Format the thesis statement and the outline in a single Microsoft
Word document using current MLA, APA, or Turabian style
(whichever corresponds to your degree program).
You are required to submit the thesis and outline by 11:59 p.m.
(ET) on Monday of Module/Week 4 for instructor feedback.
The Poetry Essay is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of
Module/Week 5 and must include, a title page (see the General
Writing Requirements), a thesis/outline page, and the essay
itself followed by a works cited/references/bibliography page of
any primary and/or secondary texts cited in the essay.
Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic
Chapter 41 of the Kennedy and Gioia textbook (Chapter 43, pp.

2. 1132–1142 in the eText) provides some helpful pointers for
reading poems, taking notes, brainstorming, developing a
clearly-defined thesis statement, preparing an outline, writing a
cogent literary analysis of a poem, and citing your sources. This
chapter specifically addresses Robert Frost’s “Design,” which is
studied in this course, so be sure to read it before doing any
further work for this assignment. Also, take notice of the
example of a poetry thesis and outline on pp. 1344–1345 (pp.
1135–1136 in the eText).
Choose 1 of the poems from the list below to address in your
essay:
The Lamb” or “The Tiger” or “The Chimney Sweeper” by
William Blake;
“Batter my heart, three-personed God” or “Death Be Not Proud”
by John Donne (watch the video lecture on
John Donne’s “Batter my heart, three-personed God”
for more ideas to help you write your essay on this poem);
“Journey of the Magi” by T. S. Eliot;
“God’s Grandeur” or “Pied Beauty” or “Spring” by Gerard
Manley Hopkins;
“Ode on a Grecian Urn” or “Ode to a Nightingale” by John
Keats;
“Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley;
“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning (watch the video
lecture on
Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess”
for more ideas to help you write your essay on this poem);
“Sailing to Byzantium” by William Butler Yeats;
“The Road Not Taken” or “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening” by Robert Frost;
“It Sifts from Leaden Sieves” or “There’s No Frigate Like A
Book” by Emily Dickinson (Read
Gilbert and Gubar’s “The Freedom of Emily Dickinson”
for more ideas to help you write your essay on Dickinson’s
poetry);

3. “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson; and
“That Time of Year” (Sonnet 73) by William Shakespeare
(watch the video lecture on
William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73”
for more ideas to help you write your essay on this poem).
Consider the following questions for the poem that you have
chosen:
What is or are the theme(s) of the poem?
Is there a literal setting or situation in the poem? What lines
from the poem tell the reader this information? What details
does the author include?
Is the setting symbolic?
How would you describe the mood of the poem? What elements
contribute to this mood?
Is the title significant to the poem’s content or meaning? How?
What major literary devices and figures of speech does the poet
use to communicate the theme(s)?
How are rhyme and other metrical devices used in the poem? Do
they support the poem’s overall meaning? Why or why not?
Is the identity of the poem’s narrator clear? How would you
describe this person? What information, if any, does the author
provide about him or her?
Does the narrator seem to have a certain opinion of or attitude
about the poem’s subject matter? How can you tell?
NOTE: These questions are a means of getting your thoughts in
order when you are collecting information for your essay. You
do not need to include the answers to all of these questions in
your essay; only include those answers that directly support
your thesis statement.
Poetry Essay Grading Rubric
Criteria

4. Levels of Achievement
Excellent/Good
Fair/Competent
Deficient
Points Earned
Development
(CCLO #2)
39 to 45 points
·
Major points are stated clearly and are well-supported.
·
Content is persuasive and comprehensive.
·
Content and purpose of the writing is clear.
·
Thesis has a strong claim.
·
Audience is clear and appropriate for the topic.
·
Supportive information (if required) is strong and addresses
writing focus.
31 to 38 points
·
Major points are addressed by clarity or support is limited.
·
Content is somewhat persuasive or comprehensive.
·

5. Content is inconsistent (lack of clear purpose and/or clarity).
·
Thesis could be stronger.
·
Supportive information (if required) needs strengthening or
does not address writing focus.
0 to 30 points
·
Major points are unclear and/or insufficiently supported.
·
Content is missing essentials.
·
Content has unsatisfactory purpose, focus, and clarity.
·
Supportive information (if required) is missing.
Organization and Structure
(CCLO #1)
39 to 45 points
·
Writing is well-structured, clear, and easy-to-follow.
·
Introduction is compelling and forecasts the topic and thesis.
·
Each paragraph is unified and has a clear central idea.
·

6. Transitional wording is present throughout the writing.
·
Conclusion is a logical end to the writing.
31 to 38 points
·
Adequately organized with some areas difficult to follow.
·
Introduction needs to provide a stronger gateway into the
writing.
·
Some paragraphs lack unity and coherence.
·
Better transitions are needed to provide fluency of ideas.
·
Conclusion is trite or barely serves its purpose.
0 to 30 points
·
Organization and structure detract from the writer’s message.
·
Introduction and/or conclusion is/are incomplete or missing.
·
Paragraphs are not unified (more than 1 topic/missing or
inadequate controlling and concluding sentences).
·
Transitions are missing.
·

7. Conclusion, if present, fails to serve its purpose.
Criteria
Levels of Achievement
Excellent/Good
Fair/Competent
Deficient
Points Earned
Grammar and Diction
(CCLO #1, #3)
39 to 45 points
·
The writing reflects grammar, punctuation, and spelling
standards.
·
Language is accurate, appropriate, and effective.
·
The writing’s tone is appropriate and highly effective.
31 to 38 points
·
The writing contains some grammar, punctuation, and/or
spelling errors.
·
Language is unclear, awkward, or inappropriate in parts.
·
The writing’s tone is generally appropriate and moderately
effective.

8. 0 to 30 points
·
The writing contains many grammar, punctuation, and/or
spelling errors.
·
Language use is largely inaccurate or inappropriate.
·
The writing’s tone is ineffective and/or inappropriate.
Format: Current MLA/APA/ Turabian Paper Requirements
(CCLO #6)
11 to 15 points
·
Writing correctly follows formatting guidelines.
·
Parenthetical and bibliographical source citations are used
correctly and appropriately.
5 to 10 points
·
Writing follows most formatting guidelines, but some flaws are
detected.
·
Parenthetical and bibliographical source citations are
incorrectly formatted or used.
0 to 4 points
·
Writing lacks many elements of correct formatting.
·

9. Parenthetical and bibliographical source citations and/or
references are not provided.
Total
/150
Instructor’s Comments: