Formalism

Essay One – Formalism
2 ½ – 3 pages
MLA format
Direct citations required

For this first essay, look closely at the literary techniques the authors use to create meaning. (See posted sheet for more specifics.) Choose one or more devices to focus your essay on, what it/they reveals about some aspect of the literature. For example, you could focus on the symbolism of music in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” You could write about the development of Connie’s character and what Oates reveals about teenage girls through her. In the poems, look for literary devices, too, and how they contribute to the meaning, for example, imagery, metaphors, similes, etc. Who or what is the speaker responding to and why? Watch the PowerPoints again and look at the literary terms.

Look at the sample essay in Course Content, Week Four. While this essay is more elaborate than I expect, it does give you a direction in which to set up your argument and shows you how to cite correctly and set up your essay in MLA format.

Choose either one of the poems that was assigned or the short story to write your essay on. (Do not choose your own poem or story.)