Term essay

For the term essay, you are required to write a well-written critical study about some aspect of the genre of the dramatic monologue. The essay should be between eight (full) and twelve pages in length (using double space lineation, a twelve-point Roman font, and one-inch margins). Essays that are shorter than eight full pages will be returned unread. Essays that are longer than fifteen pages may be returned unread. The essay must include a list of works cited (that does not count towards the total page count). Please do not submit the essay in a binder or folder. I am not fond of title pages.

Your essay can focus on treating one or more of the poems from our course reading list. You are free to study any of the poems, regardless of the subjects of your other assignments for this course. Your focus can also be more theoretical, where you do not study one or more poems but use as many poems as you want to theorize about the dramatic monologue genre.

Your essay should have a “research” component. That is, your essay should respond in some way to at least two academic, critical studies directly related to your essay’s topic. One critical essay must be chosen from the list of critical essays on course reading list. The second critical essay (which could also be a chapter or a book) must not be on our reading list; it may be a study of the poem(s) you are treating in your essay, or it may be more generally about the dramatic monologue genre. Note that you are not being asked to review or critique a critical essay; you are being asked to respond to and/or extend the work/theories of the essays. You may use more than two critical essays for your essay, but your essay should respond with some depth to at least two critical essays. (Your use of other critical essays could be more superficial.) Note that you are allowed to use any essay from our course reading list.

Please feel free to discuss your ideas for your term essay with the instructor, at any stage of the planning/writing process.

At the beginning of every class from March 1 to April 5, I will ask the class if anyone would like to share his/her ideas for the term essay with the class. This is an opportunity for you to receive immediate feedback on your topic from your peers (and the instructor). You are welcome to speak for about two minutes, outlining your thesis for your essay and explaining a bit how you will go about supporting your thesis. This is purely voluntary, and there is no grade directly associated with this (except it will be seen as participation).

The term essay is due Aril 9th. Consult the course syllabus for information about extensions and lateness penalties.