Write a close reading of 1500 –
1800 words of your chosen poem. Your close reading should account in detail for the poem’s form and
techniques in order to develop an interpretation of the poem. A strong interpretation will use the details
of the poem to allow the reader to see something that is not immediately evident on a first or cursory
reading, or to read the poem in a new way.
1. Attention to the text: have you identified the major techniques of the poem? Are these
techniques identified at the level of detail, not at the level of the general? How detailed and
perceptive is your analysis? Does the reading make use of technical poetic
vocabulary?
2. Quality of the interpretation: do you mount a sophisticated interpretation echnical poetic? Is it viable and
convincing? Does your interpretation arise from evidence you have found in the text?
3. Structure. Is the piece structured in a logical manner? Is the paragraph structure clear and easy
to follow? Does the interpretation progress logically and fluently?
4. Quality of the prose: is your writing fluent, grammatically correct, and clear?
