Sample essay 2: 'Metaphysical poetry values intellect above emotion'. To what extent have you found this to be the case?
In this essay, the student discusses a number of poems by John Donne ('A Valediction Forbidding Mourning', 'The Flea', Holy Sonnet 14) and Andrew Marvell's 'To His Coy Mistress'.
Q. Why is this effective?
TUTOR'S REPLY
The poems selected can all be seen as examples of the metaphysical genre. The choice of a number of Donne poems allows the student to discuss the ways in which the author uses particular techniques in different poems to achieve certain effects. The poem by Marvell provides a useful point of comparison with Donne, in that it operates in a similar fashion (e.g. use of unconventional conceits) to achieve a comparable end (i.e. seduction). Extending the discussion to the work of more than one author permits a broader evaluation of the statement contained in the essay question.
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Click here to see an example from another essay where the student has made an effective selection of texts to discuss |
