• To write an analysis of a poem that is persuasive and engaging.

• To present your audience with an interpretation of the meaning of the poem.

• To write a paper that is well-written and well-organized and that follows standard documentation guidelines.

• To practice the close reading of a text-a skill that will be useful in subsequent assignments for this class.

Choose a poem from the Robert Frost collection that has for some reason caught your attention, because it is either peculiar or particularly insightful.

To prepare, I recommend that you make a list of all of the details in the poem that have contributed to your interest in it, then go back through that list and develop connections between these details. Consider those aspects that are mysterious or unclear.

In analyzing the poem, focus on particular details in the writing that distinguish it from other poems. You may discuss word choice, symbolism, use of imagery, sentence structure, rhythm, meter, rhyme and even punctuation as you interpret this passage. Develop a single thesis statement about what the poem means.

The following different approaches often work to generate an effective textual analysis:

• Write something about this passage that would not be immediately obvious to other readers.

• Use specific details to justify your own understanding of the poem in question.

• Construct an argument explaining why you think this is an interesting poem and why your audience should likewise find it interesting and worth its careful attention.

A draft of the assignment is due in class one class period before the final draft is due. We will spend time in class on that day peer-editing each other's papers.