Using the “Analyzing Poetry” handout provided to you in class and at http://www.nku.edu/~rkdrury/poetryexplication.html, choose a sonnet by Wyatt, Sidney, or Shakespeare that we did not cover in class and write a two page analysis of it. Your essay should include a statement of what you think the poem is about, a brief paraphrase of what the poem says literally, and an analysis of its formal and rhetorical elements that shows how the parts of the poem demonstrate your interpretation.  Answering the questions on the handout is a good place to start, but you need not use all of the questions or your answers to them in your paper. It is not okay, however, to ignore evidence in the poem that runs counter to your interpretation (i.e., you need to include and account for everything the poem says). You should not need to consult outside sources, but if you do, be certain that you cite them. One particularly valuable resource is the Oxford English Dictionary, which gives you definitions of words over time (that is, it tells you what Renaissance people thought words meant). This reference work is available in the library (26 volumes), in my office (the 3 volume compact set), and on-line at the Cincinnati Public Library, if you have a card there (anyone in the tri-state area can get one). You should also talk with your instructor about your plans for the paper and what you think the sonnet says either after class or during office hours (I am generally available immediately before and after our class meets).

Common Errors:

1. Choosing a poem that is not a sonnet. Be certain that you know what a sonnet is before you choose one.
2. Misreading the sonnet. You should make time to discuss your sonnet with your instructor. Some sonnets are more difficult than others. Also, although a given sonnet can be interpreted in more than one way, this does not mean that all attempts to read a sonnet are equal. Talk with your instructor to be certain you are on the right track.
3. Basing your paper on someone elses bad reading. More websites about literature are created by nonspecialists in the field than by specialists, and bad readings abound on the internet. If you do end up doing research in the library to help with your interpretation (not required), you must cite your sources.
4. Ignoring evidence in the poem. The whole poem should support your reading. If only part of the poem supports your reading, but another part contradicts your reading, you do not have a good reading.
5. Not submitting the paper in MLA format.If you need to review MLA format, I have a copy of the MLA style manual in my office you may consult. I also have a few xeroxes of parts of the MLA guidelines that I let students borrow. There is also a copy of the MLA style manual at the reference desk in the library. The guidelines are also available on a Purdue university site located at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_mla.html.