Fat sick and nearly dead essay

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English 1B – Course Reader – Spring 2019 Course Syllabus 2 A Sample Formatting Page 6 Formatting Requirements 7 Plagiarism Policy 7 Revision Process 8 Sample Process Letter 9

Essay One (Poetry Explication) – Length 3-5 pages (50 pts.) Page “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost (You Cannot Write About this Poem) 10 “Fire and Ice by Robert Frost” (You Cannot Write About this Poem) 10 Essay Prompt 11 “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins 12 “The Snow Man” by Wallace Stevens 12 “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost 13 “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost 13 “Quai d’Orleans” by Elizabeth Bishop 14 “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop 15 “Blackberry Picking” by Seamus Heaney 17 “Blackberry Eating” by Galway Kinnell 17 “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver 18 “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver 18 “To Autumn” by John Keats 19 Some General Rules for Writing a Poetry Explication 20 “Traveling through the Dark” by William Stafford (You Cannot Write About this Poem) 23 A Sample Poetry Explication #1 24 A Sample Poetry Explication #2 26

Essay Two (Macbeth Soliloquies) – Length 5-7 pages (100 pts.) Page Essay Prompt 28 Macbeth Notes 31 “Macbeth: The Torture of the Mind” by Bernard Mc Elroy 34 “Lecture IX: Macbeth” by A. C. Bradley 47 “Lecture X: Macbeth” by A. C. Bradley 59

Essay Three (Short Stories Essay) – Length 5-7 pages (100 pts.) Page Essay Prompt 72 “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 73 “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe 75 “Araby” by James Joyce 78 “Pee on Water” by Rachel B. Glasser 81

Essay Four (As I Lay Dying Essay) -- Length 8-10 pages (200 pts.) Page Essay Prompt 85 List of Characters in the Book (A Who’s Who) 86 Vocabulary for As I Lay Dying 87 Some Literary Terms relevant to this Course 97

MLA Documentation Page CITING SOURCES IN-TEXT - Contextualizing Sources 100 THE MECHANICS OF IN-TEXT CITATIONS 104 Citing Sources in Your Essay as You Move Between Different Sources 107 Punctuation When Using Quotation Marks 108 Italicizing Sources versus using “Quotation Marks” 108 Formatting a Works Cited Page 109

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English 1B (CRN 34718) — Spring 2019 Wednesday Evenings 6:10 pm – 9 pm (Art 217)

Instructor: Nathan Wirth | Phone: 415.239.3199 (best to use email) | Email: nwirth@ccsf.edu | Office: Art 213

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 5 pm to 6 pm and By Appointment Prerequisite for the course: ENGL 1A or ENG 96 / 1A

Class Website: http://ccsf.instructure.com

Important Dates Last Day to Drop: Feb 1 | Last Day to Withdraw: Apr 11 | Final Exam Date: May 22

Holidays (No Class Meetings): March 27 Required Texts & Materials A Reliable Internet connection for Canvas Course Reader (Download for free from Canvas and Print and Bring to Each and Every Class Meeting) Other Course Materials available on Canvas As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (not available at the bookstore) Macbeth (The Bedford Edition) by William Shakespeare (not available at the bookstore) Links to buy both books are available on Canvas Major Learning Outcomes

• Outcome 1: Compose coherent expository and argumentative essays about literary texts. • Outcome 2: Synthesize critical reading, academic research, and cultural contexts in writing about

literature. • Outcome 3: Analyze and evaluate literature by means of close textual reading, identifying central themes

and key literary elements. • Outcome 4: Distinguish between literal and figurative language and assess how these figures of speech

