William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130” and Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” are poems whose subject matter is about appreciation, but the form of appreciation the speaker in each poem favours is...

William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130” and Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” are poems whose subject matter is about appreciation, but the form of appreciation the speaker in each poem favours is different from the other. Do you agree with this view? In an essay of not more than 1,200 words, analyze the poems to make clear your position on the given claim. CLUE: The claim in this question is debatable. Therefore, you will need to come to a decision on whether you agree with the position therein or not. Your understanding of the two poems is important in coming to a decision. Once you decide which position you want to take, that becomes your argument. You will need to construct a thesis statement from your position. In the body of the essay – from paragraph to paragraph – you will comparatively analyze the poems to prove your thesis statement. Your analysis must include the form (poetic elements and structure) of each poem, and you must use relevant textual evidence, as well as secondary source(s), to justify your assertions. In addition, close reading is a useful skill you should demonstrate in your analysis of the poems.


William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130” and Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” are poems whose subject matter is about appreciation, but the form of appreciation the speaker in each poem favours is different from the other. Do you agree with this view? In an essay of not more than 1,200 words, analyze the poems to make clear your position on the given claim. CLUE: The claim in this question is debatable. Therefore, you will need to come to a decision on whether you agree with the position therein or not. Your understanding of the two poems is important in coming to a decision. Once you decide which position you want to take, that becomes your argument. You will need to construct a thesis statement from your position. In the body of the essay – from paragraph to paragraph – you will comparatively analyze the poems to prove your thesis statement. Your analysis must include the form (poetic elements and structure) of each poem, and you must use relevant textual evidence, as well as secondary source(s), to justify your assertions. In addition, close reading is a useful skill you should demonstrate in your analysis of the poems.