Assignment (Due March 12th at midnight on turnitin.com) Helene Johnson’s “Poem Explication Bottled” (see attached) All papers should be stapled, double-spaced, and in Times New Roman or Garamond 12 pt. font. Description of Assignment: You should consider the poem open to many different interpretations, of which you will choose one. Please predicate—that is, base—your perspective on the text itself, and quote the text at least five times. Do not use, however, quotes of more than 15 words; in general, you should explain your analysis rather than simply cite relevant parts of the poem. You may and are encouraged to incorporate items from in-class lectures and discussions. Think of this information as “footnotes” to the poem. We can guess certain meanings on those historical facts and use them to strengthen our interpretations. That said, you should not do any additional research on the poem or poet in question. The poem itself and your class notes are all you should consult when writing this explication. Aside from answering the all-important question, “What does this mean?” you should look at how the genre goes about producing this meaning (diction, repetition, music/rhythm/rhyme, moral/message, and humor/playfulness). Also, you must address the audience (to whom or for whom is this written?) and the purpose (why was this written?). As before, you will be graded on the four criteria below. • Strength of Interpretation • Analysis of Evidence • Clarity of Expression • Grammar, Mechanics, and Spelling *Of these, the strength of your interpretation is the most important.

Assignment (Due March 12th at midnight on turnitin.com) Helene Johnson’s “Poem Explication Bottled” (see attached) All papers should be stapled, double-spaced, and in Times New Roman or Garamond 12 pt. font. Description of Assignment: You should consider the poem open to many different interpretations, of which you will choose one. Please predicate—that is, base—your perspective on the text itself, and quote the text at least five times. Do not use, however, quotes of more than 15 words; in general, you should explain your analysis rather than simply cite relevant parts of the poem. You may and are encouraged to incorporate items from in-class lectures and discussions. Think of this information as “footnotes” to the poem. We can guess certain meanings on those historical facts and use them to strengthen our interpretations. That said, you should not do any additional research on the poem or poet in question. The poem itself and your class notes are all you should consult when writing this explication. Aside from answering the all-important question, “What does this mean?” you should look at how the genre goes about producing this meaning (diction, repetition, music/rhythm/rhyme, moral/message, and humor/playfulness). Also, you must address the audience (to whom or for whom is this written?) and the purpose (why was this written?). As before, you will be graded on the four criteria below. • Strength of Interpretation • Analysis of Evidence • Clarity of Expression • Grammar, Mechanics, and Spelling *Of these, the strength of your interpretation is the most important.