1. General Writing Comments 11/30 | 12/1

2. Consider the prompt! Analyze how poetic devices contribute to larger meanings of the poem. Be sure to do the following: Identify patterns of literary devices – P2s (e.g. contrasting formal/informal diction, mechanical imagery, periodic syntax) Identify a debatable, specific, and inferential overall meaning – P1 (e.g. criticism - critique of structural religion; theme – idea that romantic love requires sacrifice; characterization – Marlow characterized as a reflective intellectual scarred by experiences in the Congo; attitude – speaker’s ironic condemnation of imperialism)

3. AVOID WRITING “POSITIVE” and “NEGATIVE” CONNOTATIONS Be more specific Yes, “seeping blood,” “rotten corpse,” and “murderer ” have negative connotations, but they are more specifically related to violence and bodily desecration.

4. CONNECT EVIDENCE TO CLAIM CLAIM: Victor is condescending to the creature EVIDENCE: “Abhorred monster!” “vile creature” NEED TO CONNECT THE TWO. USE LITERARY DEVICES and DISSECT! CONNECTING INTERPRETATION(S): By referring to his creature using titles connotative of evil and moral degradation, seen in “Abhorred monster” and “vile creature”, Victor establishes himself as the moral superior to the monster and degrades it as such.

5. AVOID SPECULATION Speculation: Forming a theory without evidence SPEC: “If Shelley hadn’t used formal diction here, we would have never known the high level of education the monster had achieved.” NOT SPEC: “By endowing the creature with formal speech, Shelley ironically imparts a high level of education to the creature.”

6. USE PRESENT TENSE PAST: In this passage, Shelley described the monster as villainous. PRESENT: In this passage, Shelley describes the monster as villainous.

7. USE STRONG VOICE Eliminate weak verbs like “says,” “states,” “writes,” etc. Also, we prefer the present simple tense (s + v) over the present progressive (“be” + verb-ing). NO – In these lines, Dickinson is arguing that death should not be feared. BETTER – In these lines, Dickinson argues that death should not be feared.

8. BE ASSERTIVE Eliminate words/phrases like “seems”, “kind of”, “almost” In this moment, it seems as if Victor appears to be sympathizing with the creature. CONVINCE A SKEPTIC OF YOUR INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS

9. NOTES ON QUOTES USE QUOTATIONS USE SHORTER QUOTATIONS – Select only the most essential evidence for the specific claim you’re making INTEGRATE QUOTATIONS – Weave evidence into your own sentences. NO ISLAND QUOTATIONS BAD (unintegrated): “An incessant buzzing of helicopters filled the twilight.” This quote shows how the mechanical imagery has a natural feel. GOOD (integrated): The natural imagery of “buzzing” heard as the “helicopters filled the twilight” ironically suggests a lack of verisimilitude in the narrative.

10. NOTES ON QUOTES – CITATIONS “God gave a loaf” Use parentheses to cite line numbers Dickinson’s speaker utilizes this formal diction, announced in the “poignant luxury” (l. 4), to suggest a revered tone toward her own mortality. Parenthesis needed In line 4, Dickinson’s speaker employs formal diction in the “poignant luxury” of her own mortality. No parenthesis needed The gustatory food imagery of “just a crumb” (l. 2) and “loaf of love” (l. 5) suggests a nourishing and essential aspect of spiritual devotion. Parentheses needed

11. DON’T USE “THIS” AS SUBJECT OF SENTENCE Through the inclusion of natural similes such as “uncompromising like a rock” (l. 2) and “he was as a stone” (l. 3), the poet marks a shift to the resolute from the inconsistent. This reinforces the dynamic of the characterization in the passage from immature to experienced. To what does “this” refer?

12. KEEP IT FORMAL NO 1 st PERSON NO WORDS LIKE “A LOT” “GOT” DON’T SAY “MAKES IT EASIER TO READ” DON’T PRAISE AUTHOR/TEXT

13. BE SPECIFIC!