The Poetry Essay

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I NTRODUCTI ON TO THE POETRY ESSAY
It' s obvious to any reader that poetry is different from prose. And, writ-
ing about each is different also. This chapter will guide you through the
expectations and processes associated with the AP Poetry section.
#
What is the purpose of the poetry essay?
The College Board wants to determine your facility in reading and inter-
preting a sustained piece of literature. You are required to understand the
text and to analyze those techniques and devices the poet uses to achieve
hi s or her purpose.
The AP Lit exam is designed to allow you to demonstrate your ease
and fluency with terminology, interpretation, and analysis. The level of
your writing should be a direct reflection of your critical thinking.
The AP Li t exam i s l ooki ng f or connect i ons bet ween anal ysi s and
interpretation. For example, when you find a metaphor, you should iden-
t i f y i t and connect i t t o t he poet ' s i nt ended purpose or meani ng. You
shoul dn' t
j ust
l i st i t ems as you l ocat e t hem. You must connect t hem t o
your interpretation.
Tip: Before beginning to work with an actual poem, read the review
of processes and terms in the Comprehensive Review section of this
book. You should also have completed some of the activities in that
sect i on.
7B
The Poetry Essay
c
/t
OF PROMPTS USED IN THE POETRY ESSAY
Not every poetry essay prompt is the same. Familiarizing yourself with
the various types is critical. This familrarity will both increase your con-
fidence and provide you with a format for poetry analysis.
.o
kinds of questions are asked in the poetry essay?
Let' s look at a few of the types of questions that have been asked in the
poetry essay on the AP Literature exam in the past:
o
How does the language of the poem reflect the speaker' s perceptions,
and how does that language determine the reader' s perception?
.
How does the poet reveal character? (i.e., diction, sound devices,
imagery, allusion)
o
Discuss the similarities and differences between two poems. Consider
style and theme.
o
Contrast the speakers' views toward a subject in two poems. Refer to
form, tone, and imagery.
r
Discuss how poetic elements, such as language, structure, imagery,
and point of view convey meaning in a poem.
o
Given two poems, discuss what elements make one better than the
other.
o
Relate the imagery, form, or theme of a particular section of a poem
to another part of that same poem. Discuss changing attitude or per-
ception of speaker or reader.
o
Analyze a poem's extended metaphor and how it reveals the poet's or
speaker' s attitude.
o
Discuss the way of life revealed in a poem. Refer to such poetic ele-
ments as tone, imagery, symbol, and verse form.
o
Discuss the poet' s changing reaction to the subject developed in the
poem.
o
Discuss how the form of the poem affects its meaning.
You should be prepared to write an essay based on any of these kinds
of prompts. Apply these questions to poems you read throughout the year.
Practice anticipating questions. Keep a running list of the kinds of ques-
tions your teacher asks. Practice. Practice.
TI MI NC AND PLANNI NG THE POETRY ESSAY
Successful writing is directly related to both thought and structure,
and you will need to consider the following concepts related to pre-
writing.
80
.
The Poet ry Essay
How shoul d I plan to spend my time writing the poetry essay?
Remember, timing is crucial. With this in mind,, here's a workable strategyi
.o
o
1-3 minutes reading and "working the prompt."
o
5 minutes reading and making marginal notes about the poem. Try to
isolate two references that strike you. This may give you your opening
and closing.
o
10 minutes preparing to write. (Choose one or two of the following
methods that you feel comfortable with.)
o
Highlighting
o
Margi nal mappi ng (see Chapt er 4 f or sampl es)
o
Key word/one word/line number outlining
r
Numer i cal cl ust er i ng
o
20 minutes to write your essay, based on your preparation
o
3 minutes for proofreading
WORKI NG THE PROMPT
It is important to understand that the quality of your essay greatly depends
upon you correctly addressing the prompt.
How shoul d I go about readi ng the prompt?
As we did in the prose section, we will deconstruct a poetry essay prompt
for you now. (This is the same question that is in the Diagnostic/Master
exam earl i er i n t hi s book. )
You shoul d pl an t o spend 1-3 mi nut es caref ul l y readi ng t he ques-
tion. This will give you time to really digest what the question is asking
you t o do.
Here' s t he prompt :
In "On the Subway," Sharon Olds brings two worlds into close proxim-
ity. Identify the contrasts that develop both portraits in the poem and
discuss the insights the narrator comes to as a result of the experience.
Refer to such literary techniques as poetic devices, tone, imagery, and
organization.
Tip: In the margin, note what time you should be finished with this
essay. For example, the test starts at L p.m. You write 1:40 in the
margin. Time to move on. #
.o
#
The Poetrv Essav
.
81
Here are three reasons why
you
should do a 1-3 minute careful analy-
sis of the prompt:
1. Once you know what is expected, you will read in a more directed
manner.
2. Once you internahze the question:, you will be sensitive to the details
that will apply as you read the poem.
3. Once you know allthe facets that need to be addressed, you will be able
to write a complete essay that demonstrates adherence to the topic.
Do this now.Hrghlight, circle,, or underline the essential terms and ele-
ments in the prompt. Time yourself. How long did it take you?