help generate themes. Course Description During the semester we will be exploring a novel, a variety of poems, a play, and several short stories – all of which some of you might, at first, find bewildering and difficult – but as you carefully read through the material at home and discuss it in groups and in class, the thin veils of mystery will fall and you will be face to face with writers who are tuned in to various veins of the human experience. As we carefully consider these works, we will also discuss the what, the why, and the how of writing about literature academically. In addition, we will also consider (a) responding to critical sources, (b) citing sources, and (c) various stylistic approaches to constructing sentences. After you have completed this course, you will (a) understand the various genres of literature, (b) be able to read them carefully (c) draw inferences from them (d) be able to assess critical responses and (e) cultivate and craft your own responses. By this time I expect you to already know how to organize a sentence, a paragraph and an essay, so I will not be covering such writing issues extensively in this class. If you still need extensive help/work with these issues then you will need to spend some extra time working in the writing lab this semester. I am available to help during office hours as well. Logging into Canvas • Log into Canvas from MyCCSF: https://www.ccsf.edu/en/myccsf.html • Username: Your CCSF ID (example W12345678, @12345678, or D12345678) • Password: Your RAMID password In order to take this class, you must have reliable access to the Internet. All homework-related assignments and essays must be uploaded to Canvas, so if you do not have access to the site, you will not be able to submit your work. You must download and print the course reader, which contains all of the assignments and handouts for the semester, by the second class meeting. You are required to bring the course reader to every class. It can be found on Canvas

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Essays/Written Work/Assignments/ Formatting Requirements: The formatting requirements for your essays are explained, very clearly, in the course reader. Make sure that you review them each time before you submit an essay to Canvas. Failure to follow the correct formatting guidelines will result in me not reading your essay until you have fixed them. If this happens, your essay will be considered late and, as a result, cannot be revised, will receive no comments, and will be graded when I am able to get to it. Process Letters: For each formal essay, you are required to include a brief letter that outlines the difficulties and successes you experienced while working on your essay. Your letter should be a short reflection (a) about your experience writing your essay. What did you struggle with? What problems did you encounter? How did you overcome them? What do you feel satisfied about? Any concerns that you want me to address when I read your essay? The pedagogy behind this is to allow each student the opportunity to actually think about his / her writing process and to reflect on what each student does or does not do when writing. You can find a sample in the course reader. Revisions: You have the option to rewrite the first two essays (unless you receive an A). For your rewrite, you must include a detailed analysis of the changes that you made (e.g. what was the mistake? what did you do to change it?). Each rewrite, if done well, can earn up to a full grade; however, in order to earn that many points, your rewrite must be significantly improved and include detailed notes about the changes you made. Rewrites and error logs must be typed. Specific details are available in the course reader and will be discussed in class.

 If your first two essays do not meet the standards and requirements for a passing essay, then you will not receive a grade until you have addressed the necessary issues. You will have to meet me during an office hour to discuss strategies for fixing those issues. Failure to rewrite the essay within three weeks after I return the essay will result in a failing grade for that essay (which means that you will not be able to pass the course).

Plagiarism: Here is the official CCSF policy on plagiarism: "Plagiarism is defined as the unauthorized use of the language and thought of another author and representing them as your own." Plagiarism is a violation of the rules of student conduct, and discipline may include, but is not limited to," a failing grade in an assignment, test, or class in proven cases of cheating or plagiarism or other academic dishonesty.”

 My official policy is that you will receive a failing grade for the assignment (0 points for the assignment). At my discretion, I sometimes offer a plagiarizer the opportunity to rewrite the essay for an F with points (e.g. 55/100). If you should plagiarize a second time, then you will receive a failing grade for the essay and, as a result, for the class.

 My official thoughts about Plagiarism: I feel that plagiarizing is exceptionally lame. Why bother going to school if you have no intention of doing your own work? If you are stressed out about your writing, just come talk to me and we can discuss your situation.

