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Essay 3
Essay 2
Essay 1: Full Assignment
Essay 1: Introduction

Essay 3: Literature and Colonization

Using either The Tempest or Shalimar the Clown, discuss what insights the text offers the reader about the impact of colonization (political or cultural). Your essay must explore this theme in light of specific historical contexts: 16th-17th century England, contemporary America, where Rushdie lived when he wrote his novel, or any of the historical periods in which Rushdie sets part of his novel. You may do appropriate research but there is no required number of citations.

Your essay should be typed, about 5-6 pages, and should follow the formatting conventions for literary criticism which we have been studying. High priority will be given to grammar, spelling, and proofreading in your grade.

Due Date: December 11 by 5:00 pm. Please slide your essay under my door (Sierra Tower 803).

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Essay 2: Renaissance Lyric Poetry

Write an essay (3-4 pages) on ONLY ONE of the poems in the following handout:

Assignment Poems

If you cannot access this link, e-mail me immediately.

Your essay should contain the following elements:

  1. Information your reader needs to know about what is going on in the poem—independent of its significance as you interpret it. This does not have to be a separate section of the essay. You need to think about what information your reader would need and where he or she would need to read it.
  2. An interpretive thesis about the poem’s significance.
  3. An analysis of how the formal and structural features of the poem (rhyme, metre, diction, imagery, and organisation of ideas) convey the poem’s meaning and suggest the interpretation you give in your thesis.

The introduction should be typed and formatted appropriately for a work of literary criticism, with due attention paid to spelling, grammar, proofreading, and documentation of sources. Research, especially on the cultural background of the Renaissance lyric is encouraged, but not necessary. Make sure that you address problems cited in your previous essay on the Old English riddles.

Due Date: 20 November 2007

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For 11 September:

Write out a 2-3 paragraph introduction to a potential essay on the Old English riddles in the handout. This is the first step in your preparation for the first essay. Bring this introduction (typed out) into class on Tuesday for in-class discussion and workshopping. Here are some questions you should consider in writing your introduction:

  • How well does the introduction address the thought-questions assigned earlier (the ones we discussed in class on Thursday)?
  • How successfully does the introduction address the intended audience? What potential problems are there?
  • Does the introduction contain or anticipate a contestable interpretation of the riddles (that is, a thesis)?
  • Does it provide a sense of (a) your approach to the text, (b) the intended structure of the argument, and/or (c) the evidence tha author is likely to use in supporting his or her argument?

The previous thought questions were:

  • Does Nelson’s theory help you understand the assigned riddles?
  • Can Nelson’s ideas be applied to riddles which she doesn’t discuss, such as those assigned for this class?
  • What evidence is there in these riddles that fits Nelson’s theory or does not?
  • Do you have alternative readings of the social function of the riddles, the images of violence and aggression, the reason for personification, the depiction of nature, or other aspects of the riddles which Nelson highlights?

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Essay 1: The Introduction

The Old English riddles of the Exeter Book are more than just enigmas to be solved. They reflect the ideas of those who wrote them. Write an introduction to an essay you will write in which you examine the significance of the riddles, especially what their authors may have been trying to convey, what ideas they may have been trying to explore, what social concerns they may have been trying to resolve, and so on. You may use Marie Nelson’s essay as a starting point, either to agree with or disagree with, or you may go off in your own direction. In the final essay you will be commenting primarily on the riddles assigned in the handout.

Your introduction should be approximately two to three paragraphs. It should be informed by a working thesis (which you may modify later) and an idea of what evidence you will be using to explore the ideas you discuss.

The introduction should be typed and formatted as for a completed essay, with due attention paid to spelling, grammar, proofreading, and documentation of sources.

Due Date: 25 September 2007

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Essay 1: Full Assignment

The Old English riddles of the Exeter Book are more than just enigmas to be solved. They reflect the ideas of those who wrote them. Write an essay in which you identify the themes of the riddles assigned in the handout, what the poets were saying about these themes, and how the evidence in the poems demonstrates this. You should use your already written introduction as the basis of your essay, but you may wish to modify it based on my comments and/or your futher thinking about the riddles.

The essay should be typed and formatted with due attention paid to spelling, grammar, proofreading, and documentation of sources. You should aim for a length of approximately 4-6 pages in a double-spaced 12 point font, but shorter and longer essays will be accepted if the discussion is appropriate.

Due Date: 23 October 2007

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