Modern Romance

Question 1

In Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari argues that the Internet “doesn’t simply help us find the best thing out there; it has helped to produce the idea that there is a best thing and, if we search hard enough, we can find it” (125). In the body of this essay, show how Ansari argues this thesis in connection to online dating. Then, in your essay’s conclusion, explain whether you agree or disagree with his thesis.

In this 5-PARAGRAPH essay, you must do the following:

1. summarize chapter 4 of Modern Romance

2. use three direct quotes, one in each body paragraph

3. explain your answer to the prompt using Ansari’s argument ONLY (no outside sources or references)

4. conclude with your opinion about his thesis

5. the entire essay must be in correct MLA format

6. proofread your work for grammar errors and spelling

Question 2

For the Poetry Analysis Essay, you need to write an essay of at least 750 words that helps readers understand one poem from our packet (your choice). All of the poems in our packet this semester are good poems that will be interesting subjects for essays. All of the poems seem to tell us something important about life. Make sure to read the poem repeatedly, looking up any words that you do not understand and doing your best to understand the meaning conveyed in the poem.

You can assume that your audience has read but has not studied the poem you are analyzing, so you should not simply summarize the literal level of the poem. Instead, you should give your audience an interpretation of the poem, some insightful explanation of the poem that will help your audience understand its meaning and significance.

Your essay should follow the conventions of MLA documentation. After each quotation from the poem, include a parenthetical citation of the line number(s), for the quotation, “like this” (12-13). Do not cite the page number(s).

The general citation for your poems from the Poetry Foundation looks like this:

Yeats, William Butler. “Easter, 1916.” Poetry Foundation