Staying on Task: It is essential that you read the essay and assignment prompts carefully. Any essays that do not follow what the prompt specifically asks for will be returned ungraded. I will read them after you revise them, but they will be considered late. That said— the essays are designed to allow you the opportunity to develop exactly how you wish to address the questions posed, so you can still express your individuality. Late Work: I will accept late essays. If your essay is late, I will provide no comments and return it at my convenience (which might take a while). You are NOT allowed to rewrite late essays. All late essays must be turned in no later than two weeks after the due date. Requirements for Passing the Class: All of the essays must be completed with a passing grade or you cannot pass the course. No exceptions. Help: I will gladly comment on thesis statements, outlines, or a paragraph or two from your essays via email or during office appointments-- but not on entire essays. Make sure that you have specific questions about specific things before you email me or come to an office appointment. Quizzes: Reading quizzes for novel and play.

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Bring the course reader to each and every class. Check the course schedule on Canvas before each class to see what we will be covering and make sure that you bring the necessary materials to class (and to see when to bring your copies of Macbeth and As I Lay Dying). Attendance/Participation/Class Discussion Attendance: Let me make this as obvious as possible. Your presence is important both to me and for your success in the course. If you have made vacation plans, have work obligations, can’t attend the final class, and/or have no intention of showing up regularly, then I would not recommend taking this course. Even if you find me and/or the material boring, you still have to come to class; however, if that is how you feel, I would strongly recommend that you find a teacher and/or class more to your liking and schedule.

• For a night class you are allowed one unexcused absence (no questions asked and no consequences for that absence), but I reserve the right to reduce your participation grade by five points for each subsequent absence. Please note that this is not an invitation to miss a class.

• If you miss three or more classes in a row before the final withdrawal date -- and do not contact me to let me know if you are still in the class— I will drop/withdraw you from the course.

• If you miss a total of five class meetings before the final withdrawal date — I will drop/withdraw you from the course. There comes a point when you are just not really taking the course-- and this, as far as I am concerned, is pretty much when you have arrived at that point.

• You are expected to arrive to class on time and to bring the proper materials (course reader, assignments ... check Canvas for details). If you are late then YOU have to let me know, or you will remain marked absent. Three "lates / tardies" equal one absence.

• Please note that if you miss a class, you are still responsible for all material/assignments covered in class. • I recommend that you exchange email addresses with at least a couple of students so that you can keep

up with anything you might miss in class. Though I will be as helpful as I can, do not rely on me to keep you up to date. I will not respond to emails that ask me what was covered in class. Check Canvas for the latest schedule / due dates / required reading, etc. EVERYTHING is there.

• If life deals one of those many unfortunate situations that we all dread but have to deal with, and, as a result, you have to be absent for a few classes, then please have the courtesy to let me know. I will drop or withdraw you from the class if I have not heard from you after two weeks. Don’t just vanish! Keep in touch and let me know what is going on.

Participation Grade: I base your participation grade on attendance, class participation, and completing the lab work (25 pts). Most students, when attendance is good, receive 21 or 22 points. To get more points you need to participate in discussions. Talking during class while others are speaking (whether it be me or your fellow classmates) will result in a reduced participation grade as well. Class Discussion: This class is built around a lot of class discussion and interaction; therefore, it is important that you take part in class discussions—which means that you must put your best effort towards reading the material and thinking about it. Consistent lack of participation will result in a lower participation score. General Class Rules Eating & Drinking in Class: Official school rules prohibit eating in class, so if you spill something, clean up after yourself. Smart Phones & Laptops in Class: I am beginning to accept that some students use their smart phones to access information during class, but I am not entirely convinced yet. Let me say this: if you are far more interested in your smart phone than the class, you should seriously ask yourself why you are bothering to take this course. Do not disrupt the class. If you do, I will ask you to leave and then mark you absent.

• You are adults and I expect you to act responsibly/accordingly. • DO NOT TALK TO YOUR FELLOW CLASSMATES DURING LECTURES OR CLASS DISCUSSIONS! • Do not sleep or do homework during class. If you feel the class is boring and/or stupid, I encourage you to

drop the course and find one that is more interesting to you.

