Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

• Please upload your outline and essay to Canvas before class begins.

• Please upload your revised outline and revised essay to Canvas by the end of the business day.

Choose ONE (1) of the following topics to respond to in a carefully constructed and fully developed essay.

• Be sure to provide specific examples and details to support your claims.
• The essay should provide a clear, well-supported thesis and be free of any grammatical errors or awkward or verbose wording.

1.    Identify examples of three literary techniques employed by Paul Laurence Dunbar in his poem “Sympathy.” Provide a clear thesis explaining how he employs these techniques to develop the theme of his poem.

• **Do not include any variation of the following sentence: “He uses imagery to give the reader an idea of what he is talking about.” If you are going to describe imagery, restrict your focus to the relationship between his imagery and his theme.

2.      Identify examples of three literary techniques employed by Maya Angelou in the excerpt from her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Provide a clear thesis explaining how she employs these techniques to develop her story.

• **Do not include any variation of the following sentence: “She uses imagery to give the reader an idea of what she is talking about.” If you are going to describe imagery, restrict your focus to the relationship between her imagery and her tone.

• Papers must be double-spaced, and include an outline (which does not count toward the 750-word minimum).
• Be sure your thesis is clear and precise and that your supporting evidence is adequate and effective.
• Also be sure to eliminate all mechanical errors and to use spellcheck, both with your computer and your own eyes.
• Do NOT use a cover page, please.