Don't forget to take into
account the general instructions on writing
assignments.The poem will be found on pp. 684-85 of our anthology. Your job is to write a well-developed essay on a thematically insightful thesis about this poem, in which you address each of the issues raised in our editors' questions on p. 685. An adequate essay will not just mechanically provide answers to each question in turn, but will integrate the insights to which these questions lead in a logically systematic clarification and defense of its unifying thesis.
Your basic strategy would be to show how Betjeman draws us a portrait of a certain type of character, in a certain type of situation, in order to suggest a certain set of insights into some subject. (Of course, your job is to be a specific as you can in filling in the blanks in this abstract formula. Otherwise you'll end up with pablum!)
An important part of your task will be to show what's revealed, in particular moments, about the speaker's charactistic attitudes, and what these reveal in turn about her values. But rather than organizing your exposition by the order in which these revealing moments emerge in the course of the prayer, structure the section which deals with her character around a discussion of the values revealed, set forth in some logically sensical progression.
An angle you might consider: since the discourse is addressed to a particular "you," it might be helpful to imagine what sort of person that person would consider himself or herself to be confronted with. [Of course, the poem is meant to be read by reflective human beings, so its theme will have to do with something that we might find insightful.]
Don't forget to take into
account the general instructions on writing
assignments.
Suggestions, comments and questions are welcome. Please
send them to lyman@ksu.edu
.
Contents copyright © 1998 by Lyman A.
Baker.
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This page last updated 02 March 2000.