The major assignment for this week is to compose a 800-word essay comparing
The Odysseywith either
The Song of Rolandor Dante’s
Inferno. In this paper you will write an in-depth analysis using your own ideas and excerpts from the epic poems in the form of quotes, paraphrase, or summary.
As you prepare to write this essay, make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.
Pick a TopicFirst, identify a topic in consultation with your instructor or write about
oneof the following options:
- Although nearly two thousand years separateThe Odysseyand Dante’sInferno, both works are epic poems that:
- Explore the theme of goodversusevil.
- Employ journey as a metaphor for maturation.
- Reveal and teach cultural values about leadership.
- Caution audiences about the appeal of temptation.
- Contemplate the nature of immortality.
Compare and contrast how one or two of these topics is developed in
The Odysseyand Dante’s
Inferno. Be sure to contextualize your examination in the cultural values, philosophies, literary movements, and ideas that typify each work. Use literary perspectives to enrich your analysis.
The Song of RolandandThe Odyssey, though separated by thousands of years, are both epic works whose protagonists are warriors engaged in violent conflict: Roland is a medieval Crusader and Odysseus is on a long journey home after conquering Troy. Additionally, both works:
- Explore the theme of goodversusevil.
- Reveal and teach cultural values about leadership.
- Contemplate the nature of immortality.
- Examine the moral and practical implications of loyalty and betrayal.
Compare and contrast the figures Roland and Odysseus by considering whether and/or how they exhibit the characteristics of an epic hero. Be sure to contextualize your examination in the cultural values, philosophies, literary movements, and ideas that typify each work. Use literary perspectives to enrich your analysis.
Develop a Tentative ThesisAs you consider different options for your thesis,
- Develop a few hypotheses about the text that are based on your own perspectives and relate to the topic that you chose to explore for this assignment.
- In addition to considering the texts' plots, reflect on the role(s) that genre and other elements of literature (see the online lecture on this topic) play in revealing medieval Western European and ancient Greek cultures, including important philosophies and values associated with these regions and eras.
- Review the lectures on literary movements and literary perspectives (feminist, psychoanalytic, and historicist perspectives on literature) and identify which of these analytical tools best supports the ideas that you are beginning to develop.
Gather evidence that is likely to support your tentative thesis. At this point, there is no need to use “outside” sources to complete the essay. You will have an opportunity to do that next week. For now, your evidence should consist of experiential knowledge (what you have learned through life experience) and quotes, paraphrase, or summary from the epic poem's texts.
Next, choose one of the prewriting techniques discussed in chapter 3c, "Invent and Prewrite," of
The New Century Handbookand begin prewriting.
Rough DraftWrite your rough draft. You are not required to submit it, but you should acquire the habit of writing one for every essay you compose in this and other classes.
Revise and EditProofread the rough draft to ensure:
- The thesis is clear and well focused and the introduction includes all the necessary information.
- The discussion of evidence includes quotes, paraphrase, or summary and synthesizes this material and your ideas.
- The conclusion is appropriate and reinforces the paper's main ideas without repeating the introduction word for word.
- The essay is formatted in APA style throughout. It uses appropriate grammar, spelling and mechanics.
- Quoted material does not exceed 25% of the paper.
Name your document SU_ENG2002_W4_A2_LastName_FirstInitial.doc. By
Tuesday, May 27 2013, submit the final draft of your essay in a Microsoft Word document to the
W4: Assignment 2 Dropbox.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
|
Maximum Points
|
Wrote a complete introduction that engages your classmates' interest, explains the topic, and provides a detailed thesis that identifies your argument and maps the paper for your audience. |
10 |
Examined a theme present in both texts using literary terminology, such as tone, style, genre, point of view, and imagery, in your essay’s discussion of evidence. |
10 |
Used key passages and quotations from both texts in your essay’s discussion of evidence, limiting quoted material to 25% of the essay or less. |
10 |
Examined in your essay’s discussion of evidence what both texts suggest about the cultures, eras, and regions in which they were written. |
10 |
Employed information about literary movements and/or one or more literary perspectives to compare the two texts. |
10 |
Considered in your discussion of evidence philosophies and ideologies that influenced the text. |
10 |
Organized the paper effectively with unified paragraphs, each of which has a topic sentence and uses effective transitions to the next paragraph. |
10 |
Provided an appropriate conclusion that reinforces the paper's main ideas without repeating the introduction word for word. |
10 |
Communicated clearly using your own words for the majority of the paper with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling throughout. |
10 |
Met the word requirement and formatted the paper in APA style throughout. |
10 |
Total:
|