Poetry Explication

Unit 2: Poetry Explication Purpose: To further our study of literature, we come across different types of poetry. Of course, we are no strangers to this form of writing, stereotypically classified as short, pretty and often rhyming. Many of us have learned to read by hearing the sounds and rhythms of poetry. Many of us may have written our own lines or received verse as a gift from somebody (think Valentines Day!). We may have even studied it closely in high school or college. From these experiences, many will admit that poetry, though beautiful, is often difficult to understand. Since it reflects such an integral part of the writers consciousness and mentality, it is often perplexing (like a puzzle we are trying to figure out). This is why our next assignment is meant to be both challenging and interesting. I ask that you make a smart selection of a poem (by smart, I mean to consider a few technicalities such as length, time, and purpose), and explicate it. Explication is a type of analysis, in which you must do a close reading of your chosen poem and show how the poems literary techniques contribute to the development of its theme. If done correctly, explications help us understand and appreciate poetry on a deeper level. You must present your poem, in its entirety before beginning your explication. Assignment: Write a poetry explication based on this poem ” Not Waving but Drowning by Stevie Smith” Choose a strong poem and read it at least three times (preferable out loud) Paraphrase the poem line-by-line. This is a translation of each line completely in your own words Determine the context of the poem. To figure out the context, answer questions relating to: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Determine the theme or overall message of the poem. If you think there is more than one, then choose the one you wish to focus on. List all the literary techniques you can find. This includes: diction, persona, allusion, denotation, connotation, imagery, tone, figurative language, sound, rhythm, and structure. Narrow down these literary techniques to fit: your chosen theme (which techniques are most relevant to the theme) and how. Writing an Explication: Please note: an explication is a line-by-line explanation of a poem from beginning to end. Explain is the key This is different from a thesis-support paper because it doesnt follow a logical structure (thesis + supporting reasons); instead, it has a chronological structure that unfolds or reveals the meaning(s) of a poem as it develops from beginning to end. Guidelines and Structure of Writing an Explication: You want to start by simply presenting your interpretation of the poems overall meaning and start explicating immediately. Dont worry about writing a formal introduction with a thesis; remember, this is not a formal thesis-based essay, but rather, an explication. The first line or lines of the explication should describe the situation of the speaker and declare the central subject of the poem, identify the most significant conflict(s) or tension(s) surrounding this subject, and present your interpretation of the overall message or theme of the poem. Next, you should continue to explicate the poems central meaning line by line, expanding the discussion of the meaning and conflict in terms of the elements of poetry that we have discussed in this unit: diction, imagery, speaker and tone, figurative language, symbolism, allusion, sound and rhythm. That is, you should explain the overall meaning of the poem by focusing on how the poet has used these elements of poetry to construct this meaning. Each section of the poem (stanza or grouping of text) can be explicated in a separate paragraph in the explication. If the poem has no stanzas, you are to determine (decide) which lines constitute a section or grouping of the poem and structure your explication accordingly. The end of the explication should discuss any or all of the below: Any final thoughts on the overall meaning of the poem The value of experiencing the poem Your personal connection to the poem Finally, because this is not a formal essay, there is no page requirement for this explication. I am simply looking for a deep, thorough analysis and understanding of the poem. Each explication, however, should contain, at least 4 paragraphs: Introduction to overall meaning/theme of the poem Line by line explication of one stanza/grouping of text Line by line explication of another stanza/grouping of the text If your poem has more than two stanzas/groupings, I expect more paragraphs with a line by line explication. Conclusion on overall meaning and writers connection to the poem. I uploaded my completed assignment, but got 47/100 points and this is my teacher’s comment. “I use two softwares, and since it was detected as 100% AI generated by only one, I decided to read your explication. It is not surprise that your explication is very general, abstract, and lacking detail. It is not meeting the requirements for this assignment and therefore, it isn’t passing. You are required to provide a line by line explication, which means each line should be quoted with a close examination of the literary techniques in each line. Please revise this assignment using your own voice”