CRITICAL ESSAY Your main assignment for this section is to write a short critical essay based on one of the poems you’ve read for this module or another poem you’ve encountered elsewhere. Whatever poem you choose, be sure that it’s substantial enough to bear a critical analysis. In other words, don’t select a poem that’s light, frivolous, and intended merely to amuse or entertain. Note: If you use a poem not included in this module, be sure to attach a photocopy. In preparing to write your essay, follow these steps: - Go through the poems, think about the ones that speak to you the most, and select one that you’d like to write about.
- Work again through first-, second-, and third-level responses to the poem in order to decide for yourself just what it is you want to say.
- Formulate a thesis statement. Try to move beyond a basic observation in order to formulate a thesis that you can argue by citing aspects of the poem you’re considering.
- Organize your ideas; try for at least three points in defence of your thesis, and present each in a separate paragraph.
- Draft your essay with an effective introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Revise your work until you’re satisfied with it.
- Edit your revised work and produce a final, polished copy. Don’t forget to proofread.[unique_solution]
Grading You’ll be asked to respond critically to one or more literary texts when you write your Diploma Exam. You’ll be getting more practice in this sort of writing in future modules, but at this point it would help if you started to become familiar with the marking guidelines on which the critical response on your Diploma Exam will be graded. What follows is a close approximation of the marking guide that will be used by the teachers who mark the critical essay in Part A of your English Language Arts 30-1 Diploma Exam (an exact duplication can’t be guaranteed, because the guidelines are altered slightly from time to time). You were given this guide in Module 3, but you weren’t asked to use it there. Your response will be graded according to this marking guide. | Thought and Understanding | Supporting Evidence | Form and
Structure | Matters
of Choice | Matters of Correctness | | Excellent 5 | Ideas are insightful, demonstrating a comprehension of subtle distinctions in the literary text(s) and the topic. Literary interpretations are perceptive and illuminating. | Support is explicit, precise, and deliberately chosen to reinforce the student’s ideas in a deliberate and judicious way. A strong connection to the student’s ideas is maintained. | An effective arrangement of ideas and/or details contributes to a fluent, controlled, and shaped discussion that concludes skilfully. The unifying effect and/or controlling idea is successfully sustained, integrated, and coherently presented. | Diction is precise and effective. Syntactical structures are effective and sometimes polished. Stylistic choices contribute to a confident composition with a convincing voice. | This writing demonstrates confidence in control of correct sentence construction, usage, grammar, and mechanics. The relative absence of error is impressive considering the complexity of the response and the circumstances. | | Proficient 4 | Ideas are thoughtful, demonstrating a well-considered comprehension of the literary text(s) and the topic. Literary interpretations are revealing and convincing. | Support is relevant, accurate, and occasionally deliberately chosen to reinforce the student’s ideas in a logical and clear way. A clear connection to the student’s ideas is maintained. | A considered arrangement of ideas and/or details contributes to a competent, controlled discussion that concludes appropriately. The unifying effect and/or controlling idea is sustained and coherently presented. | Diction is specific. Syntactical structures are generally effective. Stylistic choices contribute to a competent composition with a capable voice. | This writing demonstrates competence in control of correct sentence construction, usage, grammar, and mechanics. Minor errors in complex language structures are understandable considering the circumstances. | | Satisfactory 3 | Ideas are relevant and straightforward, demonstrating a generalized comprehension of the literary text(s) and topic. Literary interpretations are general but plausible. | Support is adequate and general but occasionally lacking in persuasiveness and consistency. A straightforward connection to the student’s ideas is maintained. | A straightforward arrangement of ideas and/or details provides direction for the discussion that concludes functionally. The unifying effect and/or controlling idea is presented and maintained generally; however, coherence may falter. | Diction is adequate but may be lacking in specificity. Syntactical structures are generally clear but attempts at complex structures may be awkward. Stylistic choices contribute to a clear composition with a matter-of-fact voice. | This writing demonstrates control of the basics of correct sentence construction, usage, grammar, and mechanics. There may be occasional lapses in control and minor errors. However, the communication remains clear. | | Limited 2 | Ideas are superficial and oversimplified, demonstrating a weak comprehension of the literary text(s) and the topic. Literary interpretations are incomplete and/or literal. | Support is often inappropriate or is a restatement of what was taught or read, and/or may be repetitive, contradictory, and/or lacking. The connection to the student’s ideas is vague and/or redundant. | A discernible but ineffectual arrangement of ideas and/or details provides some direction for the discussion that does not conclude deliberately. A unifying effect and/or controlling idea is not maintained. | Diction is imprecise and/or inappropriate. Syntax is frequently awkward and/or immature. The writing may be vague, redundant, and/or unclear. Inadequate language choices contribute to a composition with an undiscerning or uncritical voice. | This writing demonstrates faltering control of correct sentence construction, usage, grammar, and mechanics. The range of errors blurs the clarity of communication. | | Poor 1 | Ideas are largely absent, irrelevant, and/or do not develop the topic. Little comprehension of the literary text(s) and/or the topic is demonstrated. | Support is irrelevant, overgeneralized, and/or lacking. The support, if present, is largely unrelated to the student’s attempted discussion. | A haphazard arrangement of ideas and/or details provides little or no direction for the discussion, and a conclusion is absent or obscure. A unifying effect and/or controlling idea is absent. | Diction is overgeneralized and/or inaccurate. Syntax is confused and uncontrolled. The writing is unclear. Lack of language choices contributes to a confusing composition with an ineffective voice. | This writing demonstrates lack of control of correct sentence construction, usage, grammar, and mechanics. Jarring errors impair communication. |
Don’t be intimidated by the scoring guide; it’s really quite simple. Note that you’re marked according to five categories: Thought and Understanding (your ideas and interpretations), Supporting Evidence (your evidence in support of your ideas), Form and Structure (your organization, unity, and coherence), Matters of Choice (your diction, voice, and structural choices—like parallelism and inverted sentence order), and Matters of Correctness (your mastery of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage). In each category, you can get up to five marks—for a total of 25 on the paper (on your Diploma Exam, somewhat more weight is given to the first two categories). The guide makes an attempt to describe what you must do to earn 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 mark in each category. Your job now is to examine the guide carefully in order to become more familiar with it. Then, in the chart provided here, assess your own critical response in question 2 by assigning yourself a mark for each category. Try to be fair, and don’t succumb to false modesty! Give yourself the mark you really think you deserve! | Category | Mark out of 5 possible marks | | Thought and Understanding | | | Supporting Evidence | | | Form and Structure | | | Matters of Choice | | | Matters of Correctness | |
Now, as you’ve done before, your job is to explain, or justify, the mark you gave yourself in each of the five categories of the marking guide. Refer specifically to the descriptions in the relevant boxes and to aspects of your own response that you feel illustrate those descriptions. |
