VCCS Litonline Introduction to Literature English 112 (English Composition II)

page 14 of 14:   The End

Writing Assignments

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://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ltg/projects/jtap/tutorials/index.html, 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.

5. Compare "Ballad of the Landlord" with "The Ballad of Birmingham" by writing about what each poet is attacking about racism and how you can tell (quote relevant phrases). (Hint: Do the mother and the tenant seem foolish or deserving of pity? Tell as many different groups of people as you can who share responsibility for what happens to the tenant and to the little girl?)  Evaluate which poem gains sympathy for its cause more effectively? Explain why it seems more effective.  For background, visit the 2 Ballads website.

If you have a suggestion for other writing topics on poetry to include here, please email them to Eric Hibbison at Email:ehibbison@jsr.cc.va.us for consideration.

The URL for this page is: http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/birches/writing.htm