English 10EM (Liberty Stanavage): Short Paper
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Engl 10EM: Intro to Literature
Spring 07: Female Revengers in English Renaissance Literature
Instructor: Liberty Stanavage
Due: May 1, 2007 [Peer review (3 copies due): April 26]
In this short paper (roughly 2 pages), you will be doing a close reading of one stanza from the Faerie Queene, looking carefully at the language, structure, imagery and plot of the stanza to discuss its significance with relation to the larger work.
What this means is that you will carefully look at the details of your chosen stanza and discuss the meaning of relevance of the images that Spenser uses, the role of allegorical elements in the passage, structural elements that relate to meaning, and the relationship of the stanza to the broader canto or work. Your argument (the thesis) should be supported primarily by detailed attention to and analysis of the words Spenser chose in the stanza you’re considering,
You might consider one or more of the following questions:
- What is the speaker’s tone?
- Does the stanza privilege its subject matter or demean it?
- How does the stanza represent the characters and/or events described in it? How are they characterized? What kinds of imagery or associations does Spenser use to represent them?
- What is the apparent purpose of the stanza; in other words, how is it designed to affect the reader? What kind of emotional effect(s) does the language have?
- How does the stanza’s structure shape our understanding of its contents; what parts of it are emphasized or glossed over?
- How does the message or imagery of the stanza relate to the broader theme of the book (Holiness or Justice)?
Your paper should be at least 2 pages in Times Roman 12 pt font, with 1-inch margins. It should follow MLA format guidelines, and should (read must) contain the following:
- A clearly articulated argumentative thesis that stakes a claim about the language and imagery of the stanza. (This means that your paper should not just tell us what you see happening in the stanza, but also what the broader significance of this is; in other words, “so what”.)
- Specific textual evidence and support for your claims (this means quoting the relevant lines or words of the stanza and explaining how they relate to and develop your thesis).
- A conclusion that briefly summarizes your argument AND relates your argument back to its broader context (if we now understand your argument, what does this do to our understanding of the ballads, their possible social context, etc.)
Remember that you need to work closely with the text. This assignment involves you working within the stanza to examine the language, imagery, structure and narrative. You need to quote relevant parts of the work AND also explain how these sections develop your meaning. Avoid making claims that you cannot and/or do not support from the text. Also, please explain the significance of all the quotes that you do use, and trim the quotes accordingly.
