PLEASE NO PLAGIARISM 

Write a comparative essay of 850-1000 words on two of the literary texts on the syllabus assigned from Jan. 27 to Feb. 18. You are to arrive at a topic of your own choice, involving the comparison or contrast of two works (stories, poems, or plays). The assignment requires constant reference to the relevant literary texts, including judiciously selected quotations which support your interpretive argument. The topics are designed to encourage your efforts at critical reading and writing; additional secondary reading is neither required nor expected. However, if you do incorporate some ideas from secondary reading, be sure to cite these secondary sources appropriately. 

TOPIC: Focus on the literary treatment of innocence vs. experience as a subject in the two works. For instance, do they share some central moral idea, or some philosophical, social, political, or religious concerns involving their attitudes toward innocence and experience? Or instead do they differ significantly in their treatment of such concerns or attitudes? Are there interesting or surprising points of similarity or difference in the ways in which ideas of innocence and experience are represented in the works? Your paper should take into account at least two significant features of form and style that express the works’ attitudes towards the theme of innocence and experience. These may include the works’ structure, point of view, tone, irony, imagery, symbolism, etc. 

You have probably written comparison/contrast essays in previous writing courses, so this may seem a familiar task. However, you must keep in mind that comparison/contrast essays need to make a point. A thesis like the following is worthless: “Poem X is similar to Poem Y in many ways, but also different.” An effective comparison/contrast essay always keeps the reader’s focus on the purpose of the comparison, i.e., what significant insights can be gained by the comparison. See Abcarian & Klotz, pp. 56-59 for useful advice on organizing an essay of comparison on a literary topic, including a sample student essay

Spring 2020 Dr. Kevin Donovan
English 2030, Sections 29, 37, & 42

I n s tru c tio n s f o r th e Firs t Es s a y

Write a comparative essay of 850-1000 words on two of the literary texts on the syllabus assigned
from Jan. 27 to Feb. 18. You are to arrive at a topic of your own choice, involving the comparison
or contrast of two works (stories, poems, or plays). The assignment requires constant reference to
the relevant literary texts, including judiciously selected quotations which support your interpretive
argument. The topics are designed to encourage your efforts at critical reading and writing;
additional secondary reading is neither required nor expected. However, if you do incorporate some
ideas from secondary reading, be sure to cite these secondary sources appropriately.

TOPIC: Focus on the literary treatment of innocence vs. experience as a subject in the two works.
For instance, do they share some central moral idea, or some philosophical, social, political, or
religious concerns involving their attitudes toward innocence and experience? Or instead do they
differ significantly in their treatment of such concerns or attitudes? Are there interesting or
surprising points of similarity or difference in the ways in which ideas of innocence and experience
are represented in the works?

Your paper should take into account at least two significant features of form and style that express
the works’ attitudes towards the theme of innocence and experience. These may include the works’
structure, point of view, tone, irony, imagery, symbolism, etc.

You have probably written comparison/contrast essays in previous writing courses, so this may
seem a familiar task. However, you must keep in mind that comparison/contrast essays need to
make a point. A thesis like the following is worthless: “Poem X is similar to Poem Y in many ways,
but also different.” An effective comparison/contrast essay always keeps the reader’s focus on the
purpose of the comparison, i.e., what significant insights can be gained by the comparison. See
Abcarian & Klotz, pp. 56-59 for useful advice on organizing an essay of comparison on a literary
topic, including a sample student essay.

PURPOSE: Your paper should develop an argumentative thesis: you are trying to persuade a reader
that you have valid points to make in interpreting these texts, ideas that a casual reader of these texts
would likely overlook. And your thesis should be analytical–that is, it should make a significant point
in defense of your interpretation.

AUDIENCE: It is unavoidable that you should think of the instructor (me) as your audience, but that
can be potentially confusing and a source of anxiety, since you really don’t know much about me,
nor should you be expected to. I suggest that you think of your fellow classmates as your audience.
They too have read the works you’ll discuss, but they haven’t thought about your particular points of
focus as deeply as you have. You are trying to persuade these fellow students of the validity of your
interpretation.

CONFERRING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR: It will be useful to schedule a conference with me in my
office before turning in this first paper. Accordingly I have cancelled the class meetings for the week
of February 22-25 and will schedule individual 20-minute appointments with each of you to discuss
your papers in process. You should bring to the Zoom conference whatever draft you have finished

at that point. At the very least you should have drafted your introduction, including your thesis
statement, and an outline of the main body of the essay. The more material you bring to the
conference, the more worthwhile it will be.

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Many inexperienced writers on fiction spend too much time summarizing the plot of a story,
leaving too little space for the more interesting (and challenging) task of critical analysis. Don’t make
this mistake. Keep plot summary to a minimum. Be sure that your paper addresses the purpose of
the assignment: analysis of an interpretive issue.

2. Be sure to follow the MLA style in such matters as the layout of the first page, pagination of
subsequent pages, citation (parenthetical) and documentation (include a Works Cited page at the end
of the paper). Instructions for correct MLA style in these matters can be found at the website of the
University Writing Center (https://www.mtsu.edu/writing-center/online-resources.php), as well as
in the textbook, pp. 71-75.

3. When quoting poetry, your parenthetical citations should refer to line numbers rather than page
numbers. However, the citation of the poem(s) in your list of Works Cited should include the page
numbers in Abcarian, Klotz, & Cohen where the poems are found. When quoting poetry be careful
as well to indicate verse line endings with a slash [/] (unless you’re quoting four or more lines of
verse, which should be indented and set up on the page line by line as in the original text).

4. Before your final round of revisions to the paper, be sure to look carefully at the “Guidelines for
Papers” posted to the D2L page for this course.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
The staff at the University Writing Center can work with you on drafts of your papers, providing
advice on organization, development, clarity, and effective diction. However, they will not proofread
or edit your work. The Center is located in the Library, Rm. 362, phone number: 615-904-8237. It is
best to reserve an appointment, though they do take walk-ins when possible; appointments can be
made online at their website. During the pandemic they are coducting virtual appointments.

DUE: Monday, March 1 (Section 29); Tuesday, March 2 (Sections 37 & 42).

Coraggio!

WILLIAM BLAKE (1757–1827)

THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER 1789

(SONGS OF INNOCENCE)

When my mother died I was very young,

And my Father sold me while yet my tongue

Could scarcely cry “’weep! ’weep! ’weep! ’weep!”

So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.

There’s little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,

That curled like a lamb’s back, was shaved: so I said,

“Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head’s bare

You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair.”

And so he was quiet and that very night

As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!

That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack,

Were all of them locked up in coffins of black.

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,

And he opened the coffins and set them all free;

Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,

And wash in a river, and shine in the Sun.

Then naked and white, all their bags left behind,

They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;

And the Angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy,

He’d have God for his father, and never want joy.

And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark,

And got with our bags and our brushes to work.

Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm;

So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.

THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER 1794

(SONGS OF EXPERIENCE)

A little black thing among the snow,

Crying “ ’weep! ’weep!” in notes of woe!

“Where are thy father and mother? say?”

“They are both gone up to the church to pray.

Because I was happy upon the heath,

And smil’d among the winter’s snow,

They clothed me in the clothes of death,

And taught me to sing the notes of woe.

And because I am happy and dance and sing,

They think they have done me no injury,

And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King,

Who make up a heaven of our misery.”