Although the outline is to be completed at home, the essay will be written in class. Remember: I will not accept essays that are written outside of class.
Essay Prompt #1
In the poem Äuto Wreck,"the author, Karl Shapiro, focuses on the after effects of a tragic auto accident. The poem most of all records the thoughts and feelings of the witnesses who watched to victim die.
Write a well-developed, well-organized 5 paragraph
essay in which you analyze how Shapiro's word choices help to convey his
thoughts and feelings.
Suggested Structure & Organization
I. Exordium & Integrated Thesis Statement:
II. Integrated Topic Sentence:
A. Supporting Evidence:
1. Explanation
& Elaboration:
2. Explanation
& Elaboration:
B. Supporting Evidence:
1. Explanation
& Elaboration:
2. Explanation
& Elaboration:
III. Integrated Topic Sentence:
A. Supporting Evidence:
1. Explanation
& Elaboration:
2. Explanation
& Elaboration:
B. Supporting Evidence:
1. Explanation
& Elaboration:
2. Explanation
& Elaboration:
IV. Integrated Topic Sentence:
A. Supporting Evidence:
1. Explanation
& Elaboration:
2. Explanation
& Elaboration:
B. Supporting Evidence:
1. Explanation
& Elaboration:
2. Explanation
& Elaboration:
V. Conclusion:
Example Essay
The poem "Auto Wreck" shows the tragedies that can happen to people who do not necessarily deserve them. Karl Shapiro writes about an accident where someone is injured badly or dies witnesses in the poem are unable to maintain a normal status because of what they have seen. In the poem, the poet compares the car accident to other types of deaths--such as suicide and cancer--in order to show the meaninglessness of this tragedy. Through connotative words, the author dramatically presents the theme or idea that it is the surviving witnesses who really suffer, mentally and emotionally, as a result of the this tragedy.
Physical pain is talked about quite frequently in the poem. Karl Shapiro uses words that are normally associated with death and suffering to create an ominous and horrific picture in the minds of his readers. In the third line of the poem "Auto Wreck" the author speaks of a "pulsing" that is occurring. "Pulsing" denotes a rhythm of expanding and contracting. The "pulsing" implies that there is an injured person and his pulse is being taken. It also represents the swiftly beating hearts of the people who stand watching what is going on. "Pulsing" also connotes the perceptible emotions, the shock and horror, of the witnesses. "Wound" is another word that holds powerful connotations and implied meaning. A "wound" is a physical ailment or injury. The word "wound" implies that the clock is winding down on the injured person's life. The "wound" in the poem also refers to the pouring out of people's emotions as the aftermath of the crash begins to set in on them.
When dealing with death, many people suffer from a state of mental pain. Other word choices in the poem focus on the mental aspect of the wreck rather than the physical aspects of it. The word "deranged," for instance, usually places a vision of trepidation in one's mind. "Deranged" indicates that the souls of the witnesses are confused about the events which they have just seen unfold. The word also connotes that the function of the beating heart of the victim has been permanently disturbed. The term "common sense" is also important in the poem because it too says something about the mental condition of the witnesses. In the poem "common sense" refers to the fine line between sanity and insanity present in the witnesses. "Common sense" symbolizes both the simplicity of an ordinary accident which has an extraordinary effect on the bystanders.
In the poem there are many references to the of our existence and being. The word "illuminated" is very significant in this respect. "Illuminated" denotes the lights of the traffic and the lanterns, but it also refers to the light that the victims supposedly will see at the ends of their lives. "Illuminate" also refers to the understanding of the accident that the witnesses have. The word "closed" is also very important in presenting the poem's purpose. The word "closed" means to shut something--in this case indicating the final goodbye that the victims have in their lives. It also connotes that the witnesses are somehow brought more closely together through the pain and common knowledge they share after having viewed such a tragedy.
The poem paints a scary and horrific picture with the use of proper word choices. The poet concentrates on the suffering of the victims as well as the witnesses by using strong, connotative words. The multiple levels of meaning that were created by Shapiro help get across the feelings of suffering and pain. The witnesses of the crash in particular are left with their own inner conflicts because they are forced to confront their own mortality and admit that their lives too are very fragile and could be taken from them at any time.