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INTRODUCTION, STEPS AND GUIDELINES

What is a research paper?

A                   A research paper is a piece of academic writing that requires a more thoughtful level of investigation than you have applied

                     to past book reports and essays. In a research paper one does not simply report information found in books or on the internet;

                     in a research paper one joins together both fact and opinion to create a unique perspective on a given subject.

                    What is a “critical analysis” of poetry?

         A critical analysis explains a work of fiction, drama or poetry by means of interpretations. An interpretation is an individual

         response that focuses on meaning – in our case, the meaning of a specific poet’s work.

What is the goal of a “critical analysis”? 

The goal of a critical analysis (as with any other analysis) is to broaden and deepen your understanding of a work of literature.

The feeling is that you will not fully appreciate a piece of literature by simply reading it. By examining a piece of literature, you give y

ourself the opportunity to understand how and why it was written, thus increasing your appreciation for its overall meaning and message.

How will you critically analyze your poet’s work?

You will learn how to critically analyze your poet’s work by learning how to read a poem in a completely different way than before.

Think of reading as the act of looking through a camera with a regular old lens. What you’re going to learn to do is change the lens

of your camera so may see things differently. The lens we’ll be using for this project is known as the New Historical Theory.

There will be plenty of attention paid to understanding this idea.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whenever you see the mug that reads HISTORY MATTERS, click on it and it will take you

                                   to the New Historical Theory page. Try it.

What can I learn from completing this research project?

This research project will not only give you the opportunity to learn something new about a writer, but understand how time and place

work side by side with inspiration to create important literary content.

What is involved in writing a successful research paper for this class? 

         In your case, there are 3 necessary steps. Each of the below 3 steps has its own page in this on this website.

                   Step #1: Know the Poet: Read up on and become familiar with the work and life of your assigned poet.

Step #2: Know the Period: Read up on the environment and historical period in which your poet lived and wrote.

Step #3: Create a Thesis: There is no ignoring your opinion! But there is also no ignoring fact! 

                    By completing steps #1  and #2 you will have supplied yourself with enough information

                    to create a specific statement which the body of your paper will support.

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