Dr. Debora B. Schwartz
English Department, California Polytechnic State UniversityINTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH EXERCISE
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
1) The paper you write in this class is not a reaction paper -- don't use it to express your personal opinion about a reading, to criticize or praise it. Instead, it should demonstrate your understanding of the reading on its own terms, in the medieval context -- what it meant to its original author and audience (whether or not you agree is irrelevant to this assignment).
2) The paper you will write in this class is also not a research paper (the research tool exercises which you complete for this class have no connection to this writing assignment). DO NOT CITE ANY SECONDARY SOURCES IN EITHER THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH EXERCISE OR IN YOUR FINAL EXPANDED PAPER -- cite only the primary text(s) you are analyzing (the medieval work, or in the case of topic #5, the medieval work and its classical source).
3) The paper which you will write in this class is an EXERCISE, designed to help you practice certain analytic writing skills. It's not the place to try to dazzle me with something new and original. It's hard enough (and perfectly legitimate) simply to demonstrate your grasp of an interpretation presented in class. Concentrate on constructing a strong logical argument based upon close reading (analysis of specific passages in the text). Your paper should demonstrate your ability to
4) The paper you will write in this class is probably unlike any paper you have written in the past. PLEASE READ THROUGH AND TAKE CARE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES BELOW in preparing this assignment. It is not as simple as it may initially seem.
- understand a medieval work in its own context, on its own terms
- construct a logical argument (i.e. paragraph order should be carefully thought out)
- support that argument with well-chosen textual passages
- write clear, correct prose, following the stylistic guidelines on the the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST and in the PAPER WRITING GUIDELINES (which you will use when you expand the paper to 3-4 pp. later this quarter)
5) Finally, please note that although this assignment teaches skills that you should master as a Cal Poly English major, it is not a formula for "the right way" to write about literature -- because there IS no one "right" way to write about literature. In subsequent classes, you will do many different types of writing; the challenge is always to understand and adhere to the parameters of the assignment. But while you may never write another paper in precisely this way, the skills I am asking you to practice should prove useful to you in other contexts (e.g. on essay exams, where it is essential to think through your argument before you begin to write).
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
For this exercise, you will write an Introductory Paragraph (approximately one page long) for a 3-4-page analytic paper; later, you will revise this introduction based upon my comments (written and/or during a required conference) and expand it into a 3-4-page paper. The body of the finished paper (exclusive of introduction and conclusion) will consist of 2-3 pages of carefully chosen citations from the primary text(s), interpreted and logically organized in such a way that they demonstrate the validity of your argument.
One of the best analogies to writing a good analytic paper is a lawyer arguing a case in court. Both lawyer and paper writer must build a carefully constructed argument to prove the validity of a debatable point. The topic and text you are investigating is your "client"; your client's "plea" -- guilty or innocent of what specific charges -- is your thesis. Like a good lawyer, you should begin with an opening statement (the INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH) which clearly states what you will argue (your fully articulated thesis) and suggests how you will structure your argument (the "prosecution" or "defense"). For this assignment, then, you will practice THINKING THROUGH YOUR ARGUMENT BEFORE YOU PLUNGE INTO WRITING THE FULL PAPER. While your opening paragraph should not get into the specific examples you will discuss in the body of your paper, it should indicate what kinds of evidence you will use to make your case.
Since the purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate an understanding of a medieval work on its own terms (e.g. in the medieval context), your introduction should also provide adequate background information to demonstrate that understanding. But avoid "filler" -- don't dump in everything you know about the author, the genre, the Anglo-Saxons or the Norman Conquest; stick to information that is clearly connected to what you have to say about the text itself. Relevant information is likely to include the date and authorship of the work; its specific target audience (where and for whom it was created); the purpose for which it was written or composed; and what specific message the author is attempting to convey (and to what specific target audience).
Because an analytic literary paper is based on textual analysis, not summary, the body of your essay will present carefully chosen citations and specific examples from the text(s) to demonstrate how the author achieved that purpose and/or got that message across. Do NOT include these specific examples in your introduction, but DO give some thought to what they will be (and to how you can best organize the examples into an effective argument). Rather than trying to boil the complexities of your argument down into a one-sentence thesis (which may not be possible), concentrate on writing an introduction which clearly articulates the central message of your paper.
Be sure that your introduction goes beyond a simple statement of topic: explain the connection of the interpretation you are defending to the historical context and sketch out the parameters (but not the details) of the argument you will make to prove the validity of that interpretation. Do NOT hold back this information for your conclusion or reveal it gradually, one idea at a time, in the body of your paper -- it should be fully articulated UP FRONT, letting your reader know where the paper is going and how you intend to argue your case. Your introduction should thus present a sort of narrative outline of your paper; be sure its organization is dictated by logic (not e.g. by the order in which passages or events occur in the text you are writing about). Your reader should be able to guess at the paragraph structure of your essay from what you write in the introduction. (And you should be able to generate topic sentences for each paragraph of the completed paper from your introduction.)
