Write an essay in which you compare and contrast how Carver and Anonymous reveal similar and different thematic issues and themes in the literary Assignment | Online Assignment

“For Tess*”

by Raymond Carver

Out on the Strait* the water is whitecapping

As they say here. It’s rough and I’m glad

I’m not out. Glad I fished all day

on Morse Creek, casting a red Daredevil* back

and forth. I didn’t catch anything. No bites

even, not one. But it was okay. It was fine!

I carried your dad’s pocketknife and was followed

for a while by a dog its owner called Dixie.

At times I felt so happy I had to quit

fishing. Once I lay on the bank with my eyes closed,

listening to the sound the water made,

and to the wind in the tops of the trees. The same wind

that blows out on the Strait, but a different wind, too.

For awhile I even let myself imagine that I had died –

and that was all right, at least for a couple

of minutes, until it really sank in: Dead.

As I was laying there with my eyes closed,

just after I’d imagined what it might be like

if in fact I never got up again, I thought of you.

I opened my eyes then and got right up

and went back to being happy again

I’m grateful to you, you see. I wanted to tell you.

from LorenWebster.net

*Tess – Carver’s eventual and last wife

*Strait – a narrow passage of water connecting two seas

(from Google)

*Red Daredevil – a spoon-shaped fishing lure

(from Mal)

Father

by Anonymous

vultures circle quickly onto oak limbs

reminding me of the possum

curled up and stinking underneath

a stack of bamboo you made years ago

vultures seem heavier and bigger

than we or the oaks imagined

limbs squeak as if unhinged

while the flock fights for a ledge

poor possum I think pondering

the best tools for extraction

a pronged hay pick and shovel

will do so I dig and turn

to see huge shadows above me

longing for the little I’ll waste

in a black plastic bag big enough

to hold the kin of the bloated corpse

I wish you were here to see it all

I wish you were here to help me

drag this out of the yard

from RipTides 2017

Comp 2 [Ellenburg] 200 points
prompt for poetry analysis due to Turnitin Tues., May 12
Write a two-page essay in which you compare and contrast how Carver and
Anonymous reveal similar and different thematic issues and themes in the literary
elements of their tribute* poems: “For Tess” and “Father.”
As you develop your insights, be sure to at least focus on character, mood and
imagery as they reveal meaning , and in a block format** , consider developing each poem
– for the most part – as it progresses from beginning, middle to end.
Do not feel as if you have to introduce full themes for each poem your introduction
– which should be brief, two or three sentences; instead, you should introduce those
thematic claims at the beginnings of each of your two – yes two – body paragraphs.
In your development, make use of a thorough amount of directly quoted evidence,
especially by integrating small pieces that set the scene and support your insights.
Remember that part of your purpose is to recreate the poem for your reader, though you
should assume that your reader has read the poem, and you should remember that your
main purpose is to convince this reader that your interpretations are insightful and well
supported by each text.
This is an independent analysis . You may not use any outside sources or do any
research for this essay, and you may not discuss these poems or your essay with your
peers or anyone until you have submitted in your essay.
* A “tribute” poem may show “respect, gratitude and/or affection” (definition of “tribute”
from Webster).
** Remember that the “block” method of comparing and contrasting asks you to organize
your sections (in this case two body paragraphs) by subject and include the features in
each. So you do most of your comparing and connecting in the second section, though you
should also discuss the similarities and differences in your introduction and conclusion,
especially in your thesis. Help yourself get organized and ready by making an outline that
includes your main claims, transition between sections and quotes. Trust the process.
I. intro with a thesis that compares and/or contrasts
II. analysis of poem 1
III. analysis of poem 2 (including some comparing and/or contrasting to poem 1)
IV. conclusion
You will earn most of your credit by thoroughly analyzing each poem, so create large body
paragraphs (17-20 lines) and short framework (2-3 sentences each for introduction and
conclusion). And don’t forget MLA style and formatting. You do not need any extra
citations for the poems or line numbers. Integrate lots of little bits into your explanation.
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