Posted: May 8th, 2015

Landscape Poetry of the Pacific Northwest

Landscape Poetry of the Pacific Northwest

Order Description

1350-1650 pages, Harvard citation must include Page numbers, Use of Richard Hugo’s Poems ‘Degrees of Grey in Philipsburg’ and ‘Driving Montana’ as the basis for the essay, MAIN QUESTION – (topic 2 on the attached assignment sheet) “‘Poetry can be a way of addressing the past of a place and its present at the same time.’ Discuss with reference to the landscape poetry of the Pacific North-West.” Attached documents should give a clearer picture, Sources must be peer reviewed and scholarly

Research Tips for Assignment Two 1016HUM (40%, 1500 words)
This is just a note on what we covered in class on Monday, both for those who were there any may have missed something trying to take notes, and for those who could not make it.
There are no classes in this course next week as you prepare for your assignment electronic submission on May 9th by midnight at (Assessment>ResearchAssignment).
I hope I delivered some practical ways to make finding scholarly sources easier for you.  Remember these general things first:
•    Include a title page with name, student number, type out the question you are addressing, include your word count (it must reach the word limit between 1350-1650), declare it as your own work able to be anonymously used (or not used) for research purposes.
•    Read the criteria  and the question carefully (See Assessment>Folder Two)
•    If doing Mosely (1) define ‘contemporary’ clearly in your introduction.
•    If doing a poem other than the ones we’ve done in class, include it as an appendix
•    When researching collect the details of the source that you need in the Bibliography: Author, year, title (of book or if an article of paper and journal), publisher, place of publication.
•    Reference using the Humanities Referencing Guide on the L@GU site.

1)    First of all a scholarly source is one that is:
a)    Peer reviewed. This means once an editor receives a manuscript, it goes to readers anonymously: they do not know the writer and the writer does not know them –ever. This is a way to fairly check quality of writing for a journal, knowledge in the field and accuracy. This is why we like scholarly resources.
b)    If you are unsure if it is peer reviewed the content should be making an argument or claim of some sort, referring to other people in the field, and using peer reviewed papers and books in its own bibliography.  It will authoritative and support its claims with evidence from others who have written on the text or concept.  It will be well referenced. It will usually be in a scholarly journal. It will be reliable (unlike Wikipedia – which is unevenly reliable, but fine as a place to start if you ignore the article and seek scholarly sources in the bibliography.
c)    Books by University Presses are always scholarly; google the author if it is not a University Press, to see if they are a scholar.
d)    DO NOT mistake information based web pages for something scholarly – assume they are not and do not count them – you can still reference and use non-scholarly material, though, PROVIDING you have met your scholarly quota.
2)    Aim for between 5 and 8 scholarly sources – no less than 5, you can go over 8, but don’t do more than 15. Your scholarly sources may be on:
•    the text/s (NOT scholarly sources but primary sources)
•    a keyword in your question that therefore becomes is relevant to the work eg place
•    historically and culturally relevant background that help you say something important
•    relevant biographical material on the writer (eg it relates to your claims and argument as evidence in some way, perhaps).
3)    You can click the peer reviewed boxes in the catalogue search to get to many scholarly papers (but be careful, not all results WILL be scholarly despite the click).
4)    We looked at a particular database:
•    useful for literature and social sciences.
•    called the Expanded Academic ASAP.
•    We reached this in the following way:
•    Library>quicklinks>librarydatabases>alphabet>E>second bottom entry.
5)    Several tips here:
•    A normal keyword search will automatically flick up underneath the search box, popular searches in relation to that word. You can click there.
•    You can click on downward pointing triangle and select ‘Entire Document’
•    Then put tow search terms in.  We used Ginsberg n10 sex and then Ginsberg w10 sex
•    This meant that the search engine would search entire documents for the two search terms within 10 words of one another
•    Use n, then try again with w – they search in slightly different ways.
•    This turns up a list of documents.  When you look in those that appear relevant by title, you can find your search terms in red.
•    If you want to, you can access, download and/or print a PDF version
•    If you want to email it to yourself: click save, go to ‘other’ in the top right hand corner>My Folder.  It is in there.  On the right, you’ll see the options for emails and other functions.
•    Returning to the search: you can also access all journal issues for one journal by clicking on the journal name under the title.
•    You and then do a search ONLY in that journal if you wish.
•    Check bibliography of journal articles that are useful and see where they found their information.
•    I did not mention this, but I think you can also click on the author’s name to get a list of papers they have published. Try it!

6)    Other ways to find scholarly sources and ideas include:
•    journal paper bibliographies, Wikipedia bibliographies
•    google scholar which most people seem to know already
•    staying alert to using alternative search terms by looking out for keyword synonyms (words that mean a similar thing eg dark & gloomy are not identical, but are related)
•    staying alert to other people’s ideas in terms of shaping your own
If you get stuck or have ANY concerns or just want to chat, get in touch by email ([email protected]) and I can call if you give me your number or make a time to see you in the office (G30 4.23)
Results for Assignment One will be back with you before this one is due – Friday hopefully!
Will keep you posted.

HUM1016 Texts and Traditions: Assignment Two Research Essay

Due Date:    9 May, midnight, online via Turnitin submission point on course L@G site

Weight: 40%
This essay will demonstrate your ability to analyse literary texts and develop an argument that uses a close reading of the textual material from Module Two (Devil in a Blue Dress or the American poetry) to address the theme of place that is central to this semester’s work.
TASK
Select one of the following topics and write a 1500 word essay that explores and answers the question by drawing on both your analysis of the text and critical material that you have found through scholarly research.
Topic 1:  ‘Whilst the plot of Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress pays homage to the American tradition of detective fiction, its real concern is the question of the role of African-American history in contemporary American life.’ Discuss with reference to Mosley’s novel (not the film adaptation).
Topic 2: ‘Poetry can be a way of addressing the past of a place and its present at the same time.’ Discuss with reference to either the poetry of the San Francisco counterculture OR the landscape poetry of the Pacific North-West.
Topic 3: Compare and contrast the different ways in which the sense of place is made central to an understanding of personal identity in Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress and  EITHER the poems of the San Francisco counterculture OR the landscape poetry of the Pacific North-West.
Criteria & Marking:

1. A clear statement of your key theme or thesis in the introductory paragraphs.
2. Use of relevant evidence from primary sources (novel and/or poems).
3. Use of relevant material from secondary sources.
4. A well written and clearly organised argument.
5. Development of an informed and creative response to the topic.
6. Correct citation of sources
7. Submitted work has been proof-read: there are no grammatical or spelling errors