Compare our hi ghl i ght i ng of t he prompt wi t h yours.
In "On the Subwa)' ," Sharon Olds brings two worlds into close proxim-
iry.
Identify the contrasts that develop both portraits in the poem and
discuss the insights the narrator comes to as a result of the experience.
Refer to such literary techniques as tone, poetic devices,
F[4geryr
and
organization.
In this prompt, anything else you may have highlighted is extraneous.
No/ c:
\ When
t he quest i on uses t he expressi on "such as, " you are not
requi red t o use onl y t hose i deas present ed; you are f ree t o use your own
selectior-r of techniques and devices. Notice that the prompt requires more
t han one t echni que. One wi l l not be enough. You must use more t han
one. I f you f ai l t o use more t han one t echni que, no mat t er how wel l you
present your answer:, your essay will be incon-rplete.
Ti p: See Chapt er 9 t o revi ew t erms, t echni ques, and poet i c devi ces
necessar v f or anal ysi s.
Fi nal l y, read t he poem. Dependi ng on your st yl e and comf ort l evel ,
choose one of t hese approaches t o yoLl r readi ng:
Read qui ckl y t o get t he gi st of t he poem.
Reread, using the highlighting and marginal notes approach.
Read slowly, as if speaking aloud. Let the structure of the poem
help you with meaning. (See the terms enjambment and cdesurd rn
t he gl ossary at t he back of t hi s book. )
Reread to confirm that you understand the full impact of the
poem. Do your highlighting and make marginal notes.
Note: In both approaches, you must hrghlight and make marginal
notes. There is no way to avoid this. Ignore what you don' t immediately
understand. It may become clear to you after reading the poem. Practice.
A.
B.
A.
t .
2.
B.
82
.
The Poetry Essay
"'When I read
poetry out loud,
it's easier
for
me
to understand it."
-Jennifer
L.
-AP
student
Practice. Concentrate on those parts of the poem that apply to what you
highlighted in the prompt.
There are many ways to read and interpret any poetry. You have to
choose your own approach and which specifics to include for support.
Don' t be rattled if there is leftover material.
'We've
reproduced the poem for you below so that you can practice
both the reading and the process of deconstructing the text. Use high-
lighting, arrows, circles, underlining, notes, numbers, and whatever you
need to make the connections clear to you.
Do this now. Spend between 8-10 minutes working the material. Do
not skip tbis step.It is time well spent and is a key to the high score essay.
On the Subway
by Sharon Olds
The boy and I face each other
His feet are huge, in black sneakers
laced with white in a complex pattern like a
set of intentional scars. We are stuck on
opposi te si des of the car, a coupl e of
molecules stuck in a rod of light
rapidly moving through darkness.
He has the casual col d l ook of a mugger,
alert under hooded lids. He is wearing
red, like the inside of the body
exposed. I am wearing dark fur, the
whole skin of an animal taken and
used. I l ook at hi s raw face,
he looks at my fur coat, and I don't
know i f I am i n hi s power-
he could take my coat so easily, my
briefcase, my life-
or if he is in my power, the way I am
living off his life, eating the steak
he does not eat, as if I am taking
the food from his mouth. And he is black
and I am white, and without meaning or
trying to I must profit from his darkness,
the way he absorbs the murderous beams of the
nation's heart, as black cotton
absorbs the heat of the sun and hol ds i t. There i s
lpt
st
10
I J
co
,LI
25
The Poetrv Essav
.
83
no way to know how easy thi s
white skin makes my life, this
l i fe he coul d take so easi l y and
break across hi s knee l i ke a sti ck the way hi s 30
own back i s bei ng broken, the
rod of hi s soul that at bi rth was dark and
fl ui d and ri ch as the heart of a seedl i ng
ready to thrust up i nto any avai l abl e l i ght
Now compare your readi ng notes wi th what we' ve done bel ow.
Yours may vary from ours, but the resul ts of your note-taki ng shoul d be
si mi l ar i n scope.
.o
&Mt
putt.
=
na.DLa.to)L
at ob.tenvett
tinzt
yte,uon
btzab! ! !
cou,(d nanna.ton bz
thz aggne+tctn?
X-ooh,t
[on
deepen
LmpX-Lca.t Lont
natuLo-to)L
qA
ph,LLo..toythen?
