Rich Essay

Piste

Beacause of the Louthy Debacle I'm studying Rich as a backup if worse comes to worse. I have an essay prepared on her, it's just highly critical as I didn't really like her. I'm just wondering if this is ok, like will the examiner be like "she's only a 17/18 year old, what does she know!" and what happens if a Rich essay comes up and the question is phrased in such a way that you're expected to praise her poetry.

Do they appreciate honesty, like if I say "I found her poetry hard to engage with, but these are the aspects I did and didn't like" would I lose marks for not engaging with the poetry?

star-pants

Well they can't mark you down for disliking a poet or their work, but they can if you veer off topic. Just make sure that you do answer their question carefully, but in your own view.

BlueSpiral

You are just engaging in a different way with her poetry, they never said it had to be positive. If they ask you what you liked about her poetry, you can just say you liked some but not very much and get as critical as you want.

I asked a teacher something similar; if I could rip one of my comparative texts a new one, critically. He told me go for it if I have good explanations and quotes to back up my points, and it's a welcome change for an examiner who's been correcting positive essays for the last day or so. Thy definitely can't mark you down, as long as you got it backed up with some good points and will probably get your essay noticed.

PurpleFistMixer

Hm, I've been told that it can look a bit bad if a student is being utterly dismissive of the merits of the work; they're obviously on the course for some reason. That said, if you can form coherent and well-worded arguments to support your views, I don't see what the problem is. You might find it difficult though, because the questions that come up tend to be (in one thin disguise or another), "Why is X's poetry good?". Imagine prefacing an antholgy of Rich's poetry with something negativ, or giving a speech about her, etc.. Unfortunately, they do expect you to actually like the stuff.

Piste

Yeah if the question is about an introduction for an anthology of poetry it'd look a bit bad to say "Adrienne Rich is a bit ****..."

PurpleFistMixer

Aye... being positive about her keeps your options open. Anyway, it's not too difficult to be all "omg Rich yes" because she has all that social commentary stuff, so you can get all feminist on its ass. Or something.

Finical

Aslong as you have good reasons/points for disliking her there is no problem, unless a question like you mentioned above comes up. That might look a bit iffy.

A woman poet better come up!

challengemaster

Well, the reason that you're pushed in the direction of praising their work all the time is because it's easier to answer on. If you hate the poet you might not be able to construct an arguement for that, as well as you would for praising them.

If you're praising them, you can make up crap about how every technique adds X Y and Z to the poem, even though you really don't give a crap, which ends up with you having loads of work written.

If you're slating their work... what can you really come up with? Unless you've really thought about it, and came up with enough points to support your view, I wouldn't go that way. By all means, though, feel free to go for it if you can properly back up what you're saying.

As for if you'll be marked down for not praising the poet, it's hard to say. On one hand, there's the what would X student, 18~ years old know when scholars say bla bla, and these are english teachers correcting it... On the other hand, they may appreciate you taking a different stance and being honest. I'd say it depends on the examiner.

K4t

I'm doing Rich aswell. I'd say I'm the only lad in my class who likes the bitch.

overmantle

If she's a bitch, why do you like her so much? Sorry - Couldn't resist it.

xOxSinéadxOx

Rich ain't coming up. FACT. anybody want to bet?

seriously though don't waste your time

Piste

How do you know?



Don't tell me Louth gave out the new English Paper 2 today instead of Engineering?


I suppose they are spelled similarly...

K4t

overmantle wrote: »

If she's a bitch, why do you like her so much? Sorry - Couldn't resist it.

haha I was just messing. That's what most people think of her.

She does go a bit OTT with her criticism of males but if you have any knowledge at all of 1950s America you would quickly understand where she is coming from. The fact that we now live in an 'equal society' makes it hard for people to relate to Rich's opinions and work imo.

xOxSinéadxOx

I just know. well if you are and you want to say you think she's ****e I think you'll need to say some good things and some bad things. like somebody else said she's on the course for a reason. they don't put pure crap people on it. so I think you'd have to mention good and bad things tbh

bythewoods

Marks are awarded for Enthusiasm- it's on the marking scheme.

If you really don't like her- state it. I said it last year, and got about 49/50 in my essay on her.

TheCardHolder

I'd pretend I like her tbh.

K4t

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

Rich ain't coming up. FACT. anybody want to bet?

seriously though don't waste your time

Right...............

You do know that Bishop has come up two years in a row before? Rich could very well be on the contingency paper.

xOxSinéadxOx

if rich comes up I willl eat my hat

Fad

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

if rich comes up I willl eat my hat

She's lying, she doesnt even have a hat!

TheCardHolder

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

if rich comes up I willl eat my hat

Ssssh!

LEt them think the least favourite are on the continguency paper.They're our competition

xOxSinéadxOx

Fad wrote: »

She's lying, she doesnt even have a hat!

I have an array of assorted hats. you can chose which one I eat

OneArt

It warms my heart that so many people don't like this poet... *cries with happiness*

Oh, oh, let's form a lynch mob!!

fufureida

I really don't like her either being a female n all...

Say, u wouldn't mind giving us a peak of ur essay wud u? Just need some ideas on what I could criticize bout her.

Behind you Joey

I just agree to disagree. Mind you her views are kinda interesting?:pac:

Fad

Zombie thread........