Reminder: BE SURE TO TURN IN ESSENCE POEMS TOMORROW IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO.
1. Poet Study–Complete first draft is due tomorrow. Be sure to follow the essay guidelines. This stage of the writing process will be graded.
General Requirements:
- 5-7 pages
- 3 sources
General Formatting:
- Double-spaced; size 12 font; Times New Roman or similar
- .75 margins on both left and right sides
- All pages beyond the first page should be numbered. Page numbers should be placed at the bottom right of each page.
- No Cover Page. Include name, Class Band, and Date
- Be sure TITLE reflects the theme of the essay
- Include Title, Author, and General Theme of work in first paragraph of essay…
- Follow MLA guidelines
Order of Arrangement:
- Final Draft on top. Staple or fasten with a paperclip.
- 1st Draft—with significant corrections made + name and signature of reader
Avoid the Following:
- Avoid Pronouns: I, it, you, me, we, us
- Avoid Troublesome language. DO NOT USE ANY of the following words: it, these, this, those, kind of, almost, seems, maybe, like, then, later, eventually, basically, so, many, a lot, things, due to the fact (or any variations of the fact that), in reality, very, really, forms of the verb “to be”
- In the intro, nix all book-review commentary—i.e. “is fascinating, interesting…”
- Be extremely careful with your use of all words…yet, for these words in particular, don’t think they are cheap: Truth, Beauty, Love, Nature, Reality
- Avoid gross existential generalizations; remember, we learned early on that to come to a set definition of existentialism would be difficult if not impossible. Remember, the various existential schools of thought—those whom we’ve covered (i.e. Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Sartre, Dostoyevsky) and those whom we have had briefly touched on in précis presentations (i.e. Jaspers, de Beauvoir, Heidegger, Camus, etc.). These individuals help to define our context, so once again, avoid the generalizations.
Keys to Good Writing:
- Cohesion—Every sentence fits together; paragraphs flow smoothly. Ensure that the entire discussion comes together as one unified discussion of your text and its context.
- Concision—Less is more. Use fewer words to explain yourself. Begin fusing sentences by merging ideas into tightly knit phrases.
- Precision—Accuracy. Use words that accurately capture what you mean. Don’t settle for words or expressions that come close.
- Coherence—Does your essay make sense? Are your ideas organized in a logical sequence? Do you prove your thesis? Do the parts contain the essence of the whole?