On the Subway
by Sharon Ol ds
used. I l ook at hi s raw face,
he l ooks at my fur coat, and I dol r' t
know i f I am i n hi s power-
he coul d take rny coat so easi l )' , m),
briefcase, m)r life-
Or i f he i s i n my power, the way I am
ctppo.t.Ltion
The bc) and I face each other
Hi s feet are huge, i n bl ack sneakers
-dal Ll z
Ughf-l aced
wi th whi te i n a compl ex pattern l i ke a
vi ol LncL.-set
of i nter-rti onal scars. o. nr. ou.o ut-
no con' tno!:
oppct,si -tz
--
opposi te si des of the car, a coupl e of 5
.tide,s
ct( the/
"' i "i oi L| ,"'
mol ecul es stuck i . a rocl ,f l i ght
!-Lgh.t. and. d"antz
apidly moving thr:ough darkness --I-
me'txphon
;-He
has the casual col d l ook of a rnugger.-na.j uLtuton,.t (za,t
me,tanhon----)
Lal ert
under hooded l i ds. He i s wei l ri ng
' tungLca' (-,
ALm4Lz
------
cUn ica.[-, au.tctp.ttl
red. l i ke the i nsi de of the body
---
--
Ib
-f
"""--'
exl . l osed. I ar n wear i ng cl ar l < t ur , t hc- - - 1
+
whore skin of an anirnar taker.r and
-f
hunting and 'slz'Lnning
vio.Lznce
1-5 dzan
od
po's'sih!-e
vio.Lence
l i vi ng off hi s l i fe. eari ng rhe sreak
---l _---
ani max. i maga,tq-agai n
he does not eat, as if I am taking -J
20
hunting and 'slz,Lnning
the food from hi s mouth. And he i s bl ack
-
and I am white, ar.rd with.ut meaning or
lnf
r;:X*,
trying to I must profit from his darkness
the way he absorbs the murderous beams of the
- j
udgmznta.L
84. The Poetrv Essav
r nat i on' s hear t . as bl ack cot t on - - 2. 5
.LLcth,t and dantz)
==-=-==-
,;^i 0. -
|
absor hs t he heat of t he sur r and hol ds i r . Ther e i s
' r L' t t &L
-no
way to know how easy thi s
Uah.t and datttz4 |
Lwhi te
ski n makes rny l i fe, thi s
l -
su,i l tt
l i fe he coul d take so easi l y andi
--,si mi Le
l br eak
acr oss hi s knee l i ke a st i ck t hc wa) , hi s
- " '
. \ 0
I
nzdenznez to
-) own back i s bei ng broken, the
,s.Lavahu? |
-
Lrod
of his soul
$at
+
!U4r
wasla4ild
.timi_Lz
Highlis
points
you' ue
You m
prised
actuaL
o
Ani mal i magery
o
Implied violence
o
Shift in middle of poem
o
Si mi l es
WRI TI NG THE
Notice that we have ignored notes that did not apply to the prompt.
Now choose the techniques that develop the contrasting portraits and
reveal t he narrat or' s percept i ons.
In response to the prompt, we have decided that the techniques/devices
we will analyze are:
o
I magery
o
Poetic devices
o
Organi zat i on
I f you expand t he above t echni ques/ devi ces and t he above cat egori es
into interpretive statements and support those statements with appro-
pri at e det ai l s t hat you' ve al ready i sol at ed, you wi l l be wri t i ng a def ended
essay.
OPENI NG PARAGRAPH
Your opening statement is the one that sets the tone of your essay and
possibly raises the expectations of the reader. Spend time on your first
paragraph to maximize your score.
Make certain that your topic is very clear. This reinforces the idea
t hat you f ul l y underst and what i s expect ed of you and what you wi l l
communicate to the reader. Generally, identify both the text and the poet
i n t hi s f i rst paragraph.
nedenencz to
;fl ui d
and r:i ch as the heart of a seedl i ng
.(i qht and
di-'scn'LminaLL0n?-1t1sa4v
to thrust uo into anv :rvailabl
"
1in6r---l-
ait
After you have marked the poem, review the prompt.
\When
you look
at your notes, certain categories will begin to pop out at you. These can
be the basis for the development of the body of your essay. For example:
o
Li ght and dark i magery
o
Speaker' s i nsi ght s
o
Cont rast i n st at us
o
Met aphors
.o
Highlight these
points to see if
you'ue done them.
You may be sur-
prised at what is
actwally there.
The Poetry Essay
o
$$
Do tbis now.Take 5 minutes to write your opening paragraph for the
prompt on page 80. ' Wri t e qui ckl y, ref erri ng t o your not es.
Let' s check what you' ve written.
o
Have you included the poet and title?
o
Have you addressed the portraits, contrasts, and insights?
o
Have you specifically mentioned the techniques you will refer to in
your essay?
Here are t hree sampl e openi ng paragraphs t hat address each of t he
above criteria.
A
Sharon Ol ds i n t he poem, "On t he Subway, " present s a bri ef
encounter between two people of different races which leads to several
i nsi ght s of one part i ci pant . Thi s i s accompl i shed t hrough ol ds' s use of
poet i c devi ces, i magery, and i magi nat i on.
B
The observer and the observed. one has control over the other. In
her poem, "on t he Subway, " Sharon ol ds asks her readers t o ent er t he
mi nd of a whi t e woman who observes a young, bl ack man as t hey t ravel
together, neither knowing the other. Using poetic devices, imagery' and
organization, Olds takes the reader on a ride through the contrasts and
i mages t hat spark t he i magi nat i on of t he whi t e onl ooker.
C
"And he i s bl ack and I am whi t e" est abl i shes t he basi c cont rast and
cor-rf l i ct i r-r Sharon Ol ds' s poem, "On t he Subway. " Through i magery,
organi zat i on, and poet i c devi ces, Ol ds creat es t wo cont rast i ng por-
traits. The narrator' s confrontation becomes the reader' s also as she
reveal s her t roubl i ng f ears and i nsi ght s t hrough her i mages and com-
ment s concerni ng her encount er wi t h t he bl ack yout h.
