Essay structure/theme/texts

[RobertDyd]

Hello reader,

I just got my notification for my English Advanced assessment on Robert Frost's poetry and I need some advice. What structure should I utilize? And how many poems/related texts should I use (my teacher doesn't want to guide me too much and I'm looking to write around 1100-1200 words). I was thinking maybe an overarching theme of nature (since its pretty repetitive in the six poems chosen) and then 3 body paragraphs each about a different type of discovery made?

I'm not really sure on this as it sometimes mixing 2+ texts into a paragraph might seem sophisticated but may be seen as too confusing for my teacher, I don't know if my overarching theme is relevant either. The question for the essay is "... the significance of discovery and its effect on the individual"

Thanks for the help
-Robert

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey Rob!

Your idea of a natural theme sounds okay to me (not having read the text I can only assume you are on the right track)! You do need a way to make it relevant for Discovery though. Your over arching theme (Thesis) needs to directly reference the significance of Discovery - Just the fact that lots of the texts use natural motifs doesn't justify it being a main over-arching idea. Perhaps the role of nature in Discoveries, but I'm not sure where you could go with that

Basically, you have two choices for structure. An integrated approach has one concept per paragraph, with both texts in every paragraph - This is what you suggested. While it does have the potential to be confusing, I personally find that they are more effective if you pick your paragraph concepts well. If they aren't really different from each other and overlap then it can definitely be counterproductive.

The alternative is four paragraphs, two on each text, with two concepts. It's a little easier to keep this organised but it can result in a more text focused response (which is not a good thing in a conceptual AoS essay).

My advice would be to have a crack at an integrated response, they can work really well when done right

Feel free to run some of your paragraph/Thesis ideas past us if you'd like

[RobertDyd]

Hey Rob!

Your idea of a natural theme sounds okay to me (not having read the text I can only assume you are on the right track)! You do need a way to make it relevant for Discovery though. Your over arching theme (Thesis) needs to directly reference the significance of Discovery - Just the fact that lots of the texts use natural motifs doesn't justify it being a main over-arching idea. Perhaps the role of nature in Discoveries, but I'm not sure where you could go with that

Basically, you have two choices for structure. An integrated approach has one concept per paragraph, with both texts in every paragraph - This is what you suggested. While it does have the potential to be confusing, I personally find that they are more effective if you pick your paragraph concepts well. If they aren't really different from each other and overlap then it can definitely be counterproductive.

The alternative is four paragraphs, two on each text, with two concepts. It's a little easier to keep this organised but it can result in a more text focused response (which is not a good thing in a conceptual AoS essay).

My advice would be to have a crack at an integrated response, they can work really well when done right

Feel free to run some of your paragraph/Thesis ideas past us if you'd like

Hi again Jamon,

So my main overarching idea should answer the question asked, and assuming I use the integrated structure, each paragraph should have a theme that supports that main idea? Am I getting this right? Also, the themes of the paragraphs, should they be discovery based? E.g. "intellectual discovery" , or "emotional discovery", and then link each at the end to the main theme-the importance of those discoveries.

I hope I finally get closer to understanding this subject 

-Robbb

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi again Jamon,

So my main overarching idea should answer the question asked, and assuming I use the integrated structure, each paragraph should have a theme that supports that main idea? Am I getting this right? Also, the themes of the paragraphs, should they be discovery based? E.g. "intellectual discovery" , or "emotional discovery", and then link each at the end to the main theme-the importance of those discoveries.

I hope I finally get closer to understanding this subject 

-Robbb

Yep that's absolutely dead on! I picture the Thesis like an umbrella, and then the paragraphs need to fit under that umbrella! And yep, they do definitely need to be Discovery related.

As a really bad and general example, you could have (and this doesn't answer your question, but...)

Thesis: Discoveries of all types are beneficial to the individual.
Para 1: Planned discoveries
Para 2: Unexpected discoveries
Para 3: Unwanted/reluctant discoveries

So the idea is, all Discoveries are beneficial, and then I go into three specific examples again, not the best example but hopefully it gives you the idea!

[RobertDyd]

Yep that's absolutely dead on! I picture the Thesis like an umbrella, and then the paragraphs need to fit under that umbrella! And yep, they do definitely need to be Discovery related.

As a really bad and general example, you could have (and this doesn't answer your question, but...)

Thesis: Discoveries of all types are beneficial to the individual.
Para 1: Planned discoveries
Para 2: Unexpected discoveries
Para 3: Unwanted/reluctant discoveries

So the idea is, all Discoveries are beneficial, and then I go into three specific examples again, not the best example but hopefully it gives you the idea!

Thanks alot my dude,