Response to Literature Essay

1. Response to LiteratureEssay Analyzing a poem

2. Objective: We will annotate and analyze the prompt and poem • Task 1: read the prompt and determine key words. What is it asking you to do? • Task 2: read the poem and annotate (write in the margin) what is happening in each stanza? What literary devices are used? • Task 3: share the various literary devices we found.

3. Objective: We will write an Introductory ¶ for the response to literature essay • Formula for the Introduction • Hook • Overview of text with TAG (Title, Author, Genre) • Thesis Statement (What are you going to prove or argue in your essay?) • HINT! Your thesis should be an answer to the prompt, so you can use some of the same words

4. Objective: We will write an Introductory ¶ for the response to literature essay • Example • Sample Prompt: Pat Mora’s “Same Song” shows what a daughter and son do to make themselves appear attractive in an attempt to fit in. Write an essay analyzing the use of three literary devices such as alliteration, allusion, metaphor, imagery, personification, and simile. Explain how these devices contribute to the characterization of the daughter and son.

5. Objective: We will write an Introductory ¶ for the response to literature essay • Hook (only needs to be 1 sentence) • Example: For virtually everyone, adolescence is a difficult time period because teenagers constantly feel the need to fit in and be accepted. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: How long is a Hook?

6. Objective: We will write an Introductory ¶ for the response to literature essay • Overview of text with TAG (Title, Author, Genre) • In Pat Mora’s poem “Same Song,” a sixteen year old boy and twelve year old girl feel pressured to fit a certain image but are continually disappointed by their inability to meet that standard. The daughter meticulously applies makeup and curls her hair while her brother works out incessantly all in an attempt to improve their looks. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: How long is the Overview?

7. Objective: We will write an Introductory ¶ for the response to literature essay • Thesis Statement (What are you going to prove or argue in your essay?) • HINT! Your thesis should be an answer to the prompt, so you can use some of the same words • Mora uses an array of vivid imagery, an allusion to Snow White and alliteration in the title to characterize the teens as self-conscious and desperately trying to conform to society’s standards. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: Do you know what a thesis does?

8. Objective: We will write an Introductory ¶ for the response to literature essay • Example Introduction • For virtually everyone, adolescence is a difficult time period because teenagers constantly feel the need to fit in and be accepted. In Pat Mora’s poem “Same Song,” a sixteen year old boy and twelve year old girl feel pressured to fit a certain image but are continually disappointed by their inability to meet that standard. The daughter meticulously applies makeup and curls her hair while her brother unceasingly works out all in an attempt to improve their looks. Mora uses an array of vivid imagery, an allusion to Snow White and alliteration in the title to characterize the teens as self-conscious and desperately trying to conform to society’s standards.

9. Objective: We will write a body ¶ for the response to literature essay • Formula for the Body Paragraphs • Topic sentence (what is ¶ going to be about?) • Supporting Evidence (quote from text) • Explain evidence (what does it mean?) • Tie it up (what is the effect on the reader?)

10. Objective: We will write a body ¶ for the response to literature essay • Topic sentence (what is this paragraph going to be about?) • The use of imagery contributes to the characterization of the two adolescents. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: Do you know what a topic sentence does?

11. Objective: We will write a body ¶ for the response to literature essay • Supporting Evidence (quote from the text) • In the first stanza, the daughter “squeezes into faded jeans” while in the second stanza, her brother “lifts weights in the garage.” • Your turn! • Share! Look for “hit and run” sentence. • Whole class: How long is the Supporting Evidence?

12. Objective: We will write a body ¶ for the response to literature essay • Explain Evidence • These images show how obsessed the two are with their appearance. The tight-fitting jeans indicate the young girl’s desire to look attractive even though she is only 12 years old. Similarly, her brother unceasingly works out in order to improve his physical appearance. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: How long is the Explaining Evidence?

13. Explain Evidence Tips and Sentence Starters • Topic Sentence: The personification of the villas creates a peaceful setting. • Explain Evidence = HOW does the personification of the villas create a peaceful setting? • This personification suggests a sense of tranquility because… • By personifying the villas, Plath paints the image of… • The depiction of sleepy beach-front homes implies… • In the pre-dawn moments, even the costal homes seem to exude tranquility as they… • This description of the sleepy homes conjures up images of…

14. Objective: We will write a body ¶ for the response to literature essay • Tie it up (what is the effect on the reader?) • The imagery in both stanzas allows the reader to envision the monotony of their routine. Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: What does the Tie it up sentence do?

15. Objective: We will write a body ¶ for the response to literature essay • Example Body ¶ • The use of imagery contributes to the characterization of the two adolescents. In the first stanza, the daughter “squeezes into faded jeans” while in the second stanza, her brother “lifts weights in the garage.” These images show how obsessed the two are with their appearance. The tight-fitting jeans indicate the young girl’s desire to look attractive even though she is only 12 years old. Similarly, her brother unceasingly works out in order to improve his physical appearance. The imagery in both stanzas allows the reader to envision the monotony of their routine.

16. Objective: We will write a conclusion ¶ for the response to literature essay • Formula for the Conclusion • Rephrase Thesis • Address supporting reasons/Argument Summary (what were your body paragraphs about?) • Provide significance or lesson learned

17. Objective: We will write a conclusion ¶ for the response to literature essay • Rephrase Thesis (go back to original thesis and restate what you said using new words) • Original Thesis: Mora uses an array of vivid imagery, an allusion to Snow White and alliteration in the title to characterize the teens as self-conscious and desperately trying to conform to society’s standards. • Restated Thesis: Throughout the poem, Mora uses various literary devicesto depict the speaker’s children as preoccupied with their appearance. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: Does the Restated Thesis use the exact same words as the original thesis?

18. Objective: We will write a conclusion ¶ for the response to literature essay • Address reasons supporting thesis/ Argument Summary (summarize what you talked about in your body paragraphs) • The imagery used conveys the painstaking routine of the tasks required to fit in. Similarly, the allusion to Snow White emphasizes the all-consuming nature of vanity while the alliteration in the title highlights how both young people struggle to conform. • Your turn! • Share! • Whole class: What does the Argument Summary do?

19. Objective: We will write a conclusion ¶ for the response to literature essay • Your turn! • Propose lesson learned or significance (why is this topic important? Is there a lesson to be learned?) • Through the use of literary devices Mora underscores the notion that neither child is pleased with how they look and are frustrated that so much time and energy has been spent trying to achieve the unachievable which is “not fair.” • Share! • Whole class: How long is the purpose/lesson learned

20. Objective: We will write a conclusion ¶ for the response to literature essay • Example conclusion ¶ • Throughout the poem, Mora uses various literary devices to depict the speaker’s children as preoccupied with their appearance. The imagery used conveys the painstaking routine of the tasks required to fit in. Similarly, the allusion to Snow White emphasizes the all-consuming nature of vanity while the alliteration in the title highlights how both young people struggle to conform. Through the use of literary devices, Mora underscores the notion that neither child is pleased with how they look and are frustrated that so much time and energy has been spent trying to achieve the unachievable, which is “not fair.”