Literary Practices Assignment

Before writing a paper on “Renascence” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, I would definitely be sure to go through the poem and mark all of the quotations I am going to use. Marking for me usually includes highlighting or just writing down the quotations I need and focusing only on the material that I need to prove my point so that I do not get lost in the weeds of the rest of the writing. The quotations are what makes up the bulk of the analysis, and should come before any outside material since the outside material often bogs down the analysis itself. Personally, I would approach the poem through an eco-feminist lens in order to focus on how the cyclic nature of the poem represents the encasing nature of female silence. The body and nature are inextricably linked throughout the poem, and being able to communicate that analysis with the material given is the first priority. Also, the poetry explanation provides more context for the depth and breadth of the piece which helps me keep track of the syntax, vocabulary, and metaphors so that I can accurately express what the poem represents rather than hoping I understand as I go along with writing the analysis. I honestly find that writing the analysis before finding the materials can be easier since you are able to locate exactly where you need more supporting materials and clarification.

Since this analysis is taking an eco-feminist approach, some of the research materials are going to have to include descriptions and examples of ecocriticism and feminism since I cannot entirely assume that my reader has a detailed grasp on both literary theoretical applications. When the space is available, I do like to bring in definitions and theorists that align with my analysis in order to ground the material better. This introductory information/material usually comes in the introduction or, if you are verbose like me for no real reason other than it is fun to write a ton of information, then I like to write two introductory paragraphs where the second ends with the thesis. There is a lot of emphasis on using other literary analyses in your own literary analysis, and I do agree that it is necessary, but I think secondary information about body politics and nature/feminism is just as important especially when describing metaphors that relate to bigger picture experiences. I think these sources are honestly easier to find than some of the other literary scholarship because it is more easily accessible. I usually start with JSTOR (a little antiquated), Google Scholar (much clearer, newer, better sources but often inaccessible due to paywalls), and the difficult-to-navigate Dacus databases. The sources I try to look for usually include content that I have already explained in my writing, but accentuate my argument without derailing. It can actually be difficult to find such sources although the more recent articles are easier to sift through and borrow material from because they are relevant.

I definitely am the kind of researcher that Carr describes because I do not see the point in continuing to read an article with a thesis or topic that does not align with what I am arguing. As I stated above, the databases are already difficult to sift through and it is often unclear what I have access to through the school and what I have to pay for. I do tend to work under pressure (not well), so I do not always have time to go back and read entire articles, sit and read multiple in one sitting, or even take the time to get sources through interlibrary loan and PASCAL. I am also generally just not in favor of writing that includes a ton of different voices. For example, I don’t find articles with tons of internal sources to be helpful because I feel like I’m reading scholar after scholar rather than hearing any unique perspectives from the writer themselves. I want my people to literally be free from the shackles of pedestalizing “scholarly sources” (whatever that means). Academic work requires the proper inclusion of sources, but I get discouraged in my own research and writing process when there is so much importance placed on how adequately I choose and incorporate these sources when I feel like modern students want to move in a direction that focuses more on the writing process and final product. If writing is personal, if these literary analyses are personal and important in challenging the conversations we have about literature, then I feel like these heavy critiques on how we research can be, at times, irrelevant. I feel like I want to encourage my students to focus more on their writing process before talking about the research process because both are difficult and confusing and require practice independent of each other.