Description
- Open your introduction with an engaging opener, such as a question, quote from the poem, or interesting idea. Then, connect to the poem and mention the title and the author. End your introduction with a thesis statement that interprets one literary element of the poem (such as theme, imagery, symbolism, or characterization).
- The body paragraphs should support your thesis. Present specific aspects of the poem that help to illustrate your points. Make sure to quote from the poem and analyze specific lines that support your argument. Typically, body paragraphs will contain at least two short quotations each as supporting evidence.
- Include a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points and explains the significance of the thesis. Finish this paragraph with a strong and satisfying ending.
Poem:
The cardiologist prescribed
a new medication
and lectured my father
that he had to stop working.
And my father said: I can’t.
The landlord won’t let me.
The heart pills are dice
in my father’s hand,
gambler who needs cash
by the first of the month.
On the night his mother died
in faraway Puerto Rico,
my father lurched upright in bed,
heart hammering
like the fist of a man at the door
with an eviction notice.
Minutes later,
the telephone sputtered
with news of the dead.
Sometimes I dream
my father is a guitar,
with a hole in his chest
where the music throbs
between my fingers.