This is basically a compare and contrast essay, where you are supposed to compare and contrast 2 poems by the same poet. For this essay you will writing about the two poems that are "A Life" and "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath .
1. Maintain an objective point of view; keep references to the first-person “I” to a minimum. The focus should be on the poems and their contents.
2. Write as an essay. The formula we adopt for writing short essays in literature is the same one you learned in English Composition classes: a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
3. Remember that the various features of the essay are connected to a thesis statement, or unifying central idea. This statement should appear in the introduction to your paper and serve as an umbrella for your text.
4. Pay special attention to the language of the poems. Are there any figures of speech? Are there any unusual words? You may scatter your comments on the poems’ language throughout the paper or make them the focus of a separate paragraph, or section, in your text.
5. The essay most include 2-3 outside sources from datbases such as jstor and CQresearcher.
In the first paragraph (introduction) talk about the author, what is she known for in poetry, what theme does her poems or main thing always have, and include a thesis statement stating what aspects will you compare and contrast.
** Subject by Subject Format: if you want to discuss two literary works in terms of a series of points. After your introduction, in the next paragraph (or sequence of paragraphs) discuss one point of comparison in terms of BOTH works or characters, and then move on to discuss the second point in the next paragraph. This method is known as the alternating or point-by-point method.
** Observe all the conventions of writing about literature and poetry. These include the proper treatment of titles and of author names, the use of present tense verbs (when discussing plot and author’s ideas), and a command of the vocabulary.
** You MUST NOT write a summary of the poem, but talk about the Literary and Poetry Terms and the figures of speech found in poetry. For example, theme, language, similes, metaphors, personification, Irony, Assonance, structure, style. (I will upload poetry and literary analysis term)