This paper will be an interdisciplinary analysis of one or two poems of your choice

This paper will be an interdisciplinary analysis of one or two poems of your choice

I.                   This paper will be an interdisciplinary analysis of one or two poems of your choice.  Select these poems from works produced or translated into the English Language.  The easiest choices, of course are poems from our readings, but this still leaves a lot of content open for poem selections, and multi-era selections are allowed.  

A.    Length and Format Requirements

1.      3-4 Pages

2.      MLA, APA or Chicago format is acceptable (most students choose MLA)

3.      All papers must be submitted as .doc/.docx (Microsoft Word) files.

4.      All papers must be submitted in the drop box titled “Paper 1 Drop Box” on, or before the specified due date.

II.                Process

A.    Select poems that are interesting to you.

B.     Select a theme in the poems that is transferable, or has meaning beyond the poems.  Example:

Contrasting depictions of city life in British Romantic Poetry and American Beat  Poetry

C.     Make a tentative argument (thesis statement, or claim) that references both the poem and the theme.  Ex: “Verses 3, 17 and 80 of the Tao Te Ching illustrate the philosophy that any government will best achieve its goals by being less authoritarian and more harmonious in its dealings with the people.”

D.    Conduct some research in support of your claim.

1.      Use the library databases (www.farmingdale.edu).  JSTOR and Ebsco’s Academic Search Complete (check boxes for “peer-reviewed content” and “full text” on Ebsco) are the best.

2.      Find peer-reviewed articles (1 or 2) that are related to your theme and claim.

3.      Remember that these sources do not need to be about the poem – just the theme.

E.     Make an outline that references both the poem and the article to establish an organizational plan for the paper.

F.      Write the paper! (In proper format)

G.    Include the following elements:

1.      Short Introductory Paragraph (last sentence of this is the thesis statement)

2.      Organized body text

a.       Cite the poem

b.      Cite the additional source

3.      Conclusion (This is not a “restatement” of the introduction.  Conclusions and introductions are different, just ask the dictionary!)