For Monday, October 4^th:

• By this time you will have read and attended both plays. Now it’s time to write about them.
• Write an essay that compares and contrasts the two plays.
• Touch upon the writing itself (the dialogue, the ways of presenting the story, the characters, the morals and truths);
• Touch upon the two presentations of these plays at the two theaters (the staging, the acting, the directing, the lighting and costumes and sound, the whole experience);
• Touch upon the overall effect these two plays have had on you.
• Anything else?

• As with all essays, you need to keep these things in mind:
• Use the MLA format;
• Have a two-level title (and note: the titles of plays are italicized);
• Have an intro paragraph, a concluding paragraph, and a series of body paragraphs that are stitched together with transition sentences;
• Be alert to the instructions I gave to you on the first essay.

• You’ll write this essay in stages.
• Stage 1: Come to class on Monday with a typed draft of your essay and three other copies. We’ll get into small groups and read each other’s essay.
• Stage 2: On Wednesday, come with your polished essay. Put this in a two-pocket portfolio with these things:
• Essay #1 (the poem one);
• The transcript and boo-boo page for essay #1;
• A “Dear Jimbo” letter that lets me know how things are going for you in the class—and anything else you want to say or ask me;
• The cassette tape, all cued up to fresh tape (Note: If you have a recorded message for me, that’s great; have the tape cued up to your words and slip a note in the cassette case that tells me to listen to the tape.)

Poems to read:

For Monday:

• “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” (p. 229)
• “Leda and the Swan” (p. 199)
• “My Last Duchess” (p. 157)
• “Ozymandias” (p. 129)
• “The Flea” (p. 74)

Just read these poems a couple of times and move to them and try to love them. No need to write responses; you have enough to write already.