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Other Concerns  Email Addresses: Make sure that you check the email the school has provided you. You can forward your

school email to your regular email account (and that way you won’t miss anything the school sends you). This is the email that I am provided and my only way of contacting you. All mail related to Canvas is delivered to your school email as well.

 This class is rated “R.” From time to time strong language and discussion of adult themes and situations may occur. If these kinds of things offend you, you should consider taking a different course.

 Accommodations: If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have any other special needs, please give me your DSPS form or make an appointment with me as soon as possible. Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) is located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library, phone (415) 452 5481

Grade Breakdown (subject to change)

Essays = 70% Essay 1 Poetry Explication 3-5 pages 50 pts.

Essay 2 Macbeth 5-7 pages 100 pts Essay 3 Short Stories 5-7 pages 100 pts

Essay 4 As I Lay Dying 8-10 pages 200 pts

Other Stuff = 20% Quizzes (Various pts. – Check Canvas for dates)

In-class Essay 25 pts

Participation= 10% Attendance & Participation = 25 pts

Poetry Presentation

The Complete and Detailed Schedule for the Class Is on Canvas.

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William Fitzgerald A Sample Formatting Page

English 1B Times New Roman / 12 pt. Font

Poetry Explication Double Spaced / No Large Gaps Between Paragraphs

“My Only Swerving”: An Explication of William Stafford’s “Traveling Through the Dark”

In his blank verse poem “Traveling through the Dark,” William Stafford writes about a

traveler who, while driving at night, encounters a pregnant deer which has been killed by a passing

car. He faces a difficult choice— should he (a) leave the dead deer on the side of the road or (b) roll

her over the edge? — two choices that will result in the unborn fawn dying. The opening stanza sets

this scene as if the poem is a simple story, the speaker telling us he came upon a dead deer while

driving at night on Wilson River Road (which is in rural Oregon, where Stafford lived most of his

adult life). The name of the road, and the reference to the canyon, clearly indicates that the road

follows the same path as a river down below. This is an important detail because this is how he will

be able to move the deer so that others do not have to suddenly swerve to get out of the carcass’s

way and, as result, possibly die themselves:

It is usually best to roll them into the canyon: example of a blockquote

that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead (3-4).

The matter of fact tone of “usually best” suggests he has had many similar experiences before (and,

after all, hitting a deer at night out in the country is not an uncommon occurrence). The road is

narrow, so there would be little room for swerving out of the way and not much time to stop (one

might even imagine that the poet himself had to stop suddenly). No large gaps between Paragraphs!

The fact he has taken the time to stop in the middle of the night— especially when he was

not the one who had hit the deer— reflects a sense of responsibility. This responsibility is further

reflected by his decision to have pulled the car in front of the dead animal and then turned down his

lights (later indicated in line 13: the “car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights). He observes the

scene by the “glow of the tail-light” (5) after he has “stumbled back of the car” (5) likely because it

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Formatting Requirements If you don't follow the proper formatting, I will ask you to revise the essay and fix the formatting errors. Your paper will then be considered late. It is essential that you meet the minimum required page limit. If you do not, then points will be deducted from your essay. You are always welcome to write more than the minimum. Here are the basic requirements for all essays (including the Multitasking Letter). • Double space • Times New Roman 12pt Font • 1-inch margins all around • Pages must be numbered. • No Large Gaps Between Paragraphs • Include your name at the top of the page (you may also include the course, assignment, and date) • Include a title. • Underline your thesis statement (Note: There is no formal thesis for the Multitasking Letter) • Include a works cited page

Plagiarism Here is the official CCSF policy on plagiarism: "Plagiarism is defined as the unauthorized use of the language and thought of another author and representing them as your own." Plagiarism is a violation of the rules of student conduct, and discipline may include, but is not limited to," a failing grade in an assignment, test, or class in proven cases of cheating or plagiarism or other academic dishonesty." My official policy is that you will receive a failing grade for the assignment (0 points for the assignment). If you should plagiarize a second time, then you will receive a failing grade for the class.

