Name: _______________________________
How to Ace the Short Response Question on the Final
Sample Question:
Write a well-developed paragraph in which you use ideas from the poem to
establish a theme about perseverance.* Identify one LITERARY DEVICE (such as
metaphor, imagery, alliteration, or rhyme) used in the poem. Discuss at least one
example from the poem to explain how this device is used by the author.
(approximately 5-8 sentences).
* perseverance is a sample topic: the topic will be different on the test
General Writing Tips
Keep these general tips in mind as you develop ideas for your paragraph:
1. Make sure you know all of the poetic devices (metaphor, symbol,
alliteration, and repetition) well enough that you will be able to easily
recognize them.
2. Test your theory about what the poem means by looking for passages
that support your interpretation: can you find passages that support your
interpretation?
3. Look for poetic devices in the passages that support your interpretation.
What to Write
Here is a solid formula for writing your paragraph:
1. Start with 1-2 introductory sentences that establish the focus of your
paragraph:
a. identify TAG (title, author, and genre)
b. state the theme of the poem
c. identify a literary device used in the poem.
2. Quote or refer to at least two specific examples of this device and
explain how each passage supports the poem's meaning.
3. Wrap up your paragraph with a concluding sentence.
Exemplars
The following two exemplar paragraphs are about the same poem. Although
each identifies a different literary device, both paragraphs are strong because
they correctly identify a literary device and use clear, relevant examples to show
how that literary device support’s the poem’s meaning.
Exemplar #1
In his poem "nobody but you," Charles Bukowski argues that people
need to find their own strength to save themselves. Bukowski uses
repetition to support this theme. For example, he writes "nobody
can save you but yourself" three times to make it clear that salvation
must come within. Bukowski also repeats the phrase "do it!" twice to
insist that readers take action to save themselves. Throughout the
poem, he uses repetition to beg the reader to take action.
Comment [V1]: The introduction identifies TAG,
establishes the theme of the poem, and identifies the
literary device(s) that will be discussed.
Comment [V2]: A concluding sentence “wraps
up” the author’s message.
Exemplar #2
In the poem "nobody but you," Charles Bukowski uses metaphors
to show that people must work hard to save themselves from
conformity. For example, he uses the metaphor of becoming "a
faceless, mindless, heartless being" to warn the reader that it is
possible to lose one's identity and soul. He also compares the struggle
to be yourself to "a war not easily won" to emphasize how difficult it
is to be yourself. Bukowski uses metaphors like these to show how
important and difficult it is to fight conformity.
Comment [V3]: In the body of the paragraph, the
writer identifies two specific supporting details AND
explains how those details are used by the poem’s
author to support its meaning.