Poetry Explication II
1) Read the poems from the following reading list (the poems may be found here – English 103 Poetry Reader Spring 2020.pdf). Poems are listed by title, author’s last name, and the page number where they are located in the pdf: “I Heard a fly buzz when I died” Dickinson (2) “Tell all the truth but tell it slant” Dickinson (2) “The Chimney Sweeper” Blake (4) – Note: There are two different poems from separate poetry collections on this page. Read both. “I Hear America Singing” Whitman (7) “In an Artist’s Studio” Rossetti (9) “The Raven” Poe (10) 2) Choose one of these poems to write a 2-3 paragraph (250-500 word) explication based on ONE of the critical lenses we have covered thus far (Ecocriticism, Marxist Critical Theory, Psychoanalytic Theory). Your emphasis in this assignment should be to examine the poem’s meaning and to connect it to the critical lens you have chosen. Your argument does not need to be fully formed, but it should show that you have given the poem some thought. In short, use the tips on the Reading & Writing About Poetry (or Song Lyrics) lesson and the key questions from the critical theory lectures as a means to explore the meaning of the poem. 3) Make sure to reference specific evidence (quotations) and at least ONE specific poetic feature from the poem to prove your argument. Remember that you will be citing line numbers rather than page numbers. Also, include a slash (/) to indicate line breaks when quoting.
