Goal and Objectives

This is the first essay unit. The goals and objectives in this unit are to:

• Introduce you to argumentation

• Practice analyzing a text

• Connect themes in a writer's work with events going on in society

• Practice incorporating sources into essays using MLA style

Assignments

• Essay Assignment Handout (READ)

• "Cherries" Assignment (READ)

Resources

Required reading is indicated by (READ) after titles below.

• Lucien Stryk, "Cherries" (with my footnotes)  (READ)

• Supplemental Information for "Cherries"

• Sample text analysis: Hopkins' poem "Spring and Fall"

• "Cherries" Powerpoint (PDF)

• "Cherries" Example

• Writing the Academic Essay

  • PowerPoint Presentation

  • PDF and DOC versions

• MLA Overview: Powertpoint presentation or RTF document

• The Rhetorical Triangle

• "Analyzing a Text" - from the Norton Field Guide to Writing

• John Donne, Meditation XVII  (READ)

  • Luminarium page on Donne

  • Longman Biography page on Donne

  • SparkNotes page on Donne

• Robert Frost, "Mending Wall"  (READ)

  • SparkNotes discussion on the poem

  • SparkNotes overview of Frost

  • "Modern American Poetry" collection of critical comments

• Kelli's Paraphrases of Donne's "Meditation XVII" and Frost's "Mending Wall" (use as supplemental reading, not as sources for the two readings to use in your essays - go to individual links above for those)

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