Course: English Language Arts Type: Argumentation Grade Level: 8 Structure: Analysis Teaching Task 2: Does Walt Whitman adequately portray the sense of loss felt by Americans after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination? After reading “O’Captain, My Captain” and other informational texts, write an essay that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. Performance Level: Approaches Expectations The Great Abraham Lincoln Not everybody in the United States felt remorse for Abraham Lincoln’s death. Walt Whitman was a poet who wrote about Lincoln’s assassination using extended metaphors in his poem “O Captain! My Captain!” When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated it struck many Americans because, many people took him like a role model in their life. But the one person that took him like a real role model was Whitman. But some people were happy that he was assassinated Especially the south. Many people in the south, but some were sorrowful form his death. Through extended metaphors, Walt Whitman accurately portrays the sense of loss felt by Americans after the assassination of president Lincoln in his poem “O Captain! My Captain!” Finally the war was over, everybody is celebrating and are happy that the north won the war. In Walt Whitman’s Poem, he wrote that the ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won. Stating that they have won the war. Also it says the port in near, the bells I hear, the people all-exulting. Stating that everybody is cheerful that the war is finally over and that the fearful trip is done. On April 14, 1865, was Good Friday. Lee had surrendered just five days earlier, and Washington was in a festive mood. That afternoon when they were going to go to Ford’s Theater to celebrate, he would tell his wife that he has never felt so happy in his whole life. The Assassination of President Lincoln Shocked many nations. John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln Right behind His right ear going through his head stopping near his eye. He went into a concussion right away. He died the next day at 7:22 am on April 15 at age 56. It was then when Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton Murmured, “now he belongs to the ages.” It’s saying in “O Captain! My Captain!” to President Lincoln that for him to rise up and hear the bells, that for you the flag is flung. It also says that it is some dream that captain on the deck you’ve fallen cold and dead. The assassination of President Lincoln hurt many nations and saddened many thousands of people. It says in “O Captain! My Captain!” that my father does not feel my arm; he has no pulse or will. And it also says on the deck my captain has fallen cold and dead. But many didn’t southerners thought that they saw President Lincoln as the course of all of their problems. They also blamed him for the destruction of their land and livelihoods. Also one Texan described the assassination as ridding the world of, “A monster that disgraced the form of humanity.” Through extended metaphors, Walt Whitman accurately portrays the sense of loss felt by Americans after the assassination of President Lincoln in his poem “O Captain! My Captain!” When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated it struck many Americans because people took him like a role model in their life especially Walt Whitman. Even though many southerners were happy he was assassinated but some southerners were sad form his assassination. Abraham Lincoln was a great President to the United State of America. Works Cited Freedman, Russell. “Lincoln: A Photobiography.” The Language of Literature. Ed. McDougal Littell, Evanston, IL: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print. “Northerner’s Reaction to Lincoln’s Assassination.” History Engine. University of Richmond, 2008. Web. 6 Mar 2011. http://historyengine.richmond.edu/ Whitman, Walt. “O Captain! My Captain!” The Language of Literature. Ed. McDougal Littell. Evanston, IL: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print. Annotation Focus 2 Reading/Research 1.5 Controlling Idea 2 Development 2 Organization 1 Conventions 2 Content Understanding 2 The writer addresses the prompt and establishes a position, but the focus is uneven throughout the essay. The writer provides evidence from research, but not all details are relevant to support the claim. For example, details regarding Lincoln’s assassination are reported, but this information is not relevant to the task. It is evident that the writer is able to glean some meaning from the poem: In Walt Whitman’s poem, he wrote that the ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won. Stating that they have won the war… However, the relevance of this is not fully explained. At times, the writer shifts towards writing an informational essay regarding Lincoln’s death and does not connect points or facts to the argumentative task. The writer establishes a claim: Through extended metaphors, Walt Whitman accurately portrays the sense of loss felt by Americans after the assassination of president Lincoln in his poem “O Captain! My Captain! This idea, however, is not woven throughout the paper. The writer mentions a counter claim, but does not respond to it. The writer’s explanation of content is limited. The writer makes statements relating to the claim but does not support them with relevant research and detail. The writer attempts to reference the poem in paragraph four, but does not draw meaning from those lines. The writer uses a five paragraph structure. Transitions would enhance the flow of ideas in the essay. Capitalization errors are frequent, and sentence fragments are evident, which makes readability slightly difficult. The writer does not include parenthetical citations when needed or reference outside sources other than the poem. The writer attempts to cite the poem but misses some quotations. There is a standard format for the works cited page. The writer briefly includes disciplinary content but shows an uneven understanding of the content: The assassination of President Lincoln shocked many nations. This student would benefit from feedback, discussion, and/or instruction in the following areas: Providing more thorough explanations and establishing clear connections in order to enhance the development of the essay. Supporting argumentative claims with relevant textual evidence. Appropriate capitalization and sentence structure. (e.g., Abraham Lincoln was a great President to the United State of America. ; Many people in the south, but some were sorrowful form his death.)
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