Literary Research Essay

Wuthering Heights is a novel rich with social, political, cultural, psychological, and historical connections. For this unit you will choose a topic of interest that connects with your book-club novel. As you read Wuthering Heights, try to understand the Bronte’s text through the lens of this topic.

You will then explore the background of this topic by reading secondary and primary source materials and reflect upon how you can organize these outside sources with your own analysis of the novel. After compiling your ideas and information from these sources, craft a thesis-driven research paper that connects your topic with the text of your Victorian-Era novel. 

This assignment is fairly open-ended and will require much thought on your part of how to organize your ideas and execute this written product. Remember that this is a Literary Research Paper, meaning that your topic must connect to the specifics of the text Wuthering Heights.  Due on Turnitin.com by 11:00pm on March 17^th.

Requirements:

·         4-6 Pages plus a Works Cited Page - all in MLA Format.

·         At least two scholarly outside sources. (You will probably want to use more sources than this)

·         Formal writing style. No I, me, you, or us.

·         Quotes of non-fiction sources should only be used if they are absolutely crucial to conveying your point. You cannot use more than two quotes from your non-fiction sources.  Most of the time you will want to rely on paraphrasing.

·         Citations: You must use MLA in-text citations for all quotes and paraphrasing that is done.

Mr. Achimore’s Advice:

·         Choose a topic that allows you to both examine outside sources thoroughly and analyze and discuss specific aspects of the text. That way, you will have plenty of information to talk about for four pages.

Potential Wuthering Heights Topics:

• ·   Examine Social Injustice (in Gender, Race, and/or Social Class) in Wuthering Heights and England during the 1800’s
• ·   Examine the Link between Nature and Spirituality within Wuthering Heights and England during the 1800’s (may also be researched through a psychological perspective independent of time period)
• ·         Research Thomas Hobbes’s Theory of the Social Contract or John Locke’s Theory of the Social Contract, Examine Whether Heathcliff’s Actions Are Justified in Relation to One of These Philosophical Perspectives
• ·         Examine masculinity and gender in the novel and how it reflects Victorian Era society.
• ·         Examine the portrayal of womanhood in Wuthering Heights and how it is in dialogue with dominant Victorian notions of femininity.
• ·         Examine the development of the Byronic Hero in literature and examine the existence of the Byronic Hero in Wuthering Heights
• ·         Identify and Examine the Dominant Romantic Style Elements within Wuthering Heights.
• ·         Explore the history of the Gothic Novel. Identify and Examine the Dominant Gothic Style Elements within Wuthering Heights
• ·         Examine the Existence of Freud’s Personality Types within Wuthering Heights (specifically the Id, Ego, and Superego)
• ·         Examine the Psychological Effects of Isolation and Its Relation to the Characters of Wuthering Heights
• ·         Examine Narcissism as a Psychological Concept and Its Existence in the Characters of Wuthering Heights
• ·         Examine Bi-Polar Disorder and Its Relevance to the Characters of Wuthering Heights
• ·         Examine Depression (as an Illness) and Its Relevance to the Characters of Wuthering Heights
• ·         Examine the Nature Versus Nurture Debate and Its Relevance to the Characters of Wuthering Heights

Ndotto Returns!

Check out a neat Valentine's day present for the Elephants!

Poetry Portfolio

Purpose: to assemble, organize, and present your analytical and written work of the poetry unit.

Requirements:

·         Cover page: name and poetry definition and anything else you deem worthy to be placed on your cover page (images are always welcomed).

·         Poetic Movie Trailer Assignments:

o   Haiku

o   A short write-up on the trailer and how certain techniques (images, sound, pacing, etc.) contribute to its overall mood or tone. The Haiku and write-up should be about a page in length.

·         Mock-Romantic Era Poem

·         Rewrite of Poetry Comparison Essay

·         Original Poetry Comparison Essay

Due Date: Friday 2/12

Romantic-Era Poetry Assignment

Whether you believe it or not, you all have the spark of the Romantic Poet somewhere in your soul. For this assignment, you will tap into this fire and give it room to burn brightly by writing a mock-Keats or a mock-Wordsworth poem.

As you have seen, many of the Romantic writers saw beauty and meaning in the simplest of objects. Keats wrote an ode to an expensive household decoration, and Wordsworth wrote a nostalgic poem about a location he had visited in his past. For this poetry assignment you will need to observe and witness one of the following:

·         A location you once spent time at that would bring forth nostalgic feelings.

·         An item you personally feel has beauty and profound meaning.

