Activator 12/1 Grab a revision sheet from the front Take out your revised introductory paragraphs and swap with a partner. Have your partner fill out the intro paragraph checklist and make any necessary revisions. Do not hesitate to include edits and constructive criticism! Write the final draft of the intro on the Helen Essay Revisions worksheet.

Quotation Analysis Notes When analyzing a quote, you need to go beyond re-stating the quote. Bad: “When the author says ‘All Greece hates,’ she is talking about how everyone hates Helen” Better: “HD uses hyperbole when she states ‘All Greece hates’ followed by ‘All Greece reviles’ in reference to Helen (1, 6). Although the hatred for Helen is exaggerated, these statements may suggest that the speaker could be a resident of Greece whose life was negatively impacted by Helen’s actions leading to the Trojan war. Thus, the hyperbole is used to emphasize how much trouble and anguish Helen has caused for ‘All Greece’”

Quotation Analysis Notes If you are making a point that is not obvious based on the text, you need to explain how you arrived at your conclusion. Bad: “Poe makes an allusion to Psyche to suggest that Helen is as beautiful as a God” Better: “The speaker exclaims, ‘Ah, Psyche, from the regions which/ Are Holy Land!’ (14-15). Poe alludes to Psyche, a mortal that was so beautiful even the Gods adored her. This allusion in conjunction with the reference to ‘Holy Land’ suggest that Helen’s beauty is so extraordinary, that it is divine.”

Quotation Analysis Notes When analyzing quotes, especially long quotes, you should address some of the specific language in the quote. The speaker in HD’s poem subtly criticizes the unhealthy appearance of Helen, “the wan face when she smiles/hating it deeper still/when it grows wan and white” (7-9). Throughout the poem, the speaker repeatedly describes Helen as ‘white,’ which doesn’t seem like a terrible insult on its own. However, when combined with the repetition of ‘wan’ in lines 7 and 9, there is a more sickly or lifeless connotation. As the speaker has spoken for all of Greece already, this could suggest that Helen is dead in their eyes.

A few additional tips… Rule of thumb: if you are only writing one sentence about a quote, your analysis may not be deep enough. You don’t have to stop after every quote and write a few sentences. If you want to connect a few quotes and then analyze that is fine, just make sure you address the connection.

Your turn Pick two of the quotes that you used in your essay and write several sentences of analysis for each of the quotes. Integrate and cite your quote properly. When you are finished, turn in the intro paragraph, the quote analysis, and the rough draft of your essay stapled together.