I. Introduction:

A. Reference the author and work

B. Briefly identify the poet's central purpose or theme

C. State the perspective you will take in response.

D. Be certain to have a clearly-stated thesis that identifies the particular criteria (literary elements) you will examine in the work. This provides a sharp focus for the reader, preparing for the comments that you the writer will make later in the body and conclusion, and it commits you to do certain things in the paper.

II. Paraphrase--What the work says

A. Provide the paraphrase not line by line, but part by part

B. This may be done as a separate section here, or as an attachment at the end of the paper, or as a part of the ongoing technical analysis.

III. Technical Analysis--How the work says what it says [We should never attempt an interpretation without first engaging in careful analysis; only after we know how a literary work says should we feel confident that we know what it means.]

A. Examine the writer’s use of the various literary elements to determine the degree to which the author achieves his or her purpose. (That is to say, probe the techniques the poet has employed in creating Artistic Unity--that condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose.)

B. Having considered the relevancy of the various elements of poetry to the development of this particular poem, discuss those of the following which are most important in achieving Artistic Unity: 1) Identify the speaker, occasion, setting. 2) State the central idea or theme of the poem in a sentence. 3)Explain the tone of the poems and how it is achieved. 4) Discuss the diction of the poem. Point out words that are particularly well chosen and explain why. 5) Discuss the imagery of the poem--the kinds used and the imagery creates a pattern. 6) Point out examples of metaphor, simile, personification. and metonymy, and explain their appropriateness. (Do they meld with the other elements to support the central purpose?) 7) Point out and explain any symbols. If the poem is allegorical, explain the allegory 8) Point out and explain examples of paradox, overstatement, understatement, and irony. What is their function? 9) Point out and explain any allusions. What is their function? 10) Discuss examples of sound repetition and metrical pattern 11) Describe the form or pattern of the poem.

A. Interpretation demonstrates how we read the work--what it means to us. It is thus a personal response; different people will interpret the work in different ways. No one interpretation is the right one; several various interpretations may be many good, credible. But, this is not to say, "ANYTHING GOES," or that any one is as good as the others. Wrong, or inaccurate, interpretations are possible.

B. Interpretations must be consistent with all the facts of the work. The interpreter may emphasize some facts over others in the personal reading of the work, but the interpreter goes beyond a valid response if significant facts are ignored (an interpretation that overtly contradicts the facts of the work is clearly invalid). The reader must guard against imposing his own strong convictions or perspective upon a interpretation of the work.

C. Hasty interpretations occur when we fail to consider all the details; rather we have focused on just some of them. Hasty conclusions based on an inadequate consideration of all the details slant or invalidate the interpretation just as hasty generalizations tend to invalidate conclusions drawn in logical argumentation.

D. To prevent this and to insure a sound interpretation, we should

1. observe all the details

2. identify patterns of individual details

3. generalize patterns into a unified view of the work.

E. A good interpretation is grounded upon the facts of the work and developed from them. But, an interpretation is never mere summary (which only reports or retells). A critical response discovers meaning. It uses the facts to support a judgment about meaning and, thus, is a statement of opinion based on facts.

F. Include your favorite line(s) from the poem and explain why it is (they are) meaningful to you.

V. Conclusion.

A. Be sure to include your final judgment about the poetic merit of the work--the degree to which it displays Artistic Unity

B. Also, if you are familiar with other works by the same author or on the same subject, a comparison can be useful to the reader.

A. When discussing the author's application of the elements of literature; select appropriate details to support those judgments. Well-chosen supporting details will make your judgments more acceptable to the reader. Remember, a critique is a specific form of argument, and the majority of words in any argument should be devoted to specific supporting evidence.

B. Guidelines for selection and use of material might include considering its pertinence to your claim and reasons. Do these details clarify and support the more general points you have made? If you doubt the pertinence of the details you have initially chosen, choose stronger evidence, or establish a clearer connection between the evidence and the judgment, or revise the judgment.

. C. Use quotations when helpful--but do not overuse: It is good to use an apt quotation to illustrate a point you are making or to provide evidence to make your judgment acceptable. But it is extremely ineffective to overuse quotation--to pad your critique. Keep your criticism concise and to the point.

D. Document outside source material: Excellent analyses may be written without referring to any sources outside of the poem itself. In fact, the assignment calls for an internal analysis of the poem, and your grade will reflect your success in doing this. But if you choose to use other sources, you must document this properly (in this class, use the standard MLA process).

E. Proofread the final paper carefully.