Discussion:Student Essay and Shakespeare

Pay particular attention to: Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much with Us” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45564/the-w…; Shakespeare’s “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/shall-i-compar…

Next, read the student essay, which offers an analysis of “The World is Too Much with Us.”

As you read, pay attention to the way in which the student makes a thesis statement about the poem, which contains her key words. Then, note how each paragraph analyzes specific literary elements from the poem that support her thesis. This essay offers a good example of how when we analyze poetry we not only need to consider what the poem is saying but also how the poem is saying it.

Your initial post should respond to both questions below and should be around 350 words. In your response, be sure to include reference to specific moments, language, and details from each essay.

1. What writing moves that the student writer makes do you admire? In other words, what do you notice about how she writes that you would like to try out in your own essay?

2. Re-read Shakespeare’s “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day”. Choose two of the following questions to answer in your initial discussion post:

–What patterns do you notice in the poem?

–What aspects of the poem deviate from the patterns that you noticed?

–How does the couplet (the last two lines) shed light on the relationship between poetry and love?

–Finally, if you have any questions about the poem you can raise them here.