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Revision Process This exercise in revision is not just a process of fixing the corrections or responding to the comments I made. Treat this as a revision of the essay as a whole. Think about how you can improve or tighten up your points/writing. In other words, this is a revision of the whole essay. As you revise your essay keep notes about the changes you have made to your essay. I need to know why you make any and all of your changes. Note: Because Mr. Wirth marked it/told me to is not an acceptable reason. If I asked you a question or commented about something you wrote, I expect you to address what I said and tell me how and why you fixed it. I want to know what your reasoning is for every change you make. I also expect you to look for other areas to revise and improve. After you print your newly revised draft, use a pencil or pen and explain what you changed. Please write directly on the essay in the area where you made the change. Underline / circle the section you have changed in your revised essay and then explain the nature of the problem, how you fixed it, and why your fix has taken care of the problem. The amount of points you are awarded will be based on how detailed your explanations are. If you are going to only make minor changes and / or spend no time explaining this, then do not bother revising the essay. The amount of points that you are rewarded will reflect the quality of your rewrite and how detailed your explanations are. If you do not explain the changes you made, then you will receive no points. If you only explain a few changes, then you will receive very little points. In general, most students, if they complete the assignment correctly, increase their grade anywhere from a half grade (C+ to a B- / B+ to A-) to a full grade (C+ to B+). Please Note  If you received an A- or better, then you cannot rewrite the essay.  Only the first two essays can be revised.  If you receive a NG / Rewrite Required. Disregard this process. You have to meet with me in person so that we can discuss your rewrite.  If you do not follow these requirements, I will not read your revised essay. If I am not requiring you to rewrite / revise your essay, then don’t bother with this unless you really want

to rewrite your essay and learn something from the process. Anything less will receive no points.

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Process Letter For each take-home essay (including the Multitasking Letter), you must include a brief letter that outlines the difficulties and successes you experienced while working on your essay. Your letter should be a short reflection (at least three paragraphs) about your experience writing your essay. What did you struggle with? What problems did you encounter? How did you overcome them? What do you feel satisfied about? Any concerns that you want me to address when I read your essay? If you do not include your letter, then I reserve the option to reduce your overall essay score by up to five points. Please make the letter the first page of your upload (process letter + essay). Please keep in mind that the process letter does not count as one of the required pages.

SAMPLE PROCESS LETTER (for Essay One)

Dear Nathan,

Overall, I feel like I understand the task and completed it well; however, I struggled with my introduction and

my conclusion. I know that they are supposed to be like the bookends of the essay and tie together my overall

points/thesis, but I don’t feel like I fully introduce my essay and I am not certain if the introduction relates to my thesis.

I wish I had taken more time with it. I feel confident about my body paragraphs. I worked very hard on trying to write

good transitions between paragraphs and I think most of them are very effective, but I also think a few of them are a

bit too formulaic. I have a good understanding of the poems, but I think I struggled at times with finding the best ways

to word that understanding—particularly my explication of “Desert Places.” I fear that I might not have evenly

balanced my discussions of the poems, giving much less time to “Desert Places” than I gave to the other two Frost

poems.

I wish I had taken a little more time to revise the essay. I feel good about the writing overall, but I know that I

could have cleaned up and better focused some of the sentences. I’d greatly appreciate it if you would comment on

the conclusion and let me know if you think I successfully tied together all the elements of my body paragraphs and my

thesis. I also fear that I may not have actually come to a conclusion about how all three poems ultimately deal with

solitude.

Thanks!

