ENG200.003 -- Introduction to Literary Study

Prof. Eileen Joy

Fall 2009

SHORT PAPER #3 −- Explication Essay (20 points)

Figure 1. "Man With Dog" (painting by Francis Bacon, 1909-1992)

explicate (verb): 1. to unfold, unroll, unravel in words; 2. to open out and expand what is wrapped up; 3. to enter into explanations

THE POEM: Spencer Reece, "Florida Ghazals"

This exercise is an explication essay, in which you try your hand at explaining how a poem is constructed and what you think its "message" might be (what is it trying to say/convey to us?). This really isn't an editorial-style opinion paper ("I love this poem because . . . ."); rather, it's an essay that attempts to describe what the poem does and how it creates its effects upon you as a reader:

• What kinds of scenes, moods, images, feelings, etc., does the poem evoke for you?
• How would you describe the overall tone of the poem (see pages 835-842 in the Norton Intro. to Literature)?
• What is the setting and situation of the poem (see pages 882-894 in the Norton Intro. to Literature)?
• What kind of form does the poem take (look at its line and stanza and other formatting elements, including repetition of words, sounds, and images), and why do you think that matters?
• What is interesting about the poet's use of figurative language (look at pages 941-948 in the Norton Intro. to Literature)?
• What can you say about the speaker/narrator of the poem (look at pages 861-872 in the Norton Intro. to Literature)?
• Does the poem tell a story, and what is that story, more exactly?
• Since the ghazal is traditionally a vehicle for love poetry, how is "Florida Ghazals" a love poem?
• How does the poem ultimately affect you as a reader?

There is no particular order in which to do these things; first, spend some time getting really acquainted with the poem. Read it several times, and then several times again, to really get the feel of it. Make notes on the phrases, lines, and images that really strike you. Begin the paper by answering the last three questions posed above, and then work your way through the small details of the poem's form, language, etc. in order to explain to your reader how the poem works--as a narrative, as a love poem, and as something that moves you in a particular way.

Go HERE for an excellent explication of a poem by Walt Whitman, written by S.I.U.E. student Andrew Crider.

Target length: 3 pages, double-spaced, TYPED.