WORKING SUBJECT: (from the professor) –> You could write a very effective essay by focusing on the development of “confessional poetry” and

placing Plath within that context.

ATTACHED WILL BE MY ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU ALOT TO WORK WITH. THANKS!!!

here is more from the professor:

Task:

An essay in which you explain or examine a context of your writer’s work; that is, a historical or literary event or movement that helps to

illuminate some aspect of his or her literary achievement, or a significant feature of your writer’s work, and (as appropriate) how it improves

our understanding of the traditions of regional writing in America.
Your topic must have been approved by me–either when you originally submitted it or subsequently, if you sought a change.1200-1500 words

(roughly 5-7 double-spaced pages)

Criteria for Evaluation:

Timeliness and length
Appropriateness of topic and/or question
Clear thesis or organizing idea
Appropriate organization and supporting evidence
Evidence of research, including number and quality of resources
Accurate documentation (MLA format in citations)
Grammar and style

A well-organized set of points or examples or descriptions of your subject. The journalists’ tools–who, when, why, where, what–can be helpful

here. Whether you are writing a literary analysis or a report on backgrounds, you will want to include specific evidence to support your overall

thesis.
Identify the event or movement and indicate why it is important to your writer and (possibly) what aspects of the event you are going to explain

(such as its history or its most important characteristics).
The exact development of your essay will depend on your topic and on your thesis; what you want to be sure to do is keep your reader informed

about how each new idea or point is connected.
A thoughtful conclusion, explaining how your discussion or findings illuminate the topic you have been researching, and, if possible, how that

topic relates to the work or career of your author. What does your essay contribute to our understanding of this regional writer or to regional

writing in general?
Suggest just how these historical (political, social, literary) contexts are relevant to your writer and to his region or regional writing. How

does this event help us to understand the achievement or interests or difficulties of your writer?
How does your analysis improve our understanding of your writer and her texts?
Documentation of the research that supports your analysis or discussion. You should include a list of “Works Cited” (MLA) or “References” (APA)

that includes at least three secondary resources that you used in developing your report. This list should only include sources that you

specifically cite in your report.
N. B. Secondary works are articles, books, and critical essays about the writer (including biographies), not works by the writer (such as her

novels or poems or plays).
Literary analyses may or may not depend on secondary sources. If you wish, you may simply develop an analysis based on your own reading of the

text and primary sources. But note that any sources you do consult must be appropriately documented.