·         A natural or pastoral element or setting that exhibits elements of the sublime.

After observing this item or setting, write a 14 line poem that captures not just the emotion you are feeling, but also the Romantic Voice of the early 19^th century. This poem must have a rhyme scheme (which you may choose) and it must have ten syllables in each line. It must be typed and turned in with your poetry portfolio on Friday, February 12^th. 

Remember, while the Canterbury Tales poem assignment had a few requirements, I did not ask you to directly mimic Chaucer’s voice and style. For this poem, however, you will be asked to do exactly that: try to mimic the language, voice, and style of either Wordsworth or Keats (or both). You will need to have a strong understanding of their language and poetic style in order to effectively write your own Romantic poem. 

Six Steps to Writing the Perfect In-Class Poetry Comparison Essay

Step 1: Read the poems to gauge the speakers’ distinct (or similar) attitudes of the topic at hand. Decipher the speakers’ ultimate messages. Articulate these attitudes in a complete statement for your own clarity and benefit. Thematic purpose is welcomed, but not required.

            Smith: Because of the turmoil of her earthly life, Smith yearns to experience the tranquility of the moon. (Possible Metaphor for death?)

            Blake: Blake praises the protective and calming influence of the moon, which helps everyone face the struggles and challenges of the day. (Possible Metaphor for God?)

Step 2: Analyze the poem to locate different poetic devices the authors use to enhance these attitudes toward the topic at hand. Articulate these uses in broad, general language. Make sure to clarify whether this essay will analyze the similarities or differences of the poetic techniques seen in the two poems.

            Smith: Allusion to Artemis; Contrasting diction of calm moon and dreadful earth; Moon as metaphor for giver of calmness/ metaphor for a space of solace.

            Blake: Personification of moon as protector of the land; soothing diction/tone; alliteration that adds to the soothing mood; light/shiny visual imagery

Step 3: Write out an introduction paragraph that gets straight to the point of your essay (no need for an attention grabber in an in-class essay). Most likely, your thesis will be several sentences long. Address the general differences in the messages of the poems, but hold back on the specifics of the poetic devices for your body paragraphs.

Although both Charlotte Smith’s poem “To the Moon” and William Blake’s poem “To the Evening Star” address the same lunar satellite of the night sky, Smith does so in yearning for the solace the moon has to offer while Blake praises the “evening star” for the solace and protection it already provides. While Smith uses metaphor and contrasting diction to convey her yearning for the solace she lacks in her life, Blake uses personification and visual imagery to express his comfort and bliss concerning the moon’s protectiveness.

(If the poets use the same poetic devices, just mix it up: In conveying these different approaches to the moon, both poets use figurative language and contrasting diction to convey their distinct messages regarding the moon’s solace and tranquility.)

Step 4: Outline the essay in a way that allows clarity and cohesion in your comparison of the two poems. Use only the strongest poetic techniques (2-4 of them).

Intro

Body Paragraph 1: Smith’s use of figurative language (metaphor) – how it conveys her message

Body Paragraph 2: Blake’s use of figurative language (personification) – how it conveys his message

Body Paragraph 3: Smith’s use of contrasting diction (pleasant/dismal) - how it conveys her message

Body Paragraph 4: Blake’s use of visual imagery (bright/shiny) – how it conveys his message

Conclusion

Step 5: Begin writing the body paragraphs of your essay with careful attention given to your organization of the actual paragraph. (Topic sentence; reasoning; quote; analysis; reasoning; quote; analysis; tie it together). As you write, make sure you cite your quotes properly. Use slash marks to show a line change, write the poet’s last name in the in-text citation, and write the line numbers in the in-text citation.

Blake’s use of figurative language helps convey his comforting attitude toward the moon. Throughout the poem, Blake personifies the moon as a figure of human authority capable of providing protection and calmness in the land: “…light/ the bright torch of love; thy radiant crown/ Put on, and smile upon our evening bed” (Blake 2-4). By placing a literal crown upon the moon’s head, Blake provides the reader with the image of a kingly figure, ready to protect his vassals of the land. But even in the description of this kingly moon, Blake uses further personification to create a peaceful atmosphere under this lunar reign by having the moon “smile” over his sleeping subjects – thus ensuring that this protective ruler has kind and compassionate intentions. Further evidence of this is seen when ….

Step 6: Finish writing the essay. Proofread. Turn in. Relax… until the rewrite.

Poetic Movie Trailer Assignment: Part III

Poetry In-Class Essay