Essay 1: Poems and Short Stories

Essay must be at least five pages long with one primary sources and four secondary sources. The maximum number of sources is two primary sources and seven secondary sources. Follow MLA format and be sure to have a Works Cited at the end of your paper.

Ideas for “The Raven” (Handout)

1. Pick at least three classical allusions in the poem and explain how the allusions tie into the theme of the poem.

2. Describe the narrator? Is he crazy? Why?

3. What is the purpose of the raven? How does the narrator view the raven? (Questions #2 and #3 can be combined if focus is on the narrator).

4. Open to another idea (perhaps define “love” in poem), but you must use the poem assigned. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Ideas for “Daddy” (262)

1. See “Writing About Issues” on pp. 279-280 and pick any of those topics, #2 through #4. Remember one primary source and at least four secondary sources.

2. Open to another idea (perhaps see page 265, “Thinking about the Text”), but you must use the poem assigned. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Ideas for “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (1249)

1. See “Writing about Issues” on pp. 1272-1273 and pick #1 or #4. Choices of #2 and #3 may be difficult to try to work in secondary sources, but if you have an idea, please come see me.

2. Open to another idea (perhaps see page 1262, “Thinking about the Text”), but you must use the story assigned. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Ideas for “A Rose for Emily” (667)

1. See “Thinking about the Text” on pp. 674-675. Choose #1, #3, #5 or #6.

2. Open to another idea (perhaps define “love” in the story), but you must use the story assigned. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Ideas for comparison of “Hills Like White Elephants” (523) and “The Love of My Life” (528)

1. Do the couples love each other? Describe their love. Is it realistic, selfish, or true? (This is a big topic, so you may want to just pick one story.)

2. See “Making Comparison” on p. 541 and choose #1 or #3. Remember to have at least one primary source and at least four secondary sources.

3. You may want to write on each story separately. For “Hills Like White Elephants,” see “Thing about the Text” on p. 528 and find a topic. For “The Love of My Life,” see “Thinking about the Text” on p. 541 and find a topic. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Ideas for “The Lottery” (837)

1. See “Writing about Issues” on p. 856 and pick #1, #3 or #4. Remember one primary source and at least four secondary sources.

2. Open to another idea, but you must use the story assigned. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Ideas for “Prufrock” (631)

1. Why is the poem a love song?

2. What’s wrong with Prufrock?

3. Open to another idea, but you must use the poem assigned. Please see me with your argument so that you may have approval. Must have approval first.

Broad Ideas

1. Define “love” or “hate” or “death” in one of the stories or poems. Remember to have one primary and four secondary sources.