Do NOT begin your paper with truisms, statements of personal philosophy, generalities, or examples from modern life; get to your point, which is an interpretation of the primary texts. You have a limited amount of space in which to make your case; don't waste it on a "hook." (You already have my full attention.) Avoid using the first or second person (I, we, you) in constructing your argument, which should be presented as objectively as possible. First- and second-person references are conversational in tone, inappropriate for this type of formal expository writing. Moreover, they undermine the rhetorical efficacy of your argument. First-person references ("I believe," "I think," "we see") imply subjectivity; if your paper is simply a statement of personal opinion, what makes it more valid than opposing viewpoints? A tone of objective neutrality is rhetorically more effective in convincing the reader of the validity of your argument.
Be sure that your paper conforms to the standards of formal expository writing and the conventions of literary analysis. Consult the PAPER WRITING GUIDELINES and the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST both before and after you sit down to write your first draft, and revise it accordingly.
Working from one of the following prompts, write an Introductory Paragraph of no more than one double-spaced page (approx. 300 words maximum) appropriate to a 3-4 page analytic paper. PROOFREAD your Introductory Paragraph for spelling, punctuation, and basic grammar, as well as for clarity and logic (your fully articulated introduction should include a clear, interpretive thesis and indicate how you will organize your argument). Note: this assignment is harder than it sounds; be sure to allow yourself adequate time to do it well, or the writing component of your grade will suffer!
1. We have noted in class some similarities -- and many differences -- between the epic hero Beowulf and the warrior Christ of The Dream of the Rood. Write an analysis of ONE of these works (and figures) which accounts for some of the similarities we have noticed between them. Whichever work you write on, explain why the lines between savior and warrior are blurred. (Why did the author choose to portray the protagonist in this way?) Please note that this is NOT a "compare and contrast" topic. You should focus your analysis on only ONE of the two works/figures; you need not refer to the other figure/work at all (and should do so only to make a point about the figure/work which is your primary focus). Your paper should answer a question that requires thoughtful analysis, not just summary, e.g. how and why is Christ depicted as a warrior in Dream of the Rood? (How does this characterization serve the author's purpose?) How and why is Beowulf presented as a savior figure? (Does this characterization help explain why the epic was written down by a Christian scribe?)
2. Discuss the fusion of pagan and Christian values, elements and beliefs in The Dream of the Rood. In order to keep this analysis from being purely descriptive, be sure to have a thesis concerning e.g. what the author is trying to achieve and why the familiar story of the Crucifixion must be changed to make it relevant to what specific target audience. Elements to consider: the characterizaion of Christ; the characterization and function of the Rood; ways in which the poem mediates between pagan and Christian beliefs; the role and function of the Dreamer.
3. Discuss the role and function of Wiglaf in Beowulf. What purpose does he serve? How does his presence alter our understanding of the text? Can the Wiglaf episode help us understand why this monster story was preserved in written form by a Christian scribe?
4. Analyze Bede's attitude toward English-language "literature" in the "Story of Caedmon." Issues to consider: Bede's references to "vain and idle songs"; his explanation of Caedmon's literary talent; his purpose in writing the Ecclesiastical History; his real or implied audience; oral vs. written traditions; the notion of auctoritas (the AUTHORITATIVE Latin writings of the AUTHORS which a literate person would have been taught in school); medieval assumptions about literature, writing, Latin, and the written word.
5. Identify the principal changes between the classical epic the Aeneid and the Old French Romance of Eneas, and discuss the implications of these changes. What do they reveal about the differing values or world view, about the target audience, or about the author of the Old French poem?
BEFORE YOU WRITE:
Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1999-2008
- Reminder 1: your paper will NOT necessarily answer all the questions in the prompt. These questions are designed to get you THINKING. You must decide what to focus on and what DEBATABLE POINT to argue.
- Reminder 2: a topic is not a thesis. A series of observations that are true but not debatable may be excellent notes for a paper, but they are not (yet) interpretive analytic writing. Until you say something debatable about the topic which can be supported by textual interpretation, your paper has no thesis.
- Reminder 3: be sure that your Introductory Paragraph conforms to the standards outlined on the basic PAPER WRITING GUIDELINES for ENGL 330 (which you will follow when expanding your paper later this quarter) and in the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST (which I use when grading written work). PROOFREAD CAREFULLY to ensure that you do NOT make the mechanical or stylistic errors listed on the checklist!
- Reminder 4: your Introductory Paragraph should have a title which suggests the topic/thesis of your paper and should include a foot- or endnote providing full bibliographic information on the primary text(s) you will discuss in your paper. See the "Documentation" section of the Paper Writing Guidelines for proper format and information to include.
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