Assignment 1 – Literary Analysis

Paper Details

Part A (relates to Unit 1)

Choose any five of the following seven questions and respond in single-paragraph answers of from five to eight sentences. Your responses should be concise but detailed and should employ quoted material to support major points. (10 marks each)

1. The rhyme pattern in T. S. Eliot’s “Preludes” (Geddes, 95) is a sophisticated and modern variation on an old form. Identify the rhyme pattern in the first stanza and discuss what Eliot might have been trying to do in using this pattern.
2. After reviewing the entry on rhyme in Abrams’s Glossary, identify three different types of end-rhyme in Theodore Roethke’s “Prayer” (Geddes, 188). What effects do the rhymes produce?
3. What is the chief symbol in Lorna Crozier’s poem “Forms of Innocence” (Geddes, 751)? What does the symbol suggest beyond its literal meaning?
4. In “Epithalamium” (Geddes, 651) Louise Glück uses alliteration, assonance and consonance. Identify an example of each and comment on the effect of these devices in Glück’s poem.
5. How do any three of the plant and vegetation images function, or what do they convey, in Ezra Pound’s translation-poem “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” (Geddes, 25–26)?
6. What is the chief figure of speech in Williams’s “The Yachts” (Geddes, 41), and what does it seem to say about Williams’s subject?
7. Identify at least five metaphors in Earle Birney’s poem “Vancouver Lights” (Geddes, 200–201). How does each metaphor influence our understanding of the element within the poem to which is applied?

Part B (relates to Unit 2)

Choose one of the following poems from 20th-Century Poetry and Poetics and write an explication of 400 to 500 words. Your explication should be based on the instructions and models presented in Unit 2. (50 marks)

• “The Landlady” by P. K. Page (Geddes, 282–283)
• “Bushed” by Earle Birney (Geddes, 209–210)
• “Summer Twilight” by Sharon Thesen (Geddes, 829)

The Book name- Geddes, G. 20th Century Poetry & Poetics. 5th ed. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2006.

ANSWER:

Part A

Question 3

In her poem ‘Forms of Innocence,’ Lorna Crozier used symbolism to share her message. She used a bird (black swan) to symbolize freedom from earthly constraints. Birds signify beauty and freedom of thought and action (Geddes, 2006). They (birds) can fly anywhere anytime, as long as they are not unhealthy. The girl in the poem was raised in a home where members were not allowed to touch anything, thus, pointing to an environment that lacked love and sexual sensation (Geddes, 2006). She feels that a …. continue reading

Question 4

In the poem ‘Epithalamium’ Louise Gluck used alliteration, assonance, and consonance to improve memorability. Louise used alliteration when she said, “here is my hand that will not harm you” (Geddes, 2006). The repetition of the ‘h’ sound points to an emphasis on the presentation aspect of the poem through rhyme. Louise also used assonance and consonance in the poem to increase the engagement level with her audience. For instance,… To continue reading, click on the button below.