The research paper is based on the last poem of Rabindranath Tagore

The research paper is based on the last poem of Rabindranath Tagore who born in Calcutta, India. he was awarded by Novel Prize in 1913.
the research proposal and Author studies have been added in the attachment.

1
Research Paper on an Author of your Choice
Step 1: Choose an author to research. This should be someone whose work you have read extensively.
They can be living or dead, from any country or time period. Genres are plays, poems, short stories,
novels, graphic novels, or non-fiction. You can’t write on a filmmaker, musician, or visual artist for this
project (since it is a literature class…).
Even in step 1 as you are decided what author to write about, I recommend thinking about what your
thesis is going to be. Your paper should have a central focus. I suggest trying to answer this research
question to construct a thesis: What specific reasons are there for other people to want to read this
author’s work?
Step 2: Figure out a note system. It could be index cards, a really well organized bibliography in a Word
document, or an online citation tracker like Zoterobib (https://zbib.org/). You need a way to keep track of
who said what.
Step 3: READ and take notes! You will have to discuss the following in your Research Paper:
– At least 3 works of literature that your author has written (if your author is a novelist or writes
books, it could be 2 novels or books).
– At least 2 professional reviews of the author’s work. These have to have been published in a
reputable magazine or newspaper. The reviews cannot be from a fan page or reader review.
Use the library’s database “Academic Search Complete” to help you find sources:
https://bmcc.libguides.com/az.php?s=165521
– As you are reading your primary (literary works) and secondary (reviews) sources, take a lot of
notes and copy down interesting and important quotations that you might want to discuss in your
paper.
Step 4: Prepare your paper Proposal and Annotated Bibliography (due 6/25).
Proposal: This should be a 1-page overview of who your author is, what they have written, what
kind of audience your author wrote/writes for, and why you enjoy that author’s work.
Annotated bibliography: The annotated bibliography summarizes your secondary sources one by
one, and explains how each one relates to the topic you are writing about.
Here is a great resource for how to write an annotated bibliography including an entertaining
video:
https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/mla/annot_bib
Step 5: Write your paper! Here is a very basic outline for your paper:
Introduction
– Introduce the author and your main focus about the author’s work.
– Briefly summarize the novels/plays/short stories/poems (i.e. the primary sources).
– Explain your own answer to the research question (“what specific reasons are there for other
people to want to read this author’s work?). Don’t forget that the word “because” helps the reader
understand why your thesis is important.2
Body Paragraphs 1-2
– This is your literature review. Compare and contrast what the two professional critics whose
secondary sources you are including say about your author. Also include whether or not you
agree with the critics’ interpretations about the author you chose. You should use direct quotation
as well as paraphrasing here (and always cite who said what).
– Always make it crystal clear which source you are referencing to avoid plagiarism (see signal
phrases below). Always cite the page number (if your sources include them) as well.
– Try to connect your analysis of the secondary sources to your thesis.
– Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence.
Body Paragraphs 3-6 (approximate #)
– Here is where you explore what you like about the themes, motifs, and style of the author you
chose yourself. Use quotations from the primary sources.
– Draw connections between what you like about the author’s work, and what the critics said about
it (be careful not to repeat from the previous paragraphs though).
– It is very important to directly connect the points that you make in these body paragraphs with the
thesis statement.
– Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence.
Conclusion
– Don’t try to say anything new in the conclusion
– Restate the thesis, and summarize the points you’ve made
– Try to connect the thesis to what you speculate the author would have wanted us to think about
when reading their work.
Format:
Typed, approximately 1200 words (3-4 double-spaced pages) PLUS a separate Works Cited page
Your paper should have a title
Your paper should have a correct MLA-style heading and header (see the video)
No extra spaces between paragraphs
1-inch margins all around
Spell checked, proofread
Grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling (always!) count!
SIGNAL PHRASES and TRANSITION WORDS
Please feel free to use this resource when writing your paper!
