1. HELP Me! (Poet Tribute Essay Guide)
Embedding Text Evidence
MLA Format
Parenthetical Citations

2. Writing Analytical Paragraphs (Fully Developed SARs)
A fully developed analytical body paragraph is typically at least ten sentences long. Do not panic! We will work our way up to these ten sentences by starting with only two concrete details/quotes at the beginning of the year, eventually working up to three. At the beginning of the year, your analytical body paragraphs should be 6- 8 sentences long and have this structure:
Topic Sentence
Concrete detail/quote
Commentary/SQA (specific quote analysis)
Commentary/SQA
Concluding sentence

3. Only 1-6 Word Quotes
Why can our quotes only be 1-6 words in length? What if I have a longer quote I want to use?
Longer quotes typically lead to summarizing instead of analyzing- a big no-no when it comes to analytical essays. When you use shorter quotes, you force yourself to talk about the underlying or abstract meaning of the quotes instead of about what the quote is saying on the surface level. If you have a longer quote, you can cut it down to its “bones.” Ask yourself, “What part of this quote do I actually want to analyze?” Usually you will find that you can only talk about a couple of words or one phrase. This is what you will use as your concrete detail instead of the entire quote. If you can’t cut it down, it typically means that you are trying to summarize instead of analyze.

4. What does it mean to “sandwich” my quotes with my own words?
Text Embedding
What does it mean to “sandwich” my quotes with my own words?
Quotes should never stand alone in your writing; therefore, you should try to integrate your quotes into your own writing or make sure your own words surround a quote. Below are a few examples:
Incorrect: Hurston uses personification of nature to implement folk language in her novel. “Left his footprints in the sky” (1). This quote…
Incorrect: Hurston uses personification of nature to implement folk language in her novel. An example of this is when she writes “left his footprints in the sky” (1) in chapter 1.
Correct: Hurston uses personification of nature to implement folk language in her novel. When describing the sunset, Hurston says the sun “left his footprints in the sky” (1).
Correct: Hurston uses personification of nature to implement folk language in her novel. Her use of “footprints” to describe the sunset in chapter 1 mirrors creation mythology (1).

5. General MLA Guidelines
O Double-space everything
O Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font (or Arial will also be accepted)
O Set all margins to 1 inch on all sides
O Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch (Use the “TAB” key)
O Header with page numbers in the upper right corner (only if more than 2 pages)
O Use italics for book titles and use quotes for poem titles
O Hit the spacebar twice after ending punctuation marks
O DO NOT USE CONTRACTIONS

6. Heading
Heading order: Your name, Teacher’s Name, Class/Course, Date written

7. When Should You Include Parenthetical or In-Text Citations?
When quoting any words that are not your own (quoting means to utilize another source word for word, using quotation marks).
BTW, simply changing a word or two in a quotation does not make it your words.
When summarizing facts or ideas from a source.
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s).
When paraphrasing facts or ideas from a source.
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words.

8. Parenthetical Citations
A direct quote must include the author's last name and page number in a parenthesis at the end of the sentence. You may not have a page number or an author’s name from the databases. In that case, put the title of the article. The period always goes outside the parenthesis. This is also a requirement for anything paraphrased.
Direct Quote: Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Paraphrased: Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (Wordsworth 263).

9. Sample SAR with Parenthetical Citations
Emily Dickinson reveals her suicidal ideation through specific diction to portray a melancholy tone in her poem, “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain.” In the second stanza, the phrase, “I heard them lift a box” implies that she imagines her own casket “creaking across her soul” (Dickinson). True to this poem’s tone, the author’s critics speculate that she suffered from “agoraphobia, anxiety or depression,” because she kept herself so isolated from the world (Emily Dickinson). Her melancholy mindset and hopelessness is revealed toward the end of the poem when she “dropped down, and down,” illustrating the constant lull in her mood (Dickinson). As a young woman, Dickinson’s ”fragile emotional state” greatly affected her outlook on life (Emily Dickinson). “I Felt Funeral in My Brain” served as an outlet for this troubled author to express her sorrow and fascination with the possibility of ending her life. Depression is a serious illness that many cannot escape, no matter how hard they try (8 sentences)

10. Introduction Be sure to include these things:
Brief introduction to the time period and author
Significance of poetry
Specific thesis statement outlining the 3 body paragraphs
Example Thesis:
Emily Dickinson, the acclaimed author, spent most of her life battling depression and never tasting her fame; this is illustrated in her poetry through her dark tones and her connotative questioning of the afterlife and everyday struggles (4-5 sentences)

11. First Body Paragraph Be sure to include these things:
Basic upbringing, education, family details
Were there moments in the poet’s life that influenced their writing?
What criticisms and celebrations did they face?
It needs to include a topic sentence and parenthetical citations!
(8-ish sentences)

12. Conclusion Be sure to include these things:
Legacy left behind by the poet
Wrap it up with a closing statement, figurative language or quote
(2-3 sentences)

13. How to Format your Works Cited Page
Your Works Cited page should be:
In alphabetical order
DO NOT NUMBER
The top line should be left justified
All lines following should be indented
You can do this by hitting enter on the second line
Then pressing the “Tab” button