General Rubric

Essay 1

•  reference at least one concept from Stevens. 
• reach around 1500-2000 words
• include a Works Cited section in MLA or another widely recognized citation format. (These do not count toward the word count)
  • this would include Stevens, other readings cited, outside sources (optional, but if you do look elsewhere, cite it) and if needed, your Voyant visulations. All of the prompts can use Voyant.

1. Formatting
   1. This paper needs an interesting, descriptive title.
   2. Not counting the Works Cited section or any images, this paper should be 1500-2000 words.
   3. All the quotations and sources must be cited in the paper itself.
   4. Papers need to avoid plagiarism by properly and fully citing the sources consulted in writing it.
      1. If material (online or off) was consulted, but did not need to be directly cited in the paper, include them in a Bibliography section.
      2. Plagiarism is not about intent. It is about giving credit to the sources that helped you write the paper and clarifying what you are adding to a discussion on this topic. It is about being a good member of a wider intellectual community.
      3. If you have questions or concerns about properly citing your sources, contact me, the Writing Center, or the MLA style guide (the Online Writing Lab at Purdue is a good online source for the latter).At the very least, do a good faith effort by adding a note about your issue.
   5. Stylistically, aim for conciseness: in order to keep the focus on your argument, eliminate unnecessary wording or inefficient phrasing. Through the structure of your sentences, emphasize key terms. Write in a way that links ideas not just in the content, but in the organization of your writing, from individual words to sentences to the overall outline of the paper.
      1. Use the first person, when appropriate.
      2. Be specific and connect all the key dots for your reader.
   6. Opening Paragraph
      1. In your introductory paragraph introduce the author(s), literary work(s), and the specific topic you will address.  
      2. The required length of this assignment is short enough that you should be able to express your main argument in one introductory paragraph.
      3. Avoid overly broad references to all people, all times, all works of literature.  Avoid overly detailed quotation or plot summary that belong in the body paragraphs. 
      4. End the first paragraph with a clear thesis statement.
   7. The paper’s thesis statement must make a specific argument. A thesis statement should be something that can be argued for or against. You can add nuance to your stance, but there still should be a clear argumentative stance.
   8. Your thesis statement is a promise of what your paper will contain. That said, avoid listing your points. Instead, focus on how those points fit into a coherent, unified argument.
   9. Be specific and precise especially in your thesis vocabulary. Do not, for example, simply use terms such as “imagery”; instead, clarify what kind of imagery and focus on how that fits into your overall argument.
   10. Body Paragraphs
       1. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, conclusion, and transition to the next point.
       2. All the topic sentences must express the critical claim of that paragraph. Think of these as mini-thesis statements.   
   11. Topic sentences must relate clearly back to the thesis. 
   12. Topic sentences must emphasize the argument over plot summary description or quotation.
       1. Within the paragraphs, there should be claims, supported by evidence from the text, and that evidence should be explicated.
   13. Evidence from a literary text may include paraphrases, very brief summaries, and direct quotations.
       1. Whether paraphrasing, quoting or referring to a specific section, you need to cite the line or page number.
       2. If a quotation takes up more than four (4) lines of your writing or three (3) lines of verse, then use a block quotation.
   14. For this assignment, assume a reader with access to your text. With this in mind, quote only what is needed to support your argument. Almost all of a quotation should be referenced specifically in your analysis.
       1. Remember that as long as the context is clear, you can quote single words or phrases as evidence.
   15. Each quotation should have an introductory phrase or clause situating it within the context of the text as well as the paper’s argument.
       1. Do not “drop” quotations into the paper without embedding them into your argument.
2. The emphasis should be on this explication: explain how the evidence supports the point being made.
   1. Any use of plot summary should be brief: again, the emphasis needs to be on your paper’s support of its own argument.
   2. Analysis of a quotation should be more than one sentence.
   3. It should reference specific elements in that quotation.
   4. Each paragraph should logically lead to the next one, leading to a clear conclusion for the paper. To aid this, smoothly and clearly include transitions between the end of one paragraph and the beginning of the next. 
3. Conclusion
   1. Without simply restating the introduction, the conclusion should make the paper’s main argument clear. This is a good point connect your argument to larger arguments; in other words: what is important about this topic and your argument.