1. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Essay Response

2. Mood is the feeling or emotion that a reader experiences from a poem or story. Explain how the poet’s word choice helps create mood throughout the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”. Write a well-organized, structured response using specific evidence from the poem to support your answer.
What question must be answered in this prompt?
How many paragraphs should probably be written for this prompt? Why?

3. Now that you know what question the prompt is asking, read the essay that you have been given.

4. What makes a good topic sentence?
Rubric
___/2 Correctly written topic sentence
What makes a good topic sentence?
The topic sentence should include the title of the text and the answer to the question.
What is the title of this text?
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
The word choice that the poet uses creates the mood of fearlessness/peacefulness/calmness.
What is the answer to the question?

5. ___/2 Correctly written topic sentence
The word choice that the poet uses creates the mood of fearlessness/ peacefulness/calmness
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
In the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” the poet, Emily Dickinson, uses a variety of words to show the mood of being fearless.
In the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” the words that the poet used creates a mood of peacefulness.
The word choice in the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson shows that Death is not a bad person, and creates the overall mood of calmness.

6. Rubric
___/2 Correctly written topic sentence
If he/she included the title of the poem, give him/her a point (1)
If he/she wrote something about how the poet used word choice to create mood, give him/her a point. (1)
If he/she did not identify the novel or how the poet used word choice to create mood, give him/her a 0.

7. What makes a good concluding sentence?
Rubric
___/2 Correctly written concluding sentence
What makes a good concluding sentence?
The concluding sentence should summarize the main idea and bring the writing to logical and satisfying end.

8. ___/2 Correctly written concluding sentence
Summarize main ideas
Bring writing to logical and satisfying end.
In conclusion, the words used in the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” creates a calm and fearless mood.
Overall, the poet uses specific word choices to make a feeling of fearlessness in the reader’s mind.
In summary, the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson uses great word choices to help create mood throughout the poem.

9. If he/she did not summarize or satisfy, give him/her a 0.
Rubric
___/2 Correctly written concluding sentence(s)
If he/she included a summary of the main ideas, give him/her a point (1)
If his/her concluding sentence is logical and satisfying, give him/her a point. (1)
If he/she did not summarize or satisfy, give him/her a 0.

10. How the poet’s word choice helps create mood throughout the poem.
Rubric
___/4 Answered the prompt
What question must be answered?
How the poet’s word choice helps create mood throughout the poem.

11. If he/she mostly answered all parts of the prompt give him/her a (3).
Rubric
___/4 Answered all parts of the question
If he/she completely answered all parts of the prompt give him/her a (4).
If he/she mostly answered all parts of the prompt give him/her a (3).
If he/she barely answered all parts of the prompt give him/her a (2).
If he/she did not answer all parts of the prompt give him/her a (1).

12. A well developed essay will have a definite introduction,
Rubric
___/4 Development of the essay
What does a well developed essay look like?
A well developed essay will have a definite introduction,
body, and conclusion.

13. Rubric
___/4 Development of essay
If he/she has an excellent introduction, body, and conclusion give him/her a (4).
If he/she has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion give him/her a (3).
If he/she has a weak introduction, body, and conclusion give him/her a (2).
If he/she has no evidence of a introduction, body, and conclusion give him/her a (1).

14. Rubric What is use of evidence?
The exact examples and references to the text that help to explain the answer.
In the poem it says “He kindly stopped for me.”
In stanza two, the poet says that “And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too,/For His Civility-”.

15. Rubric
___/4 Use of evidence
If he/she used good, accurate, and direct references to the text give him/her a (4).
If he/she used okay, accurate, and direct references to the text give him/her a (3).
If he/she used unclear references to the text give him/her a (2).
If he/she used no references to the text give him/her a (1).

16. What does it mean to explain the evidence?
Rubric
___/4 Explanation of evidence
What does it mean to explain the evidence?
Specific details that are not explained mean nothing. It is the responsibility of the writer to explain how the specific details relate to the answer.
In the poem it says “He kindly stopped for me.” It means that Death stopped for her and shows that he is polite. This create a feeling of calmness because he was being polite and not in a hurry to come get the speaker of the poem.
In stanza two, the poet says that “And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too,/For His Civility-”. These lines show that the speaker is giving stuff up for Death. By the speaker giving stuff up for death, it shows that she is not afraid of him.

17. Rubric
___/4 Explanation of evidence
If he/she gave a good clear explanation of all the evidence give him/her a (4).
If he/she gave a somewhat clear explanation of most of the evidence give him/her a (3).
If he/she gave a weak explanation for most of the evidence give him/her a (2).
If he/she gave no explanation of any of the evidence give him/her a (1).

18. Rubric What are transitions? A few examples of transitions: however
___/4 Use of transitions
What are transitions?
Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. ~from OWL at Purdue
A few examples of transitions:
however
therefore
since
finally
in conclusion
next
for example
furthermore

19. Rubric
___/4 Use of transitions
If he/she used a lot (4 or more) transitions give him/her a (4).
If he/she used some (at least 3) transitions give him/her a (3).
If he/she used very little (at least 2) transitions give him/her a (2).
If he/she did not use many (0-1) transitions give him/her a (1).

20. Rubric What should I look for?
___/4 Mechanics of writing (Used correct capitalization, punctuation, grammar)
No errors (4 points)
1-2 errors (3 points)
3-4 errors (2 points)
4 or more (1 point)
What should I look for?
Is the title of the poem correctly capitalized?
Does the title of the poem have quotation marks around it?
Is the quotes from the poem written correctly?
Do all sentences have appropriate end marks?
Did I use the pronoun “I” or “you”?
Are all sentences complete?

21. Rubric
___/4 Mechanics of writing (Used correct capitalization, punctuation, grammar)
No errors (4 points)
1-2 errors (3 points)
3-4 errors (2 points)
4 or more (1 point)
Count each error and use the scale to assign the appropriate points. (1-4)

22. Before you turn the graded essay in be sure to give the writer your opinion about what they did a well in the essay and what they need to improve upon.
We cannot become better writer’s if we don’t take the time to help each other!!!
Once you have completed the evaluation sheet, please turn it in along with the essay. DO NOT STAPLE THEM TOGETHER!!!!!!!