1. Poetry Essays
Things to fix

2. Titles Have an exciting title- not the name of the assignment
Examples:
Impossible Men
Girl Power
Accepting Death
Fall of the Superpower
The Suicide of Innocence

3. Leads Be creative with your lead
Don’t just state the thesis; that belongs at the end of the introduction
“As the gladiator enters the battle ring, he scopes out his opponents with sharp swords in both hands.”
“Why do great, talented, young women marry old, grouchy men?”
“Since the beginning of time, women have held great power over men.”
“What would life be without an imagination?”
“If war is so glorious, then why is joining it a formal suicide of innocence?”

4. Subject or Theme? The subject of an essay is the topic of the essay
The theme of an essay is the message the author is trying to make through his topic
A theme always has two parts- a what and a so what: Jealousy (what) causes people to do crazy things (so what)
Try to look at it the same way you do a topic sentence: There is a subject and a direction- what you are talking about and what you are going to say about it.
The theme MUST relate to human nature of society as a whole

5. Spacing and order
For final copies, always double space, so I have room to write comments for you
The order is always:
Typed final copy first
This includes any Works Cited
Revised and edited rough draft
Outline (if there is one)
Rubric(s)

6. Citations Save parentheses for citations only
The citations should be author and page number (Padron 42) unless it is drama, and then it is act.scene.line(s) such as: (Sophocles ) or verse which is stanza and line(s): (Keats 1.2-3)
If you have multiple works in a row by the same author, cite the first one with author’s last name and page number and the following with just the page number; when a new source is used, repeat
“A month after they were engaged, he had a hemorrhage (Padgett ed. 39). He learned that he had developed advanced tuberculosis (39). His first book of poetry was published in 1817 (Scott-Kilvertt ed. 211).”

7. Multiple Citations in One Sentence
If you have two facts in one sentence from two different sources, interrupt the sentence where the fact from the first source ends and add the second citation after the second fact ends
“He found the love of his life and became engaged to her in 1820 (Padgett ed. 39), but they were never able to marry (Scott-Kilvert ed. 211). ”

8. One Citation
If the paper is all about one work, only the numbers are necessary after you introduce the title and the author you are using as evidence.
You need the authors when there is more than one work cited.

9. Connect Quotes to Text
Don’t have a quote just hanging out with no text to anchor it
It’s like a balloon without a string; it should be introduced or explained within a sentence
Ex. Do Not write this: “Coffin-board, heavy stone/ lie on her breast…” (13-14).
Do write this: Wilde writes, “Coffin-board, heavy stone/ lie on her breast…” (13-14).

10. Quotes
If you introduce a quote using an incomplete sentence, use a comma
Example:
When Tom cries over his head being shaved, the narrator tells him, “…when your head’s bare/ You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair” (2.7-8).
If you introduce a quote using a complete sentence, use a colon
The narrator gives Tom advice: “…when your head’s bare/ You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair” (2.7-8).

11. Use Line Breaks
“…when your head’s bare/ You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair” (1.2-3).
The period always goes after the citation.

12. Names
When using an author’s name, always use the full name or the last name; never use just the first name
Even if you do know him/her personally, it is too informal and disrespectful for literary analyses
Save first names for informal notes and memos

13. Speakers and Writers
Just because an author is writing a poem, it does not mean that he is writing about his own personal experience
Writers often take on personas to impart their ideas

14. Contractions and Personal Pronouns
Avoid any contractions in formal writing
Avoid personal pronouns in critical analysis
In narratives, it is fine to use I, but do not use “you” or any variation thereof
In formal analysis, the only pronouns that are acceptable are third person pronouns- no first or second (no you or I or variations thereof)
They He

15. Verb Tense For narratives, pick one verb tense, and stick to it!
DON’T USE:
“The sphinx was a monument to the gods, and when there are problems, people ask the gods for answers.”
“This event ripped him apart inside, and he feels “undone” or as if he is completely empty.”
“The incarnation allusion is used when Shelley was talking about how great Wordsworth was.”
For critical analysis, always use present tense
Research reports are often in past tense because they are reporting historical facts
Some research reports are current, so they are in present tense
Only use “would” to predict things
“She would have been first in the class if she had done her work.”
NOT: “On a regular basis, he would disguise himself as a…”

16. Sentence Structure Don’t use run-ons
“In these lines, Byron explains how her sweet thoughts are expressed, and he also says that their origin is equally pure and dear.”
Make sure you have complete sentences
Don’t start with a conjunction; you need to have the independent clause to have it make sense:
This doesn’t make sense alone:
“Therefore, sleep, which represents death because he wants to be protected from life.”

17. More on Conjunctions and Coordinating Conjunctions
Do not start a sentence with a conjunction or with a coordinating conjunction
Their only job is to connect ideas together; do not make them unemployed
Do not start a sentence with and, but, or or
Ex. DO NOT USE:
“But just as his romantic words start, they end.”
Use:
“He is talking about a girl and starts out confidently calling her beautiful by comparing her to the moon, but just as his romantic words start, they end.”

18. Write Things Out! Write out numbers less than 20
Write out any abbreviations the first time they are used, so the reader knows what each stands for: He was watching television (T.V.)
Dates follow this format: January 28, 2013 NOT January 28th 2013
If your computer puts it that way, fix it; “Control Z” undoes the last action of the computer
Do not start any sentences with the middle of a quote or with and Arabic number regardless of whether it is under 20

19. Agreement
Your subjects must agree with your verbs and with each other:
“Each student raised his hand.”
Don’t use:
“Literally, these lines are saying that one closes their eyes to sleep therefore protecting or enclosing his eyes from the light.”

20. Presenting Using notecards: Poise:
Be sure to keep the cards down while you are presenting; they should be “invisible” to your audience
Put only the briefest of information on them, so you don’t “read” from them- only glance at them for specific facts, dates, points to cover
Poise:
Try not to rock or slouch or play with your clothes, hands, or notecards