Reflective Essay

Module 5: Poetry Reflective Essay Topics Instructions: Choose one of the 6 poems you have studied and, using one of the topics below, write a two-page essay. Address every point in the directions and use textual evidence from the literature to support your points. In poetry, that means quoting phrases or words from within lines and citing the lines correctly. Before planning and drafting your essay, refer to the reflective essay instructions and grading criteria on pages 5-7 of our syllabus. Also, remember you may not write this essay as a text-submission (i.e. you may not type your response into this box). You must type your essay as a Word document, use Save As, browse your computer (below), and attach the document for submission. Choice 1: Write a Poetry Explication (for poems 10 lines or shorter) Start your introduction by naming the title and author of the poem and by talking about the subject of the poem. Perhaps you could briefly discuss the title and identify the speaker and/or tone. (You don’t need a thesis statement.) Then begin the body of the paper which should be a line by line analysis. Don’t simply summarize what each line “says”; discuss the techniques the poet is using and what ideas and feelings these techniques help the poet convey. You will be talking about things like imagery, denotations and connotations of words, figures of speech (such as similes, metaphors, personification or hyperbole), symbols, irony or humor (if they exist), and sound effects. For each point, you make, refer to and quote individual words or phrases within the lines of the poem to help you illustrate and explain your idea. In conclusion, summarize points and give an explanation of the theme of the poem. Choice 2: Write a Poetry Analysis (for poems longer than 10 lines) Start your introduction by naming the title and author of the poem and by talking about the subject of the poem. Perhaps you could also briefly analyze the title, the speaker, and the tone. Also, include a thesis statement that forecasts the aspect(s) of the poem you are analyzing. (imagery? symbolism? figures of speech? sound effects? irony?) The body paragraphs of the essay will support the thesis. Your paragraphs can be organized in several different ways. For instance, you could have a paragraph on figures of speech, a paragraph on visual imagery, and a paragraph on denotation and connotation of words. Or, if your poem has several stanzas, you could organize the body of the essay on a stanza by stanza basis. Regardless of how you organize, remember, you are not merely talking about what each line “says”; you’re explaining what techniques the poet is using and what meanings and feelings these techniques help to convey. For each point, you make, refer to, and quote individual words and phrases within the lines of the poem to help you illustrate and explain your ideas. In conclusion summarize your points and give an explanation of the theme of the poem

This semester you have traced your subject position (“Origin of Ideas”), used evidence to support claims pertaining to a specific aspect of our culture (“Cultural Analysis”) and built a researched position on a current social issue (“Research Project”). Additionally, throughout these assignments you have engaged with several readings that explore language and culture Reflect on your understanding of and engagement with the course objectives of analyzing and writing about a range of rhetorical situations in society. Support your response with specific examples from your essays, class activities, and other course materials. Additionally, discuss new ways of thinking about language and learning you have developed this semester. The readings by John Dewey (Democracy in Education) and Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed) were very influential in the course creation; connect specific ideas from the readings to your reflections above. Additionally, the progression of assignments you completed this semester was designed to be aligned with William Perry’s “Scheme of Intellectual and Ethical Development.” You may want to reflect on where you are in the sequence and the impact your understanding of language and critical thinking this semester has had on your progression. Read:   “Democracy and Education” by John Dewey: Almost 100 years old, John Dewey’s ideas about the role language plays in society continue to be powerful and pertinent. As you read this essay, think about how your view of language and communication has changed this semester. “Pedagogy of the Oppressed: Chapter Two” by Paulo Freire: In this chapter, Paulo Friere provides an overview of two types of teaching/learning — the “banking method” of education and “problem-posing” education. He is a proponent of the latter, but it will take reading the entire essay to fully understand his position. As you read this essay, think about this class may have been designed with “problem-posing” techniques for teaching and learning.  “Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development” by William Perry: The assignments for this class have been designed with William Perry’s theory in mind. You began by locating your subject position in relation to a specific social issue through the “Origins” essay, then analyzed a specific cultural influence through the “Cultural Analysis” essay, and lastly, you finished the semester by researching a social issue that is important to you — providing you with the knowledge to be informed and act on the issue. Each assignment has used previous skills and evolved them by adding new elements of college-level writing and critical thinking.

Instruction:- Answer must be between 1.5 – 2 pages double-spaced. Use 12-point, Times New Roman font. Be sure to answer the entire question for complete credit. Question-    Can torture ever be justified? Explain your answer via the “ticking bomb terrorist” metaphor. What is the “ticking bomb terrorist” metaphor? There is a wide array of evidence suggesting that the US tortured suspected terrorists after 9/11 and may still do. In regards to Bellamy, is this torture justified?