“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting— “Get

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
– In this passage only, include careful attention to the specific details of the passage you select, a more general sense of how those details relate to the main point(s) or argument(s) of the passage, and how the passage relates to larger themes and issues of importance to the entire text.
-One way to think of a close-reading is that it is your unique interpretation of the passage, supported by details from the text. There is no one right answer for any given passage, especially because these are rich and complex texts. You are encouraged to acknowledge this complexity and to avoid oversimplification. The best arguments combine your imagination and insight with specific evidence that you quote from the passage and analyze in your paper. Strive for an essay that is well-organized and cohesive, includes clear transitions, and is carefully edited: both the merit of your ideas and how well you present them will be important.
-Your essay should include a clear thesis statement in the opening paragraph that articulates your argument and suggests the significance of your reading for understanding the text. Your introduction is also the place to establish the context of your passage, briefly summarizing its place in the text. The body paragraphs of your essay should use the language of the passage to prove your thesis, backing up your larger claims with specific textual evidence. The conclusion should consider what your close-reading reveals and why it is significant – in other words, the stakes of your argument. Once you’ve finished writing and revising, don’t forget a strong title to make a first impression.