In approximately 500–650 words, write a detailed explication of one of the following poems or excerpts.
Excerpt from “Suzanne Takes You Down” (The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry, lines 36–53)
Suzanne takes your hand
and she leads you to the river,
she is wearing rags and feathers
from Salvation Army counters.
The sun pours down like honey
on our lady of the harbour
as she shows you where to look
among the garbage and the flowers,
there are heroes in the seaweed
there are children in the morning,
they are leaning out for love
they will lean that way forever
while Suzanne she holds the mirror.
And you want to travel with her
and you want to travel blind
and you’re sure that she can find you
because she’s touched her perfect body
with her mind.
“On My First Son” (The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry)
“To My Dear and Loving Husband” (The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry)
“London” (The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry)
Excerpt from “The Lady of Shalott” (The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry, lines 136–53)
Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right—
The leaves upon her falling light—
Thro’ the noises of the night
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.
Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darken’d wholly,
Turn’d to tower’d Camelot.
For ere she reach’d upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.
An explication of a poem is a detailed analysis of its elements (such as diction, language, figurative devices, imagery, rhythm, and rhyme scheme) as they relate to the theme and mood of the poem. It seeks to make explicit what a reader perceives as implicit in a text. Explication is a detailed analysis of a passage of poetry and requires a line-by-line or episode-by-episode commentary on what is contained in the text. An explication pays careful attention to language: you will want to consider the denotations and connotations of the words; sound properties, such as assonance and alliteration; allusions; figurative language, such as metaphors and similes; irony and symbols; as well as rhyme scheme (especially strong irregularities), rhythm (especially strong irregularities), the speaker’s point of view, and the tone. Concentrate on examining those elements that are important in the particular excerpt you are writing on.
An explication does not deal with the writer’s life or times, and it is not a paraphrase, although it may include some paraphrasing of the poem. Rather, an explication is a commentary revealing your sense of the meaning of the poem. It is not simply a summary of the poem, but an examination of the meanings and effects produced by the poet’s use of language in the poem.
One effective way to organize an explication is to move through the poem line by line, explaining what is significant. However, try to avoid beginning each sentence with “In line one. . . .” Instead, organize your paper according to your thesis (statement of opinion). You may also choose to organize your explication by discussing various elements of poetry—for example, a paragraph on figurative language, followed by a paragraph on symbolism, and so on.
In your introduction, state the theme (the main idea about the subject of the poem) in a sentence or two. If you are writing on an excerpt, write a sentence or two to explain the context of the excerpt: where it occurs in the poem and what is taking place at that point. Divide the body of your essay into three paragraphs. In one paragraph, analyze sound patterns, rhythm, line lengths, and enjambment (if applicable). Analyze diction (especially important and effective words) in another paragraph. In the third paragraph, analyze imagery (pictures in the imagination) and figurative devices (figures of speech), such as metaphors, similes, and personifications. The paragraphs do not need to be in this order, and it is possible to combine diction and imagery in one paragraph. Tone (the writer’s attitude toward himself or herself, his or her subject, and his or her readers) and mood (the overall atmosphere in the poem) can be included in any of these paragraphs. Write a brief conclusion that sums up your main points.
