A Beautiful, Good, and True Approach to Reading and Writing

Respond considerately to the following questions and prompts.  Think creatively rather than superficially. Be prepared to share your responses with the class on our due date. 

Format: MLA.

• Printed and turned in to your teacher
• Submitted to turnitin.com 
• Format your writing with the basic headings below (I. Context and Tradition...II. Understanding...III. Application).  

                Title: Beautiful, Good, and True Approach Applied to ________


I. Context and Tradition (one paragraph)

When was this work written?  What pertinent historical events surround (or enter) the work?  To which genre and literary period does this work belong? Name a specific artistic work that this one reminds you of--whether due to the tone, theme, imagery, or something else. Explain.

II. Understanding (two paragraphs)

• A.  Distinction (short paragraph)
• How does this author communicate specific images and abstract ideas in ways that other authors do not? Explain.  What are the key images of the work?  Which one is the most memorable? Why?  Be sure to incorporate quotations in this paragraph to illustrate your ideas. 

•  Theme (long paragraph)
• Poetry: Describe the diction and structure (sonnet? free verse? ballad?) employed by the author in this work.  How does the style (elements such as speaker, form, irony, tone, structure, etc.) relate to the meaning (theme, key idea)?
• Novel or long work: Trace a theme with one (or more) quotation taken from each of the five major sections of the plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion). Relate the form of the work (elements such as narrative perspective, syntax, tone, irony, etc.) to the theme.

III. Application (one long paragraph or creative writing format)

Choose one of the following:

• Judgment (the literary critic; one long paragraph): Explain the value that this work holds for a reader today.  What marks of beauty, goodness, or truth commend this artwork to the world? 

• Creative Writing (the artist):  Write poetry (at least two pages of individual poems or one long poem), a short story, or a richly imaginative essay inspired by this artwork.  

Scoring (based on 100%).  In each category below (beside the format and timeliness), 50% of the points may be lost due to poor grammar.

• Thorough response to section I: 10%
• Interesting consideration of the work's distinction: 20%
• Thoughtful and interesting analysis of the elements and theme: 30%
• Insightful application: 30%
• MLA format; printed on paper, turned in, and submitted to turnitin.com on time: 10%

* Example (with a slightly different format): Miss Loredo