Let’s pretend I am working with the following source:
Martin, Christine. “Look on My Words, Ye Mighty, but Don’t Despair: Teaching ‘Ozymandias’.” Poetry
Criticism, edited by Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 158, Gale, 2014. Literature Criticism Online,
http://link.galegroup.com.lib2.bmcc.cuny.edu:2048/apps/doc/GLSRLL428600362/GLS?u=cuny_mancc&
sid=GLS&xid=0b0935ca. Accessed 15 Oct. 2018. Originally published in Approaches to Teaching
Shelley’s Poetry, edited by Spencer Hall, MLA, 1990, pp. 65-66.
Don’t forget that first time you mention an author, you use the full name; subsequent times you use only
the last name. Vary the name with “the author,” to avoid repetition.
According to Christine Martin
Martin argues
Martin writes3
The author claims
The author states
Martin implies (if she is really implying – otherwise she is stating, arguing, etc.)
The author believes that
TRANSITION WORDS
For ADDING IDEAS:
also another in fact equally important moreover
furthermore additionally indeed in addition
For MAKING A CONTRAST:
however nevertheless although conversely
on the contrary notwithstanding even though all the
same
on the other hand by contrast nonetheless
For COMPARING:
likewise equally along the same lines
similarly in comparison in the same way
For CITING AN EXAMPLE:
for example in other words in fact
for instance specifically after all
as an illustration consider
For SHOWING RESULTS:
accordingly hence consequently
as a result thus therefore
For REINFORCING AN IDEA:
especially important above all most noteworthy
especially relevant a significant factor most of all
For ELABORATING (expanding upon a point):
actually by extension to put it another way
to put it bluntly in short to put it succinctly
in other words ultimately basically
For CONCEDING A POINT:
admittedly of course although it is true that
naturally granted to be sure
For CONCLUDING:
clearly hence consequently
obviously therefore thus
in short all in all
PHRASES TO AVOID (AND WHAT TO WRITE INSTEAD)
Avoid Use Instead4
In today’s society, In the modern world, In this
day and age,
Today, Currently, BUT, you should avoid this in a
literary criticism essay or paper; write about the
author’s time period—if it is directly significant to
your argument; more often than not, it actually
isn’t and you actually don’t need to contextualize.
Back in the day, X years ago, A long time ago, In
the old days,
In the days of [X writer or historical figure you’ll
be talking about in your paper] or In the X
century or In the 19___ [insert decade]
Throughout history; for all mankind, since the
beginning of time
These are just too broad, don’t use them or similar
phrases
Catch the reader’s attention Say something about the argument instead. This is
a dead metaphor[catching] and diminishes the
author by ignoring her or his argument.
Society and People Be specific about what group of people you are
talking about: Americans, New Yorkers, people
who live in rural areas, people who live in urban
centers, African-Americans, White Americans,
Asian-Americans, students, construction workers,
stay-at-home moms, etc. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT
WHO YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
People have different opinions on We may disagree about
I think, I feel, I believe, In my opinion Usually you can take these out without hurting the
rest of the sentence; sometimes it actually makes
it stronger to take it out
This was giving me the impression that… You don’t need this – you don’t need to talk about
your thought process. Go straight to the point and
provide textual evidence!
The author uses a lot of imagery The author uses images such as x, y, and z in this
poem. In other words, don’t announce that you
will say something, just say it J
In this paper I will talk about I argue that (to distinguish your claims from
another’s)
“quotation” all alone sandwich the quotation with an introduction and
analysis Even a simple: “The author
writes/says/states/complains/
claims/concedes/insists/questions/reminds
us/reports/ suggests that” to INTRODUCE. Signal
analysis with similar words: “This
means/suggests/points out that”
“The author talks about this in a particular way” BE SPECIFIC! E.g. The author uses light/dark
imagery or the poet uses the metaphor of a church
to talk about a grave or the narrator uses a brash
and arrogant tone to describe thi