1. Thesis/Theme development

2. Activity 3.18 Now, using your own poet and poems, create a thesis for your essay – ONLY do this when you have analyzed all three poems and developed a SOLID theme! In her/his poems “____________,”“____________,” and “_______,” Poem Title 1Poem Title 2 Poem 3 ___________________ illuminates/unveils/articulates the theme Author first/last name (choose one or come up with your own) “________________________” by using _______________, Theme statementElement 1 ______________, and ______________. Element 2 Element 3

3. Activity 3.19 Sample Theme In his poems “Harlem,” “A Negro Speaks of Rivers,” and “I, Too,” Langston Hughes conveys the theme that “one’s present does not dictate his or her future” by using metaphor, strong diction, and imagery.

4. Activity 3.19 Tips from last time… 1)Semicolons are glorified periods; they cannot set off sentence segments. 2)Use the author’s full name the first time you mention him/her. After that, you may refer to his/her last name only – not the first name by itself! 3)Transitions go between paragraphs AND between new ideas within paragraphs (104) 4)First/second person should not be used. 5)Make sure you refer to Writer’s Inc. (258 and 469) for proper quotation punctuation (especially with poems)! 6)Eliminate vague diction (things, stuff, a lot, very, important) 7)Use logic…if you have to stretch it to make it work, I probably won’t be able to see the connection. 8)USE MY COMMENTS FROM LAST TIME!!