These three introductory paragraphs identify the poet and the title
and cl earl y i ndi cat e an underst andi ng of t he prompt . Now, l et ' s nore
what is different about each.
Sample A is a straightforward, unadorned restatement of the prompt.
I t i s correct , yet , l acks a wri t er' s voi ce. (I f you are unsure of how t o pro-
ceed, this is the type of opening you may want ro consider.) This type of
opening paragraph will at least allow you ro get into the essay with as lit-
tle complexity as possible.
Sample B immediately reveals the writer' s confidence and mature
writing style. The prompt is addressed in a provocative and interesting
manner, Ietting the reader know the tone of the essay.
Sample C incorporates a direct quotation from the poem which indi-
cates the writer is comfortable with citation. The writer also links the
reader with the poem and feels confident that his or her
judgments
about
the encounter are supportable.
k
n
86
.
The Poet ry Essay
WRI TI NG THE
Note: There are many other types of opening paragraphs that could
do the
job
as well. The paragraphs above are
just
a few samples.
Does your opening paragraph resemble any of these samples?
BODY OF THE POETRY ESSAY
When you write the body of your essay, take only 15-20 minutes. Time
yourself and try your best to finish within that time frame.
Since this is practice, don' t panic if you can' t complete the essay
within the allotted time. You will become more and more comfortable
with the tasks presented to you as you gain experience with this type of
quest i on.
Obvi ousl y, t hi s i s where you present your i nt erpret at i on and t he
points you wish to make that are related to the prompt.
Use specific references and details from the poem.
o
Don' t always paraphrase the original; refer directly to it.
o
Place quotation marks around those words and phrases that you
extract from the poem.
I -Jse "connect i ve t i ssue" i n
your
essay t o est abl i sh adherence t o t he
quest i on.
o
Use the repetition of key ideas from opening paragraph.
.
Try usi ng "echo words" (i . e. , synonyms such as i nsi ght can
be i nf erence/ observat i on/ percept i on; f ear can be apprehensi on/
i nsecuri t y).
o
Create transitions from one paragraph to the next.
To understand the process, carefully read the following sample para-
graphs. Each develops one of the categories and techniques/devices asked
for in the prompt. Notice the specific references and the "connective tis-
sue." Also, notice that details that do not apply to the prompt have been
ignored.
A
This paragraph develops poetic devices.
"Black sneakers laced with white in a complex pattern like a set
of intentional scars" is the
jarring
simile Olds uses to establish the
relationship between the woman and the "boy" on the subway.
Immediately, the poetic device implies the bondage and pain of the
oppressed minority and the deliberate complexity of race relations. This
idea of interwoven lives is further developed by the metaphor that links
aO
What shoul d I i ncl ude i n the body of the poetry essay?
t .
2.
3.
, . \ I / /
{r
The Poetry Essay
r g7
bot h as "mol ecul es
st uck i ' a rod of l i ght . " The yout h' however, l s com-
p: rred t o a repri l e wi t h "h' oded l i ds, " and al l t he f ear arrd reprl si on
associ at ed wi t h t hi s creat Lrre i s t ransf erred t o t he boy who i si i di ng hi s
true intentior-rs with such . look. The woman follows her fearful iisights
wi t h st i l l anot her exrreme si mi l e-worryi ng
about
, , t hi s
l i f e he coul j
t ake so easi l y and break across hi s knee l i ke a st i ck. " St i l l , she proves
the complexity of her tho,ghts by creating a sympathetic -.t"ph,r, t,,
ponder "t he r. d of hi s sorl -t he heart ' f a seedl i ng" yearni ng
i . gro-
i nt o t he l i ght .
B
' f hi s
paragrapl r
devel ops i magery.
.
The i rnages i n t he poent rrre predomi ni l nt l y
drarwn f rom t he cont rast
hct wee. l i ght and ci ark. "Bl ack sneakers, "
, . whi t e
l uces, , ,
, , rocl
of l i ght
rapi dl y_n' rovi ng
t hroLrgh di rrl <ness" t rrc al l i rnuges t hat i mmedi at el y
est abl i sh t he conrrast t hart i s i , rt t he hearrt of t he-meani ng of t he p, r. -.
Thi s j r , r xt aposi t i on
bccomes r eal i t y i n l i . es z0*22*l - , ei we
l eai ' t hat
" he i s bl ack: r ncl I ar l whi t e. "
The pr obl em i s howt he, , whi t e, , pr of i t s
f r . m l Ti s " dar l <' ess. "
l l i ne
23l wh: r t sh. ul d be l i ght ,
. , t he
beams' f t he
nat i on' s heart , " i s nrurcl er<l us,
i l ncl he "i , rs
brack cc_rt t t l r-r, " absorbs t hi s
heat . Thi s angry col t f rast l ert ds t he speerl <er ro l rer i nsi gi rt : r[ >out
her l i f e
i n l i nes 26- 28. Enr pat hi zi ng
wi t h t he bl ack yol r t h, r hJnar r i r t or moves
beyoncl her prej r-rcl i ces
anci f i nds pr' rni se i r-r i he rast t hree l i nes whi ch
sec t he cl ar k bcr ng bor n i nr o t he l i ght .
