ENGL 111 – SPRING 2022
Contemporary Canadian Poetry Analysis Assignment
Worth 20% of Final Grade  –  Due Friday, June 3rd
 
INSTRUCTIONS:
The purpose of this assignment is two-fold: it will help you discover some great Canadian poetry and will allow you to put the analytical skills we’ve been studying into action.
Choose 4 poems written by contemporary Canadian poets to analyze. Use this site to choose your poems: https://canpoetry.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/index_poet.htm. DO NOT hand in an assignment with poems that are not from this site unless you have presented a plan in advance (ie- I sometimes allow students to use Canadian poems from other sources). Cruise around for a while. Read different poems. Choose ones that resonate with you and/or create an emotional response.
Creative option: if you want to try your hand at writing poetry, you can submit ONE poem you’ve written yourself and analyze it according to the instructions below along with three poems written by Canadian poets.
 
How to structure your analysis:

  • First, copy and paste the entire poem
  • Now provide a brief summary of the poem’s content
  • Identify 2-3 of the more interesting technical characteristics: type of poem, tone, devices used (simile, metaphor, figures of speech), etc, and explain why they are integral to the poem.
  • Now go deep. Think about the why of the poem—why these particular words? Why this subject? Why these line breaks? Why this tone? The goal here is to try to get inside the poem. Use your knowledge of literary analysis and connotative meanings to go deep. Use terms from the provided glossary of poetic terms on Moodle.

 
Each of the four analyses should be 250-400 words. Begin each entry with the title of the poem and the author. Number your entries.
It is important that your paragraphs stay on topic, provide specific examples of the element under discussion, and provide some discussion of the significance of these examples in relation to other considerations in the poem.
Provide a Works Cited list only if you are citing secondary sources outside of the link provided above.
 
 
ENGL 111 Poetry Analysis Assignment Rubric

 
16-20
(A range)
 		  

  • The analyses offered on all four poems are excellent, offering unique and well-supported perspectives on the readings using the terminology and theories covered in the poetry unit.
  • The perspectives offered are clear, focussed, and well supported.
  • The analyses demonstrate advanced comprehension of the poems, poetic form and terminology.
  • The author skillfully integrates quotes and paraphrases source material when necessary using MLA citation style.
  • The writing has very few grammar, spelling, and mechanics errors.

 
 
13.5-15
(B range)
 		  

  • The analyses offered on all four poems are strong, offering unique and well-supported perspectives, though there may be evidence of some comprehension issues.
  • The perspectives offered are generally clear, focussed, and well supported.
  • The analyses demonstrate a good comprehension of the poems, poetic form and terminology.
  • The author mostly integrates quotes and paraphrases source material throughout using MLA citation style.
  • The writing may have minor grammar, spelling, and mechanics errors.

 
 
12-13
C range)
 		  

  • The analyses offered on all four poems are adequate, though there are issues ranging from struggles with reading comprehension to general discussions that do not interact with poetry terminology.
  • The perspectives offered are not very clear, focussed, or well supported, but there’s evidence of analysis.
  • The author may have integrated quotes, but there are likely issues with the citations.
  • The writing likely has major grammar, spelling, and mechanics errors.

 
10-11.5
(P)		  
The difference between a P and F grade is that the instructor deems the writing and argumentation of a P grade assignment to reflect the minimum standards of a first year university level English course.
 
Below 10
(F)
 		  

  • The analyses lacks focus and strays from assignment guidelines.
  • The analyses don’t have a focused argument and switch topics in a jarring manner. Alternatively, the student has simply summarized the poems.
  • Sentences are difficult to read and understand.
  • The writing has major grammar, spelling, and mechanics errors.
  • MLA citation style is not followed and/or the assignment may be plagiarized.

 

 
 
 

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