Write an essay on three poems from the poems below on the same theme, such as death.

Write an essay on three poems from the poems below on the same theme, such as death. You are welcome to use the following thesis and outline below if you wish.

Paragraph One

Introductory paragraph with thesis. Here is an example of a thesis on the theme of death:

Death by suicide, racial hatred, and patricide are hauntingly portrayed in “Richard Cory,” “Ballad of Birmingham,” and “Oedipus the King.”

Paragraph Two

Suicide in “Richard Cory” with at least one quote from the poem and at least one quote from a critical source. Thought to explore: Why did Richard Cory kill himself?

Paragraph Three

Racial hatred in “Ballad of Birmingham” with at least one quote from the poem and at least one quote from a critical source. Thought to explore: Why did the bombers feel threatened?

Paragraph Four

Patricide in “Oedipus the King” with at least one quote from the poem and at least one quote from a critical source. Thought to explore: Are our actions by choice or predetermined?

Paragraph Five

Concluding paragraph summarizing your thoughts.

At the end of your essay

Works Cited–at least three sources

You have several choices:

A. Use the same thesis and poems outlined above or

B. Use the same thesis as above with different poem(s) or

C. Write your own thesis with your choice of poems from our poetry unit.

In each case you must use poems from our poetry unit. You are also required to do research and include at least one quote from your research for each poem. A good resource to find critical sources is the Literature Resource Center which is in the menu on the left of the home page. Your sources can be articles or books. A google search can also be useful.

*POEMS to choose from
1. “This is Just to Say,” William Carlos Williams
2. Where Children Live By Naomi Shihab Nye
3. “We Real Cool,” Gwendolyn Brooks THE POOL PLAYERS.SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.
4. Richard Cory By Edwin Arlington Robinson
5. If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking – Emily Dickinson
6. Where I Come From By Elizabeth Brewster
7. Hans Christian Andersen
8. Dream On By James Tate
9. The Red Wheelbarrow – William Carlos Williams
10. I Find no Peace By Sir Thomas Wyatt
11. What If You Slept? – Samuel Taylor Coleridge
12. La Migra by Pat Mora
13. Annabel Lee By Edgar Allan Poe
14. Ballad of Birmingham By Dudley Randall
15. Poem by Langston Hughes