Thi s pari rgr"pn
a. l l ops organi zat i on.
Tl -re . rgani zat i . r-r
. f "on
t he Subway" i s rrrt her l i near. ol ds
narrat or prrcl ceecl s f r<l nr : , r f ri ght er-red observer t o a phi l osophi cal
quest i <l ner t o f i nal l y i l r-l l rl t ure, sympat het i c f orecasi er <>f t he promi se
rf t he y. r-rng, bl ack rnan. The I i rsr t hi rt ee' l i nes pr' vi cl e t he i nt eri or
rl onol ogue of rr wonl l rn who si t s rl cross f rom a yol rng, bl ack rnal e and
l . oks hi nr over f rorrr head t o t oe. I ' l i ne 10 she i regi , -, . , t o nove cl eepl y
i nt o t he hi dcl cn perso. across f ror' her, wi t h t hi s
, ; i nt rospect i on, ,
endi ng i n l i nes l 4- 16 wi t h her quesr i or . r i ng
who aqual l y hzr s power
over whom. Li ne 18 prescnt s a t rl re shi f t f i om pers<l nal observat i cl p t o
an al most soci et al consci ence whi ch i s sympat l i et i c t o t he pl i ght of al l
bl acks i n Ameri car as seen i . l i nes 2r-26. Bi i ngi ngt he reader back t <r
t he openi ng scct i on of t he poerr, t he speaker i nt i mat es at t he promi se
<l f t he young nri rn wi t h "rhe rod' f hi ss. ul . . . ri ch rl s t he l . , eai t of n
seedl i ng/ r eady
t o r hr usr up i n16 i r ny avi r i l abl e l i ght . "
l l i nes
32- 341
Ti p: Ref er t o our l i st of recomnrendecl poet s at t he back cl f t hi s book.
L' ok f or poems si mi l ar i ' r l engt h and compl exi t y t o t hose we, ve pro-
vi ded_and appl y a vari et y. f pror. npt s.
youc: rn
t ry t hese al one, wi t h
i r st udy group, or wi t h your cl ass.
BB
.
The Poetry Essay
Note: Look at the last sentence of Sample B on imagery: "Empha-
thizing with the black youth, the narrator moves beyond her prejudices
and finds promise in the last three lines which see the dark being born
into the light. "
This final sentence would be fine as the conclusion to the essay. A con-
clusion does not have to be aparagraph. It can be the writer's final remark,
observation, or reference and may be only a sentence or two.
Do this now. Wrrte the body of your essay. Time yourself. Allow
1,5-20 minutes to complete this task.
Tip: Again, sharing your writing with members of your class or
study group will allow you to gain experience and to find a comfort
zone with requirements and possibilities.
SAMPLE STUDENT ESSAYS
Following are two actual student essays followed by a rubric and comments
on each.
Student Essay A
Tlp thnez ,sectiont o{
"0n
the Subwa"q" bq Shanon 0.td,s axpnelsl thz comyt.(i-
ca.tzd ne,Lo.tionsl'vLp be.fuieen Cauca,siant and Adttiean-Ametricant, In tlp
[itut
,sec.tion
tlp au.tlwn ytne'sent's an exyso,si,tLon thnl conttta,ttt a wh,i,te pehaln wLth a bXnctz
(X.Lnel
|
-13),
In tlp Aecond, the ,sytealzelt begint to dzve.(-oyt tlv apytanznf. d,irspani,LLe) Ao tha,t inten-
ne.taLLonthip,s energL
(Une's
13-20). In tlp tlLi,tLd, the nanna,ton go-Lwr intight into hctw
t[vU aezne i's neytne'senta,tive o$ AmwLean cu,Ltunz o.t Lange
(.LLne,s
20-34) .
Tle inagottq O,tdA u.ae's in tlte (fnst aee,tion enplm,size,s tlw d.Ld{enence be-tween
the wlvi.te u)oman who .Lt tlp nanna.ton and tLp ob'senven and the b.tactz boq, who i,s
the- obaetwed, a,L tlrcq nLde tlrc 'subwa-q. Tlte ahoot lp.U wennLng ane bLaelz
"Xnced
wi,th wlvLte"
(.LLne
3) . TLp ,sytenlzen dextibe,s thz wlv(te zigzag,s a,t
"intzntionaL acaia"
(Une
4) . Tlte AIULE a,LLude- to the dUuLfuLnnLLon agaLnst the b,Lactz man bq wh,i,te aocie.tt1.
Thz adlec.tive
"intzntions.L"
denote,t that wh,tte,s puLplue.[-A lmnn bX-aclz,s. Tlp inage
contna.tt's wluLte's wi,tlt b.Lack's: wh,Lte,s ilLa- powuLdu,L; b.Lackt ane,subaetvient. SimL[-anLt1,
the tno ehanactetu ane de,tcnibed as baLng
"atuclz
on oppoui.te Aide,s" o[ tlte ,subwaq
can; theq anQ- Aepahqled ytetmanzntLq
[nom
eaclt othett
(.(ine,s
4-5) . The de,seniption o( the
cX-oth.Lng i's a tlvind contna,sLLng e.Lemznt. Hene, the bXnctz man.U
"expo,sed,"
wlu(le- the
,speafzett i's cove-tted in (un (Une
1l ) . TI,LU inage- nein(ottce,s the oytyto,si.tion be.tnezn the
whi-te u)oman and the blactz boq.
