In a 3-page essay put forth an interpretive argument about a short poem, or significant lines from a longer poem, in our course packet. You need to make a clear, argumentative interpretation about some aspect of the poem—with which a reader could disagree—and then support that claim by close reading textual evidence.
Your essay should 1) establish some context for your claim (what does your reader need to know to understand, appreciate, and be convinced by your argument?) 2) state an interpretative argument about the text (what original, debatable claim does your paper make about the poem?) 3) support your claim about the poem through textual analysis (what moments in the text—lines, words, images, allusions, formal maneuvers, etc. substantiate your claim?). You can make any reasonable argument about the poem as long as the language of the text corroborates your position.
You could consider one of the following questions to help you begin: How does your poem portray the people who occupy an urban space? How does your text characterize the material objects that constitute the city (skyscrapers, subways, etc.)? How does your poem characterize the relationships that people have with one another or with the city itself? Borrowing from Jane Tompkins template in They Say/I Say (xx), your poem tells a story about __ in order to make what point?
Sample Solution
