ENG 241 D01/Osborne Short
Paper 1 Topics
DUE DATE: 9/13
Choose one of the following topics and develop a 3-4 page
essay in MLA format. Please submit your essay in a folder labeled with your
name and the class name. Do not staple your essay; a cover page is not
necessary. The essay should utilize quotations from the literature and any
research or secondary sources should be cited accordingly. Do not use Wikipedia
as a source, ever. Plagiarized essays will receive a grade of zero.
*Extra credit opportunity:
Take a draft of your essay to the Writing Center and receive a “proof of
attendance form” (blue sheet) or submit your essay online (proof of attendance
automatically generated to instructor) and you will get 5 extra credit points
added to your essay grade. Submission instructions and Writing Center
information were provided during class presentation.
Topic Choices:
1. Given what you
know about Anglo-Saxon society, explain how “The Dream of the Rood” could have
functioned as a successful conversion tool. In particular, how does the verse
form/poetic genre influence its success?
2. Compare and contrast “The Wanderer” with “The Dream of
the Rood.” Discuss the poet’s tone, the treatment of the afterlife, and the
depiction of God in both poems as part of your analysis. Other attributes may
be examined, as well. (A review of the poems in the original text and any
linguistic observations you might include would take this assignment to the
next level for anyone considering further study in English as a major. I would
be happy to guide/assist in this type of study!)
3. Considering any of the passages excerpted from Beowulf that we studied in lecture,
select one to analyze as a representative component of epic poetry. In other
words, how does this particular passage exemplify the epic genre? Your analysis
should consider the relationship of the passage you chose to the poem as a
whole.
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