Tlp 'second
aec.tion ALQ.E a" aluL|t in tone.
(illpne
the
{inst,see.tion
Lt eompo,szd o{
lftt'Lte
ythq'sieaL de'sen Ly:LLowt, tle 'szeond i's mone
,ph,t
[-o'soytlvLca.[- and ind,Lca.tu thz
'spealze,,t"s appttel+enlion. SL:z i's uncentnLn and wnrte,r tlla.t
"I
don'tl lznow id I an Ln
h,u
beca
cu.t
'Sub,s
irs i
be.tn
wea.L
lplt
1
L,ttli
06t
and
agei
thz
,Lecc
,LepQ
tha)
lznee
blnc
thet,
a{6.
chn
and
ahe
Thr
1i
0n
wh
At
ba
cc
Ab
mc
, , ,
+l
A-l
Al
LI
The Poetrv Essav
.
89
lvi.,t ytowen. . olL i6 t+e is in mU
frowehtt
(Unat
14-15, 18), Such a LtatLment i' s inpontant
becawse i,t i,tluatnate,s tLML tlp boundan Le,t be-twezn wh,i-te,t a.nd b.Lach's attz not a,s cLzan-
cu.t a.t tlrcq maq ALen. Pen\wytl tlrc aysealzen bzgLnt to nza.(ize tLtaL the inagz o( tlrc
,tub,senviznt bX,a"clz and thz pctwendu.L whi.te- pne,tznted in tlte, (fn'st aection od tlrc poem
i.t Lnconnzct, TIrc rLLfrotilion o[ tLrc wond
"LL(e"
.U anothz,t wa"U tlp intencctnnection
be.twezn tlrc tno chanactetu i,s dzve-X-opzd. TI,p natuta.ton cannot dzcide whe,tlpn he,t
wQnULL uAuLpS tLrc powen od tlte- b(,a"clz man o,L whe-thett luU potzntLa.[- a"ggne-t'sion u,sunp,s
hen powett, (.n-Lne,t
17, 19).
Tlp tone, agaLn, ,sh,L[ts Ln tLp tlLOLd 'szgmznt. He,rte, i.t i's c.LzuL tLmL tlte.tpzalzelt i,t
tntllng to gaLn an undenttand,Lng od the neXalictnth,tp be.twzzn the wLvLtz wonLd and tlwt
o( tlw bX,aclz boq. At
{in
t, 'slrc nea.[.LzeA tlLat thzq anz dL[(enent bzcau.tz
"he
ia bLactz
qnd
I an uJhi-te"
(.L-Lne,t
21-22). Thz ina.gz o$ thz "bX-acfz cotton" a,[.Lude,t to .t.Lavenq, oncz
ago-Ln nz[etuvLng to thz aca,ia, on dUtinctionA, inpo,szd bq the whrtz 'sctcie-tq. Ve,t, at
tlrc end o[ thi,t azction, the d,L[de;nLncQA be-twee-n the two yteoyt.Lz ahQ- sthangoLq
teconc.L[-zd. ThlA it accomyt.(i.tLrcd u.tLng tltz tzchruLclue od ,LLpa-ti-ti0n. lnttzad o[
rcpoa,t-Lng a" wond a.t in the.tzcond azction, an imagz it nepeatzd, Line-a 29-31 atate
tlnt the blaclz man cou'Ld hunt tl'te wh"Ltz t:)oma-n; hz cou.[-d
"bnzalz [hett]
a"cnost ILU
lznze tlp waq h,i,s own baclz i.s baLng bnolzzn." In otho,tt t^)otLda, both whrte-t a"nd
b.[,ach-t can hunt.; bctth zace,s can bz injunzd bq ei.then nzys,te,stion uL a"gg)Laa+Lon, and ao
tl'tet1 anz connzctzd thnough tLLafuL pa,Ln a"nd unnza'U-zed dneam.t.
Student Essay B
In tl'tz poLm
"0n tLte Subwa.q" bq Shanon O.Ld.t, .tlrc contttatt's tlrc wontdl od an
ad[.tuenl. whrtz puuln and a ytoon b,Laclz
fruAon.
The tno peoysLe lnvz manq oppo,sing
chanactwLtica, and tl,tz au.thon wsaA Xrtahanq tzchruLquel auch aa tone, poe,tic devicet,
and inagenq tct ytontnatl the'sz dL[[etrcnce-t. TLtz naanoton i's the whi-te u)oman, and
.tlp nealizet how peop.Le ge.t
".ttuch"
Ln ysXacea o[ docie,tq ba'sed on theit 'slz,Ln
co.(.0n.
The wond "atuctz" i,t nzpza,tzd tnicz to 'sttte,t.t tlvU idza.
