WRITING GUIDE AND FEEDBACK Formatting 1” margins Times New Roman font, size 12 Heading (not in a header), on the left-side of your paper—single spaced:  Your first and last name  Your teacher’s name  Period __  Date (written out)  Topic Title, centered, size 12 (no bolding or underlining), capitalize all major words Your paper should be entirely double-spaced (each line should be 2.0 apart—no extra spaces after the heading, title, or paragraphs—select “Remove Space After Paragraph”) Responding to the prompt AP stands for “Answer the prompt!” ALL PARTS After reading the prompt through once, number or circle what you need to include in your essay. Start with a specific, solid claim. Do not start too generally. Vocabulary Writers and critical readers have a "technical vocabulary" they use when talking about the language of drama, poetry, and fiction. Notice writing that uses such vocabulary. Here are some of the words you should already know: syntax, tone, rhetoric, attitude, antecedent, denouement, exposition, climax, atmosphere, voice, speaker, stock character, thesis, ideology, persuasion, paradox, allusion, ambivalence, syllogism, and aphorism Make connections to the prompt and the text throughout your paper. Use specific examples. Explain why what you’re saying is significant. Answer the “so what?” question. Common Errors Read your writing through at least once to catch typos and other errors All book titles are italicized; poem and song titles are in quotation marks Book titles and character names should be spelled correctly at all times Do not add your own opinions into your writing. State your ideas as facts. Be consistent in your organization. Use multiple paragraphs for different ideas—even if they’re short.

GENERAL FEEDBACK ON POETRY DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY Mention poem titles & authors in the 1 st paragraph. State a clear claim, do not restate the prompt word for word. Background: 1. What? 2. How?—answer all parts of the prompt. Attribute poems with author name or poem title. Explain the significance of the quote. When including words in selections as examples put them in quotation marks. Do not assume! Speaker does not equal the author Do not address author by first name Form: Both are sonnets (Italian & Elizabethan) Compare and Contrast options: point by point (topics), individual poem, similarities/differences. Analyze relationship of the poems. Proper paragraphs Don’t question the reader or ask rhetorical questions Support ideas w/quotations briefly/don’t repeat No personal pronouns: I, me, we, etc./take an objective point of view Use loose leaf paper only Answer: So what? “The author uses syntax…” so what? What effect does it have? AVOID 5 paragraph essay structure. “Poem titles” vs. Novel Titles Identify sentence ends to see the complete thought. Poems don’t end thoughts at the end of the line. Research Milton & Cullen (personal lives and the time period) for a better understanding. Look at the allusions handout. Try not to pick up on ONE word and assume the whole poem is about that. Don’t repeat quotations. Reword or add new meaning. Clearly punctuate. Pay attention to titles. Don’t consume the essay with information on the time period. Theme = always! Use neat handwriting!