Writing About Poetry

Question 1

How do you know when to italicize/underline and when to quote the title of a source?

Accepted Answer

quote titles of poems

Question 2

Correct this sentence: "Terence says, "And I myself a sterling lad" (34).

Accepted Answer

Terence calls himself "a sterling lad" (34).

Question 3

How many spaces go after a period?

Accepted Answer

one

Question 4

Technically, what is the difference between an analysis and an explication?

Accepted Answer

an analysis is a breaking up, a separation into parts, an explication is an unfolding, a detailed elucidation, an explication includes what a poem means and how it means

Question 5

What kinds of adjustments might be made to an essay in revision?

Accepted Answer

confidence of presentation, completeness of interpretation, effectiveness of expression

Question 6

In what tense should you write your essay?

Accepted Answer

present tense

Question 7

What is a virgule and what would you use it for when quoting?

Accepted Answer

a slash, with spaces on either side, to indicate line turns

Question 8

What punctuation marks go inside quotation marks?

Accepted Answer

question marks if the quotation includes a question mark, periods unless there's a citation, exclamation points if the quotation includes an exclamation

Question 9

Why do the editors of S&S recommend that you avoid the verb uses when writing about poetry?

Accepted Answer

focus on the poem, not the poet

Question 10

Why do the editors of S&S recommend you start working on your essay as soon as possible?

Accepted Answer

let your thoughts about the assignment steep in your mind

Question 11

What do the initials MLA stand for in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers?

Accepted Answer

Modern Language Association of America

Question 12

How should you write quotations of three or more lines of poetry?

Accepted Answer

indent, single space

Question 13

What is the third (or public) purpose for written assignments in a literature class?

Accepted Answer

to enlighten

Question 14

Where are the commas correct?

Accepted Answer

In his poem "Terence, this is stupid stuff", Houseman...

Question 15

What is the series (or Oxford) comma?

Accepted Answer

it's the comma before the last item of a list

Question 16

When should you write single quotation marks?

Accepted Answer

when quoting within a quotation

Writing About Poetry

Questions 16

Writing About Poetry

Questions 16