Thz na"jon d,L[[ettzncz be,fi,ozon tlrc tuo pzopLz i,s obviou.t.Lq thai,,L,sla,Ln co.Lon. TI;LE
one- d,L[dettLncL cauaeA manq a.tytec-t's ctd eacLt
frQluon'.t
.(ide to bz unLLtzz thz ot[pn"s. Thz
whrtz u)oman i's abovz tlp b!-a.ctz man in the qe's o(1 much o[ ,socie-tq. Tlrc natuLaton
,state,t tLM.t
"uJi,tllout
meawLng on tnqing to 1 mu,st ytno[it
dnon
luLt dantzne,s.s." TILU iA
balica,U,q 'sa"qing tha,t tlrc b(-aclz man i,t Uving in a whrtz man'a won[d, wltette- luU ,skin
co.Lon a.Lonz hal givzn luLn a y:nzd}po'si,tion in the w1e,s o[ manq. Thi-t idza ia
[Mf.hQlL
,suytysontzd whzn tlp 'spzatzen tl,vLnk's
"Tlp)tz
i's no wa,q to lznow how za.tq tlr,U wbi-tz .tlz,Ln
malze,t mq Udz." )X-dA u.te's thz
[o.LLowing
.sini,[-e to .show thz b.Lactz mqn'a 'si.tua.tion:
"
. hL ab,sonb,s tlp munde,'tou.t bzant o[ the- natrion'a heah,t
,
a.t b.[-aclz cof,ton ab'sonb's
tLrc lrc.al. od thz Aun and lrc.Ld.t i,t."
Anotlp,t contna,at. tlLaf. ia in tlrc pozn i's tlrc nat^)nea,s od tlv bLa.clz man vesttu.t thz
'sLteltetted and ne(fned .Loolz od tlp wh).te- woma.n. )X-d,s u.tet a .siniLe to de,sen Lhz thz nzd
that tLp bLactz qou.th i,s wzaning:
"Lilze-
thz iwtidz o[ tle bodq expo.tzd." Thz whrtz
z ; t
30
.r.')
l 0
15
90
.
The Poetry Essay
wom&n i's the ouI'side o{ the anhq,L we-anLng a
6u)L
coq.t. Tl,Le blaclz man i,s the inside
o$ the bodq, the tttue awha,L, while. tlp wlvi,te u)nman i,s not; ,slp i,s ,s.&y:.Lt1 wenning
the outett covenLng od an awina.L.
A,s a nQ'su,Lt o{ th,U expwLznce, thz nli)utuL nea.LLze,t that tlplte .r.,s a ba,bnce od
pol^)Ql and contnol be.tween hen and the qoung man. She ne.a,.{izeA tllat at tine,s, and
in celtta,Ln,srtua.tiont, 'she nulea, wh,LLe in otlpnt the bLaclz man doe,s. HuL li(e, hel
"enAieh"
I-L62, can bz talzen anaq bq the bXnclz qou.th. Who lnd tle ytowen on the tnaLn?
Tlv big, Athong, naw blaclz m&n orL tlv wealzett, but nLchen, wlv(Je woman? Soc,Le,tq hn,s
given the whrte u)oman a
da.Lse
ALwsL od 'supetionLtq
and aecunrtq. S/'z,U pnotzctzd bq
wea,Lth, hen
iob,
and he-tt poAseAALonA, butwlpn a.[-one on the,subwaq t^ri-th tlLU
bXneh man, Ahe
6ee.Ls denn.
Sle i's eondnonted bq hen own vu.Lne,,tabi,[.rtq. Thz bLaclz
qouth who i's being bnolzen bq aocie.tq can bnealz thz wh,Lte tiloman who i,a ,socie,tq.
}votta,L[-, tluU poen e{(eetive,Ltl conttta.,tts tlte fuio peop,Le and exyto,se.,s a.
{a,Ltneq
o[
'soc.Le.tq, The blaclz man muat Uve in e,to,tnnL danlzne,s,s bzcau.te he i's nLveh a,U-owed
to
"thnu.tt
up into anq avaLLab,Le Ught."
Stt
ao
RATTNG THE STUDENT ESSAYS
"Euen thowgh
I hate doing it,
my writing really
improues when
I spend the time
reuising what
I' ue written."
-Mike
T.
-AP
student
Let' s take a look at a set of rubrics for the poetry essay.
A 9 essay has all the qualities of an 8 essay, and the writing style is
especially impressive, as is the interpretation and/or discussion of the
specifics related to the prompt and poem.
An 8 essay will effectivel)' and cohesivel)' address the prompt. It will
cite appropriate devices called for in the question. And, it will do so using
appropriate evidence from the poem. The essay will indicate the writer' s
ability to interpret the poem andlor poet' s attitude toward the subject in
a clear and mature style.
A 7 essay has all the properties of a 6, only with more complete, well-
developed interpretation and/or discussion or a more mature writing
style.
A 6 essa)' adequately addresses the prompt. The interpretation and/or
discussion is on target and makes use of appropriate specifics from the
test. But these elements are less fully developed than scores in the 7,8, or
9 range. The writer's ideas are expressed with clarity, but the writing may
have a few errors in syntax and/or diction.
