Flowers or

Weeds
Writing Your Literary Analysis
Now it’s your turn to write.
• Download a copy of the poem Identity, by Julio Noboa Polanco.
• Using a 5-8 sentence response, answer one of the following
questions:
• Would the speaker of the poem rather be a flower or a weed and why?
• What is the theme, or central message of this poem?
• The answer to the question becomes your topic sentence. Use the
R.A.P.S. method that you learned in the past.
• For example, The speaker of the poem Identity, by Julio Noboa Polanco, would
rather be _______.
• The theme of the poem, Identity, by Julio Noboa Polanco is ________.

Go on to the next slide.

Supporting details
• Use 3 pieces of text evidence to support your ideas.
• Cite specific lines from the text. When you copy a line from the poem,
put it in quotation marks that look like “this.” Include the line of the
poem in parenthesis, like this. (14)
• Use transition words like first, also, and finally to organize your ideas.
• Even though the question asks your opinion, do not include personal
pronouns like I, my, or me in your analysis. Keep it objective and
based on text evidence.
• NOTE: You can use the pronoun I in a direct quote from the poem to support
your topic sentence, like “I’d rather…”
End your paragraph and check your work.

End your analysis with a closing sentence that makes sense.

Before you submit your paragraph, read it aloud and listen for errors.

Do you have 5-8 sentences?

Did you restate the question in your topic sentence and include the poem title and poet’s name in your topic sentence?

Do you have at least 3 pieces of text evidence?

Did you capitalize the beginning of every sentence and end each sentence with the correct punctuation?

Did you provide a clear topic sentence that answers the question you chose?

Did you provide directly quoted text evidence to support your ideas?

When you’re happy with your work, save it as a PDF and upload it below.
Saving your Work as a PDF
Uploading
your PDF

• Click the pink circle.

• Attach your PDF from your computer.
• Submit your work.
 Here is your rubric.
Focus and Support (40 points)
● The paragraph sufficiently answers one of the two
questions:
● Would the speaker of the poem rather be a
flower or a weed and why?
● What is the theme of this poem?
● Provides at least 3 pieces of text evidence.
● Restates the question in the topic sentence.
● Does not use 1st person pronouns, unless in a direct
quote.
● Uses transition words effectively.
Conventions (10 points)
● The paragraph has 5-8 sentences.
● Sentences begin with capital letters.
● Sentences end with punctuation.
● Grammar is correct
● There are no spelling errors.
● Quotations are marked appropriately with quotation
marks and line numbers.