Fergie

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Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost (1923) Nature's first green is gold a Her hardest hue to hold. a Her early leaf's a flower; b But only so an hour. b Then leaf subsides to leaf. c So Eden sank to grief, c So dawn goes down to day. d Nothing gold can stay. d End Rhyme: A rhyme occurring in the terminating word or syllable of one line of poetry with that of another line Metaphor: a figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are compared. ("Nature’s first green is gold” “Her early leaf’s a flower”) Personification: the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form (nature cannot hold anything, Eden (a place) cannot feel grief) Allusion: a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or a representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication. Eden is an allusion to the Garden of Eden story in the Bible. Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sounds (Her hardest hue to hold … dawn goes down to day Assonance: repetition of vowel sounds (Eden sank to grief)

Please Note That You Cannot Write about This Poem for Your Poetry Explication Fire and Ice by Robert Frost (1920) Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To know that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. Symbol: A symbol works two ways: It is something itself, and it also suggests “something else.” In this poem, fire and ice are exactly what fire and ice are but they also relate to other things. In the case of this poem, we see fire being linked to desire and ice being linked to hate. They, however, are NOT being compared to these things (as we see in a metaphor). Understatement: The presentation of a thing with underemphasis in order to achieve a greater effect (that ice, whose destructive elements are great would be sufficient enough to end the world) Paradox: A statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements, but on closer inspection may be true (the world cannot perish twice) Irony: a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words.

Please Note That You Cannot Write about This Poem for Your Poetry Explication

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Poetry Explication (50 points) Length: 3-5 pages Due Date: Check Canvas Task: Explicate one of the following poems: “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” “The Road Not Taken,” “Quai d’Orleans,” “One Art,” “Blackberry-Picking,” “Blackberry Eating,” “God’s Grandeur,” “To Autumn,” “The Snow Man,” “Wild Geese,” or “Summer Day.” Note: You cannot write about the other poems. DO NOT USE “I” OR “YOU” FOR THIS ESSAY.  WHEN YOU REFER TO THE POEM IN YOUR ESSAY, PLACE QUOTATION MARKS AROUND THE TITLE  Refer to the following sections in the course reader: (1) the notes about the poems in the course reader (2) “Some General Rules for Writing a Poetry Explication,” (3) Some Literary Terms relevant to this Course, (4) CITING SOURCES IN-TEXT - Contextualizing Sources, (5) and THE MECHANICS OF IN-TEXT CITATIONS. An explication is part interpretation, part analysis, and part explanation. Focus on the language of the poem!! To Prepare: To help you better prepare for the essay, I want you, before you begin, to print out a copy of the poem you are writing about and then, in the margins, summarize, word for word, what the poet is describing/discussing. I’d also like you to write down your initial reflections and analyses about what you might infer from the language of the poem. This way, before you begin writing, you will have engaged the poem closely enough to provide you with enough material to shape your initial writing direction. Note: your writing task will be much easier if you take the time to read the poem many times so that you will be very familiar with what happens in it. What Should I Be Explicating? In general, when explicating, one explores the text of the poem— specifically such things as the poet's use of metaphor, simile, symbols, personification, paradox, hyperbole, imagery, form/structure, and music (alliteration, assonance, consonance, end rhyme, internal rhyme). Keep in mind, however, that one does not need to cover all of these things (nor does each poem utilize every one of these devices). It is not your job to offer a shopping list of every figurative or musical device in a poem but, instead, to closely examine those that are most relevant to the poem. I do not, for example, want you to write something like the following:

In the poem "Design," Robert Frost uses a variation of the Italian sonnet form. The poem has the following rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA CDCCDD. Frost uses personification and symbols as well as similes. In the first eight lines of the sonnet, what is called an octave, Frost tells the reader about a white spider on a white heal- all that he encounters. In the last six lines, which are called a sestet, Frost asks several questions.

