Poem Critique Essay

ENG 112 Critique Questions: Short Paper #1 Author name: Critiqued by (your name): ENG 112: Critique Instructions – Short Paper 1 Due date: Wednesday, April 9th at 5:30pm Critiquing, or peer reviewing, another person’s writing is an important and valuable part of the writing process. Too often, we become so engrossed in our own writing that we cannot see it clearly; we cannot see that the organization is not clear or when a paragraph does not contain enough detail because we are just “too close” to that paper. When that happens, it is helpful to have a new set of eyes and another brain to consider our paper and respond to it. Think of peer review as a free pass to hearing what your audience has to say; while you are writing, you are probably thinking about your audience – what they want and need to know, how to phrase the information so that they will understand, what problems they might have or counterargument they might think of while reading your essay – but actually hearing from an audience member is often the best way to highlight both areas where you need to do some extra work and also areas where your paper is strong. Throughout the semester, you will critique/peer review three of your classmate’s short papers. Your partners in this will be assigned randomly via Blackboard Groups, and you will have a new partner each time. Your assignment is to exchange short papers, read through them, and answer a series of questions that I have provided. You will then upload your critique to Blackboard for your partner (and myself) to see. Each critique is worth 10 points. Please remember to respond to your classmate’s writing in a respectful manner. Each and every writer has their strengths and weaknesses, and we can all learn from each other. It is fine to disagree with your classmate, but do so respectfully, taking their perspective and viewpoint into consideration, even as you offer your own. Additionally, grammatical concerns – while important to mention to the writer – should not take center stage here. You should be focused more so on the content of the writing. If you find that you are spending more time responding or thinking about grammar than content, try and switch your focus. Grammar is not a higher order concern in writing, and it is not your job as a reviewer to correct your classmate’s grammar or teach them how to write in a more grammatically correct fashion. Your job here is to offer feedback and another perspective. . critique questions please use (answer)these 10 questions for the paper to critiqued,and I will upload the sample critique and the paper. 1.What word does the author focus on and what reason(s) do they give for why this word is so important in the poem? 2.What does the author say the overall meaning of the poem is? 3.Does the author explain how focusing on their word of choice contributes to the overall message of the poem? 4.Does the essay provide adequate support for their claims (ie. they have quoted lines, given examples, provided definitions, etc.)? 5.What items of support (lines from the poem, examples, definitions, etc.) were most effective to you and why? 6.Are there any items of support where the author could have provided more in the way of explanation, analysis, etc.? 7.Does the essay remain focused throughout? Were there any areas where you were confused or where the author got off track? 8.Are there any grammatical or citation issues that need to be addressed? 9.What did you like the most about this essay? 10.What do you think the author can most improve upon if they were to turn this essay into their final paper? Here are some general “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” of Peer Evaluations: Peer Evaluations: Some "Do's" 1. Do treat the writer with courtesy and respect. 2. Do comment on the writing, not the person. 3. Do focus on how the argument is supported (or not), rather than whether you agree or disagree with it. 4. Do aim for balance and completeness in pointing out strengths and problem areas. 5. Do comment on specific examples of strengths and problem areas. 6. Do aim to help the writer see how to improve future work as well as the current draft. Peer Evaluations: Some "Don't's" 1. Don't use snippy comments such as "So what?" or "What's your point?" 2. Don't get into debates over unresolvable questions of individual value and belief. 3. Don't argue with the writer. Raise objections or ask for explanations only to clarify and suggest ways of strengthening the argument. 4. Don't confine your comments to mechanical details. 5. Don't make vague, global comments. 6. Don't rewrite for the writer.

1.       What word does the author focus on and what reason(s) do they give for why this word is so important in the poem?
2.       What does the author say the overall meaning of the poem is?
3.       Does the author explain how focusing on their word of choice contributes to the overall message of the poem?
4.       Does the essay provide adequate support for their claims (ie. they have quoted lines, given examples, provided definitions, etc.)?
5.       What items of support (lines from the poem, examples, definitions, etc.) were most effective to you and why?
6.       Are there any items of support where the author could have provided more in the way of explanation, analysis, etc.?
7.       Does the essay remain focused throughout? Were there any areas where you were confused or where the author got off track?
8.       Are there any grammatical or citation issues that need to be addressed?
9.       What did you like the most about this essay?
 10.    What do you think the author can most improve upon if they were to turn this essay into their final paper?