Literary Analysis 2

Assignment:

More Specifics:

3-4 pages, typed,double spaced, 1” margins,12 point font,Times New Roman

For this essay, you will create and support an argument about a collection of poems.

The Poems are The Raven, The Sleeper and The Bell by Edgar Allan Poe. (Attached)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48629/the-s…

You must lookbeyond the poems themselves for a stronger message. For this assignment, you have many tools atyour disposal, such as imagery, language, theme, characterization, etc. Rhetorical concepts such asethos, pathos, logos may also help you formulate an argument about a piece of literature. Here are afew questions to consider about analyzing a piece of literature:

What are the poems about? What do they have in common?
What are some of the noticeable features? (tone, diction, theme, imagery, etc.)What is the main point/argument you want to make about the poems?
What are some examples from the poetry that will support your argument?

An analysis of poetry may tackle the imagery found in the piece. Is there a reoccurring image thattranscends the text or story, and speaks to a larger state of the world, of humanity? For example, if apoet keeps returning to images of birds, literally or metaphorically, can that be argued as a statementabout escapism?

Or, an analysis may examine connection between the form and content of the poem. Is theway the poem is written reflective of the theme? Say, do short, choppy sentences add to the image ofa speeding train, or a car accident? Does an overuse of punctuation (or lack there of) reflect a themeof chaos, or lack of control?

A successful Literary Analysis will:

give a brief description of the piece(s) studied, information about the author, followed by aclear thesis in which you state your argument about the story/poem.
provide examples from the piece, as well as outside sources (if needed), that support yourargument.

analyze the audience targeted in the story/poem: who might this resonate with most?
analyze the context of the story/poem: what cultural phenomena/current event are referenced.consider a variety of other possible interpretations of the story/poem (acknowledge thatthere’s not only one way to read the piece.)