Assignment

Write TWO short literary analyses of an aspect related to nature/the wilderness in Gilgamesh, The Metamorphoses, The Odyssey, and/or The Inferno. You may choose to focus on one work or multiple works. Each paragraph should be 300-400 words long.

Each of these will consist of a well-developed analytical paragraph. The paragraphs can be related, but they don't need to be. They are two separate responses.

Getting Started

Review our discussion questions for potential ideas. It is perfectly fine to choose a question you worked on in class and to turn that into a fully developed paragraph.

Sample Topics

- Compare/contrast the relationship that women have with the wilderness to that of men.

- What do these works suggest about humanity's relationship with the wilderness and nature?

- What does the wilderness represent in these works?

- Compare/contrast the meaning of "wilderness" in two or more of these works.

- What is Gilgamesh arguing about civilization vs. the wilderness?

- What does The Odyssey argue about the complexity of nature and the wilderness?

- Choose a character and analyze his/her significance and symbolism.

Remember

- In literary analysis, the writer is offering an argument (interpretation) of a work of literature.

- The writer can focus on the work as a whole or on specific passages and quotes.

- The writers asks, "What does the text appear to be saying, and why is it significant?"

- To complete the analysis, the writer looks at figurative language, rhetorical choices - including word choice and sentence structure -- and considers themes and motifs in order to come to a conclusion about the text.

Organization

- Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence. This is like a mini thesis statement for the paragraph, telling the reader what you will be arguing/proving.

- Each paragraph must also include specific quotations AND an explanation/analysis of the meaning and significance of the quotations.

- Each paragraph should end by reinforcing the main point of the paragraph.

Sample Analytical Paragraph

The following passage from the myth of Apollo and Daphne emphasizes the themes of pursuit and transformation, ultimately offering a surprisingly modern and relevant take on the powerlessness that Daphne felt and the blame she places upon herself. After being chased through the woods by Apollo, Daphne pleads with her father, ... O help me, If there is any power in the rivers, Change and destroy the body which has given Too much delight!" (lines 545-548).

While it is obvious that Apollo is the one doing the chasing when Ovid writes, "So ran the god and girl, one swift in hope / the other in terror" (lines 539-540), Daphne does not blame him but herself when she asks her father for transformation. She blames her body for giving "too much delight" (line 548). By disassociating herself from her body, Daphne emphasizes her powerlessness, as if her body has acted outside of her control and is alone responsible for Apollo's lust. This fear (or even hatred) of her own body is further emphasized by her word choice of "change and destroy" (line 547). So fearful is she of the god's advances and of the power of her own body that she would rather her body were "destroyed" than cause further damage in her life (line 547). The victim blaming and self-hatred in the passage seem particularly relevant to modern times where victims of sexual assault continue to blame themselves.

Formatting

- Use 12-pt standard font and double-space. Add an MLA heading and header.

- You need a works cited page.

- You must use in-text citations to acknowledge where the quotations came from. You do not need the author's name in the citations, but you do need the line numbers.

- Review the Literary Analysis Power Point for information about quoting and in-text citations.

- Titles of books should be italicized (The Odyssey); titles of shorter segments of books, like chapters, should be in quotes ("Grace of the Witch").

Audience

Your audience for this analysis includes me, your classmates, and anyone who is already familiar with these works. As such, you don't need to summarize the work in its entirety. (For example, you don't need to write, "Ovid's The Metamorphoses is a collection of Greek and Latin myths ... "). Assume your audience already knows the basics. Your goal is to enlighten the audience and show them an interpretation they have perhaps not thought of.

Assignment Write TWO short literary analyses of an aspect relate...