A 5 essay demonstrates that the writer understands the prompt. The
interpretation/discussion is generally understan dable but is limited or
uneven. The writer' s ideas are expressed clearly with a few errors in syn-
tax or diction.
A 4 essay is not an adequate response to the prompt. The writer' s
interpretation/discussion of the text indicates a misunderstanding, an
oversimplification, or a misrepresentation of the given poem. The writer
may use evidence that is not appropriate or not sufficient to support the
interpretation/discussion.
A 3 essa)' is a lower 4 because it is even less effective in addressing the
prompt. It is also less mature in its syntax and organrzation.
s
The Poetry Essay r g' l
A 2 essa)' indicates
The writer
- . ^ r r v v v r r l v r
may.misread
the quesrion,
only summ arize tie po..rrl*Jdevelop
the
required interpretation/discussion,
or simply ignore the prompt
and write
about anorher topic altogether. The writing may also L.k orgu' ization
and control of language
and syntax. (Nore:\o
matter ho* good a sum-
mary is, it will never rate more than a 2.\
#
A 1 essa)' is a lower:.2 because it is even more simplistic, disorganized,
Thi s i s a hi gh range essay (9-g)
f or rhe f ol l owi ng
reasons:
o
A sophi st i cat ed,
i ndi rect i ndi cat i on
of t he t ask of t he prompt
and orga_
ni zat i on.
o
Ti ght l y const ruct ed
and t horough
di scussi on
of t he cont rast s and
opposi t i on i n t he poem.
o
Ef f ect i ve anal ysi s t f i -"g. . y (l i nes
1-13, 1S_17).
o
Effective
and coherent
discussion of tone.
.
Underst andi ng
of t he subt l et i es of t one (l i nes
19_21).
t
_s-r-fn"t
support for assertions
and interpretations
(lines
22-29).
o
Ef f ect i ve
anal ysi s of l i t erary
t echni ques (l i ' es
11, 33-. 34, 36-3g).
Thi s hi gh-ranki ng
essay i s subt l e, cor-rci se,
and on t arget . There i s
nothing
that takes away frorn the writer' s focus. Each paragraph
grows
out of t he previ ous
one, and t he reader al ways kn"*, i "h. r. t he aut hor
is taking him or her. The syntax, diction,
".rd
org"., ization
are mature
ano conndent .
Thi s i s a mi ddl e-range
essay (7-6-s)
f or t he f ol rowi ng
reasons:
o
Cl earl y i dent i f i es
t he t ask, t he poem,
and poet .
o
st at es t he t echni ques
t har wi l l t e di scussei i n t he essay.
o
Lacks a t ransi t i on
t o t he body of t he essay (l i nes
6_7).
o
Provi des
an adequat e di scussi on
of t he i nsi ght s
of t he speaker (l i nes
23- 2s) .
o
cites appropriate
specifics ro support the thesis of the essay (lines
14-16).
o
uses standard
style, diction, and structure,
but does not reflect a
sophi st i cat ed
or mat ur e wr i t er .
o
Attempts
a universal statement
within a rather repetitive
and summary_
like conclusion (lines
31-34).
, Y!il:
adhering to the prompr,
this midrange essay is an adequate
first
draft. It shows promise
bui.o-er-dangerously"clore
io p"r"pt rasing lines.
Student Essay A
Student Essay B
Ti p: The essay
approach each
i s real l y a f i rst draf t . The
essay wi t h t hi s i n mi nd.
readers know this and
92
.
The Poetry Essay
How about shar-
ing these samples
with members of
your class or study
group and dis-
cussing possible
responses.
The analysis is basic and obvious, depending on only one device, that of
simile. The writer hints at the subtleties but misses the opportunity to
respond to further complexities inherent in the poem.
No/e: Both essays have concluding paragraphs which are repetitive
and mostly unnecessary. It is best to avoid this type of ending.
Tip: Try a little reverse psychology. Now that you are thoroughly
familiar with this passage, construct two or three alternate Ap level
prompt s. (\ Wal k
a l i t t l e i n t he exami ner' s shoes. ) Thi s wi l l hel p you
gai n i nsi ght i nt o t he process of t est -maki ng. Perhaps, as ext ra prac-
t i ce, you woul d l i ke t o t ry one or t wo of t hese al t ernat i ve quest i ons
as enri chment .
RAPI D REVI EW
o
o
o
o
Need a
Qui ck
Revi ew? Spend a mi nur e or r wo r eadi ng t hr ough . . .
t hat ' l l do.
o
Revi ew t erms and t echni ques i n Chapt er 8.
o
Become familiar with types of poetry questions (prompts).
o
Highlight the prompt to make certain you are aware of required tasks.
Ti me your essay caref ul l y.
Read t he poem a coupl e of t i mes.
Spend sufficient time "working the poem" before writing.
Mark up t he poem.
create a strong opening paragraph, includi' g prompt information.
Refer often to the poem for concrete details and quotes to supporr your
i deas.
Al ways st ay on t opi c.
Avoid simply paraphrasing.
I ncl ude t ransi t i ons and echo words.
Practice-vary the prompt and your response.
Consult the models and rubrics for self-evaluation.
Share ideas with others.
I NT
Wh
wl
o
O
WI