Due Friday: vocabulary for "Dover Beach"
In class: background instructions for "Duchess essay" class handout / copy below.
You have Wednesday and Thursday in class to work on your essay.
Expository essay instructions on "My Last Duchess" (class handout and copy below)
“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning expository essay
Note: an expository essay requires you to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner.
Essay topic: How does the poet Robert Browning reveal the true character of the Duke in his dramatic monologue poem “My Last Duchess”?
Mechanics: minimum 5 paragraphs; minimum 300 words ; MLA heading
As this is your first essay, I have provided the outline for you to construct the essay. Remember that each of the body paragraphs must have a thesis, supporting evidence and an analysis. To get to your analysis, always ask yourself, why something is significant.
1. Start with your MLA heading
2. Introduction: a. write a hook sentence, in this case a general statement about power. (Think about the quick write you did on the nature of power.) Do not mention the Duke in this first sentence. This is to get your reader’s attention. b. Now write your thesis statement or controlling idea. (Look at the essay topic and rephrase this, and insert the following that you will develop and support in your essay: his manipulation of the setting when he speaks to the Count’s emissary and his description of the Duchess and his tone.
3. Body paragraph 1
Begin with a thesis statement that establishes the setting of the poem. Where does the poem take place? What exactly is happening? Weave specific text from the poem into your own sentence, making sure to put the poet’s words into quotations. Where is the emissary? How is the Duke controlling him? How long does the Duke continue his reverie? What is he trying to convey? When do they move? Analysis statement: Why is the setting important to the development of the Duke’s character?
4. Body paragraph 2
Thesis: why does the Duke go into so much detail about the Duchess’s behavior? Talk about a couple of situations that bothered him? Again, make sure you weave text into your sentences and put the poet’s words in quotations. What type of person does she appear to be based solely on her actions? Ignore the Duke’s bias here. Go for the facts. Analysis statement: What message is being sent about the Duchess to the emissary and why is this important for their future business deal?
5. Body paragraph 3
Thesis: How does the choice of words that the Duke uses establish his sense of power? You will need to look at the specific words that he uses that distance him from others. Think about “never read strangers”…., speaking about Fra Pandolf, the use of “officious”, “stoop” and even his pointing out the “Neptune Taming a Sea Horse.” Analysis statement: why does the Duke speak in this manner? What is the outcome?
6. Conclusion
What is the Duke’s ultimate objective in this dramatic monologue? What he done to the Duchess’s character and why? What does he unintentionally reveal about his character?
No comments:
Post a Comment