Each "item" on this list is most certainly relevant, but instead of just listing items, you need to explore each facet on its own and show your reader its relevance. For example, the discussion of the sonnet form is very useful if you are demonstrating how the poet uses the conventions of that structure to explore (a) the questions theme brought up in the poem and/or (b) how the poet addresses them. Audience: When writing about a poem, many students struggle with choosing what to say and what not to say and what to cover in the poem and what not to cover. One can reduce the difficulties of such choices by considering who the audience for one's paper will be. For our purposes, I want you to write as if you are writing to your fellow classmates— which means that you will be writing for an audience who is familiar with the poem. DO NOT USE “I” OR “YOU” FOR THIS ESSAY. Structure: For this essay, and this essay only, do not provide a formal introduction and a thesis statement placed at the beginning of your essay-- just jump right in and explicate the poem. State your thesis in your conclusion. This way you will have argued towards your conclusion / thesis. Citation: Since you will be writing about a single poem— and you will be providing the title of the poem and the author's name in your introduction— you only need to cite the line number each time you quote from the poem you have chosen to explicate. EX: As the poem begins, Frost encounters "a dimpled spider, fat and white" on a white heal-all (1). Use the following for your works cited requirement (please note EXACTLY how it is formatted) Poet’s Last Name, Poet’s First Name. “Title of Poem.” English 1B Course Reader. Edited by Nathan Wirth,

Nathan’s Mind Inc., 2019.

Outside Sources: I do not want you to reference any outside sources. Upload to Canvas: (1) A letter that discusses your difficulties and/or successes writing the essay (2) Your Final Draft. Please make the first page of the document your process letter (sample process letter in this course reader). Formatting: Check the course reader for formatting rules (and look at “A Sample Poetry Explication #1”)

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The Poems You Can Choose to Write About God's Grandeur by Gerard Manly Hopkins (1877) The world is charged with the grandeur of God. a It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; b It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil b Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? a Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; a And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; b And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil b Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. a And for all this, nature is never spent; c There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; d And though the last lights off the black West went c Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs— d Because the Holy Ghost over the bent c World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings. d  An Italian Sonnet is a fourteen-line poem divided, by end rhyme, into a major group of 8 lines (the octave= abba /abba) followed by a minor group of 6 lines (the sestet = some combination of cd or cde). The sestet looks back and comments on the octave (the ninth line, which is the first line of the sestet, is called "the turn").  Alliteration: The repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in "dearest freshness deep down things.”  Consonance: The repetition of final consonant sounds: “The world is charged with the Grandeur of God”  Assonance: The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in neighboring words. "Why do men then now not reck his rod” End Rhyme = the rhyming pattern of the final word of each line in the poem  Internal Rhyme: a rhyme created by two or more words in the same line of verse “seared with trade; bleared, smeared”  Simile: a comparison between two dissimilar things, using like or as. “It will flame out, like shining from shook foil”  Caesura: a break in a verse where one phrase ends and the following phrase begins. It may be a comma, a tick, or two slashed line. “And for all this, nature is never spent”

The Snow Man by Wallace Stevens (published in 1921) One must have a mind of winter To regard the frost and the boughs Of the pine-trees crusted with snow; And have been cold a long time To behold the junipers shagged with ice, The spruces rough in the distant glitter Of the January sun; and not to think Of any misery in the sound of the wind, In the sound of a few leaves, Which is the sound of the land Full of the same wind That is blowing in the same bare place For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (1923) Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (1916) Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth. Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same. And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

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"Bishop’s second and last trip to France in 1937 became linked with a horrifying car accident involving her friend Margaret Miller. Bishop had been traveling in Burgundy with Louise Crane (the driver) and Miller when they were forced off the road. As a result of the accident, Margaret lost her arm. This dismemberment caused Bishop major psychological grief (she would try to write a poem from the point of the view of the arm for many years): her guilt (unwarranted as it was) perhaps made the lost arm synechdochal for Bishop’s earlier traumas oloss (and connection), in particular her loss of her mother to madness."

