Caspar David Friedrich, Woman Before the Rising Sun (1818-1820)
1) Over the course of your 5 to 7 page essay you must discuss/analyze/address at least 2 authors but no more than 3. You will almost certainly want to give focus to your essay by discussing between 1-2 works by each author in depth and detail, although you should feel free to refer to other works to support your argument.
Please show scope in the essay by writing on at least 1 member of the “early” generation (i.e. Wollstonecraft, Hays, Wordsworth, Coleridge, etc.) and at least one member of the “later generation” (i.e. Jane Austen, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Byron, Keats).
2) Paper Length: 5-7 pages, Times New Roman 12 point font or similar, double-spaced lines
Paper Style – Please write your paper according to the principles outlined in the MLA Manual of Style. You should not use any outside critical sources in this paper. See my guidelines for writing a research essay in English. See also powerpoint. Please turn in your original abstract with your final draft.
REQUIRED: I will not accept essays without having already seen a prospectus, which is due on April 24th
TASK #1 — Prospectus, inclusive of a description of the essay you are going to write along with a and Tentative Thesis Statement
DUE: Friday, April 24th at 11:00pm, electronic submission to eberle@uga.edu or roxanne.eberle@gmail.com
5% of Final Paper Grade
In a short paragraph describe the paper you intend to write and what you intend to argue. You might want to think about this part of the paper writing process as one that finishes the statement: “In this essay I intend to argue that…” and “Here is how I’ll prove it…”
Feel free to draw upon your Poetry and Novel Reports in developing your essay topics.
If you still are coming up blank, here are some essay prompts.
You will probably start off by focusing upon a large thematic but it is important to move from a large “sense” of what you want to say to a specific statement about what you want to explore and what you expect to find.
REMEMBER THIS IS A TENTATIVE FIRST STEP and things might change. As you write, you may change what you want to argue or the works that you feel best support your argument. Nonetheless, this first task will start you off with your thinking and writing.
Even at this point you should remember that saying that there are “similarities and differences” does not a thesis make. When comparing two or more things we can always find shared elements as well as disparate elements. In your thesis you need to specifically identify the grounds of your comparison. Think of a thesis as the first step in proving your particular reading of a piece of literature.
Grading Standards: You will be graded upon your attempt to work toward a manageable paper topic as well as your initial attempts to isolate your thesis. The more specific you are the better..
TASK #2 — Final Paper
DUE: 5 to 7 page paper are due on or prior to Tuesday, May 5th at 5:00pm, via electronic submission to eberle@uga.edu or roxanne.eberle@gmail.com. 95% of Final Paper Grade.