Questions from the "Birches" Module About the "Introduction" of the essay on "Birches" How Good Is This Introduction? A good introduction should (1) capture readers' interests, (2) set the general tone of the essay, and (3) perhaps preview the essay's main topics. How does this introduction do on each of those three tasks? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this introduction while leaving it as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About the "Theme" Assess This Theme Statement Stating the theme, or main idea, of the poem requires connecting it to real life, to some vision of how life works. Has this writer achieved that goal? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this first section while leaving it as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About "Sound" in the poem Are the Explanations of Sound Effects Plausible? Recognizing sound repetitions is one thing; explaining a reason for "alliteration" and "assonance" is a step beyond mere recognition. How clear and plausible are her explanations of the patterns she sees? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of sound in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About "Rhythm" and "Rhyme" Are the Explanations of Rhythm and Rhyme Plausible (Consistent with the Theme)? How clear and plausible are her explanations of the patterns of rhythm and rhyme that the student sees? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of sound in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About "Tone" Evaluate the Student's Vocabulary for Describing Tone. Analyzing tone requires having the words to characterize selected phrases from the poem that show an attitude, or emotion. Does this student have those words? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of tone in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About "Figures of Speech" Are the Explanations of Images Clear and Interpretive? This section interprets images almost like equations; is that a fair analogy? Does it help clarify the images she mentions? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of tone in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to this student writer? About the writer's review of major assets of the poem How Does Summarizing the Essay Help Draw to a Close? Summarizing is one way to end an essay in a way that looks organized. How helpful is this summary? What about the final paragraph of this excerpt? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of tone in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About the writer's review of major flaws in the poem Is It OK to Comment on Flaws of a Literary Work? Essays don't usually remark on the pitfalls of first readings because they are supposed to result from much re-reading. How helpful is this section of the essay? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of tone in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? About the essay's conclusion How Effective Is This Essay's Ending? An ending should leave your readers with a final, hopefully definite impression of your views on a work. How close does this essay's conclusion come to meeting that goal? If you were the editor for this essay, what praise would you give for this analysis of tone in connection with the theme while leaving this section as is, or what changes would you suggest to the author? For "Some Poetry Links" Directions: If your instructor gives you other directions, follow them. If your instructor wishes you to follow these directions, then click on one of the literary sites in the list below [use the links on the module page] and open a word processor on your computer. Browse the site for a while, copying the locations of the five most useful pages into your word processor and suggesting for each the value of that page in helping a student learn about literature and analyzing or writing about literature. Essay Suggestions Directions: As your instructor allows, use one of the ideas below for an essay for your course. 1. Follow the format of the sample essay on "Birches" to write a recommendation essay on "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner." 2. Using the "Birches" sample as a guide, recommend another poem to your instructor as one that should be used in his or her course. 3. Using the Oxford Website on World War I poetry, http://info.ox.ac.uk/oucs/humanities/rose/ compare and contrast "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" with one of the poems at that site. 4. (Advanced) Drop by this publisher's site for a brief biography of poet Randall Jarrell and questions that ask you to compare two or more poems.