-- from Susan McCabe's “‘Facing the Wrong Way’: Elizabeth Bishop and the French Connection” –

photograph of the Quai d’Orleans in France

quai = A riverside street on the left bank of the Seine in Paris Quai d’Orleans by Elizabeth Bishop (published in 1946) for Margaret Miller Each barge on the river easily tows a mighty wake, a giant oak-leaf of gray lights on duller gray; and behind it real leaves are floating by, down to the sea. mercury-vines on the giant leaves, the ripples, make for the sides of the quai, to extinguish themselves against the walls as softly as falling-stars come to their ends at a point in the sky. And throngs of small leaves, real leaves, trailing them, go drifting by to disappear as modestly, down the sea’s dissolving halls. We stand as still as stones to watch the leaves and ripples while light and nervous water hold their interview. “If what we see could forget us half as easily,” I want to tell you, “as it does itself—but for life we’ll not be rid of the leaves’ fossils.” Simile: a figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are compared using “like” or “as”. “to extinguish themselves / against the walls / as softly as falling-stars come to their ends / at a point in the sky.” The water from the wake spreading out and dissipating is being compared to “shooting stars” The giant oak leaf is a metaphor– the wake (the water left behind by the barges on the water) is being compared to a giant oak leaf).

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Biographical Note for “One Art” “There is no doubt that the crisis behind [“One Art”] was the apparent loss to Bishop of Alice Methfessel, the companion, caretaker, secretary, and great love of the last eight years of her life. Although its method is the description of the accumulation of losses in the poet's life, its occasion is the loss of Alice.” Source: Millier, Brett Candlish. "Elusive Mastery: The Drafts of Elizabeth Bishop's 'One Art.'" Elizabeth Bishop: The Geography of Gender. Ed. Marilyn May Lombardi. Charlottesville, VA: Virginia UP, 1993. Print. One Art by Elizabeth Bishop (1976) The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster, Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn't hard to master. Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster. I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or next-to-last, of three beloved houses went. The art of losing isn't hard to master. I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster. -- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident the art of losing's not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster. NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE, WHERE THE FORM OF THE VILLANELLE IS EXPLAINED This will help you to understand the specific form of this poem, which you need to know about in order to fully grasp the poem.

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Villanelle: a villanelle carries a pattern of only two rhymes, and is marked most distinctively by its alternating refrain, which appears initially in the first and third lines of the opening tercet. In all, it comprises five tercets (three line stanzas) and a concluding quatrain. One Art by Elizabeth Bishop The art of losing isn't hard to master; [this line is repeated in the 2nd and 4th tercets as well as the final quatrain] so many things seem filled with the intent [the ent sound is found in the second line of all the tercets and the final quatrain] to be lost that their loss is no disaster, [a variation of the idea of it not being a disaster is found in the 3rd and 5th tercets and the final quatrain] Lose something every day. Accept the fluster [fluster/master is a slant rhyme] of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn't hard to master. Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster. I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or [last or /master is a slant rhyme] next-to-last, of three beloved houses went. The art of losing isn't hard to master. I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster. -- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture [gesture/master is a slant rhyme] I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident the art of losing's not too hard to master [note that Bishop alters the line here] though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster. [note that Bishop must use the word disaster here to complete the form of the villanelle] Slant Rhyme: a rhyme in which either the vowels or the consonants of stressed syllables are identical, as in eyes / light; years / yours.

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Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney (published in 1966) Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for Picking. Then red ones inked up and that hunger Sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots. Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills We trekked and picked until the cans were full, Until the tinkling bottom had been covered With green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned Like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered With thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard's. We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre. But when the bath was filled we found a fur, A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache. The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour. I always felt like crying. It wasn't fair That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot. Each year I hoped they'd keep, knew they would not. Blackberry Eating by Galway Kinnell (published in 1980). I love to go out in late September among the fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries to eat blackberries for breakfast, the stalks very prickly, a penalty they earn for knowing the black art of blackberry-making; and as I stand among them lifting the stalks to my mouth, the ripest berries fall almost unbidden to my tongue, as words sometimes do, certain peculiar words like strengths or squinched, many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps, which I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well in the silent, startled, icy, black language of blackberry -- eating in late September.

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Wild Geese by Mary Oliver (1986) You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things. The Summer Day by Mary Oliver (1990) Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean- the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down- who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?