Researched Review Directions

All Reviews Should Include:
a. A thesis that makes a single, unified interpretive argument

about the collection going beyond what the book is about to
what the book does and applicable topic sentences along
the way. The thesis should take into account each of the
three readings in (b) below;
b. Strong, specific evidence in body paragraphs about the
poems in the collection using all of the following: close
reading (of a single poem of your selection), a comparative
reading of two poems in the collection not used elsewhere
in the paper, and a reading of a poem using literary
criticism not used elsewhere in the paper. PLEASE make
sure to use these four poems: ‘On Melting’, ‘The Year My
Brother Stopped Listening To Hip-Hop’, ‘The Summer A
Tribe Called Quest Broke Up’, and ‘September, Just East
Of The Johnson Park Courts’ all in the book “The Crown
Ain’t Worth Much” by. Hanif Abdurraqib.
Further Requirements:
a. An introduction to the collection and the critical concerns
and themes of the poet who wrote it
b. Biographical information about the poet including
publications and accolades (1+ paragraph)
c. Summary and analysis of the structure of the book (is it a
book length poem, or is it in several sections, for
example?); If the book is in sections, how do the poet’s
concerns and methods vary from one section to the next
(1+ paragraph)
d. A close reading of a single poem on 1 or 2 reading levels
(1-2 paragraphs)
e. A comparison of two poems by theme subject matter or by
reading level (1 paragraph)
f. A reading of a single poem using one of the lenses (beyond
explication and comparison) from the student presentations
(1 paragraph). For d-f, use four different poems.
g. Some mention of poetry or a poem your chosen collection
echoes of and an explanation of that comparison to show
your credibility as a reader and reviewer; it is for this
reason that our efforts have largely focused on reading
contemporary poetry this term. Further, what makes this
writer’s voice distinct? In this section, you can say what
others have said about this writer in interviews, but avoid
using thesis-driven reviews of the collection itself since this
will be your work to do.
h. The collection’s primary concern or take-home message/
final thoughts (conclusion).
Make Sure To Remember To…
1. PLEASE make sure to use only these four poems: ‘On

Melting’, ‘The Year My Brother Stopped Listening To Hip-
Hop’, ‘The Summer A Tribe Called Quest Broke Up’, and
‘September, Just East Of The Johnson Park Courts’ all in the
book “The Crown Ain’t Worth Much” by. Hanif Abdurraqib.
2. And also make sure to use only these five secondary sources as listed
A) Abdurraqib, Hanif. “Hi. I'm Hanif. I Write Poems. I Write Things About
Music. I Am Probably Eating French Fries.” Hi. I'm Hanif. I Write Poems. I Write
Things About Music. I Am Probably Eating French Fries., www.abdurraqib.com/.
B) “Hanif Abdurraqib.” Edited by BEOTIS CREATIVE, BEOTIS, 2020,
www.beotis.com/hanifabdurraqib.
C) “Hanif Abdurraqib.” Edited by Nif Muhammad, Medium, 2020,
medium.com/@NifMuhammad.
D) “A Conversation with Hanif Abdurraqib.” A Conversation with Hanif
Abdurraqib, UNCA Ramsey Library Video Production, 2019,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhxRdVM9kT0.
E) “Hanif Abdurraqib Poetry Reading.” Hanif Abdurraqib Poetry Reading,
Family Action Network, 8 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0--Ajxr9Cw.
3. final paper should cite at least 3 sources in addition to your

chosen collection in your final paper for a total of 4 sources at
the minimum. If you use a source, it must be on the Works
Cited page; conversely, you won’t list a work on that page that
you do not directly use in the paper itself.
Your researched book review will be 5-6 pages (length requirement does not
include the Works Cited page), typed, in MLA format with in text citations
and a list of works cited. If you include quotes longer than 4 lines, indent them
in the text, but do they do not count as part of the page calculations.
Outline For
Writing The Researched Review
Introduction/ Big Picture Approach to the Notes for 1-2 paragraphs

Collection
-Introduce title, author, themes, etc. (see big
picture questions from RR1 as you start with a big
picture approach to the review)
Biographical Details of Writer using secondary Notes for 1-2 paragraphs

sources -Who is this poet, how does their prior
work echo what is in this collection? How does the
writer have ethos?
-bio, educational/ publication background, prior
work summary, what “kind’ of poet is this? This
question is not meant to categorize but to compel
readers interested in a writer’s nuanced interests
How is the collection organized? Notes for 1-2 paragraphs
-Are there sections? What does each section have
in common? What makes the sections distinct
from one another?
-What is achieved by reading the poems in order?
(links/ tensions, etc)
-How does the title “bind” the poems together?
What are common themes within and between
sections?
Close reading of a part of one poem: Notes for 1-2 paragraphs Poem
Look at the poem that interests you the most, and Title:
present the stanza(s) on a variety of reading Reading level:
levels; show us something about the nuance of Interpretation:
the lines that a passive reader is likely to miss. Use
poetic terms to do so (on 1-2 reading levels; start Line numbers to quote:
with 1; add another if your paper is too short)
What to say about those lines:
Line numbers to quote:
What to say about those lines:

Look closely at poems within the collection, and Look closely at poems within the collection, and
pick two to compare/contrast for a paragraph or pick two to compare/contrast for a paragraph or
two using 1 or 2 reading levels. Good topics for two using 1 or 2 reading levels. Good topics for
this paragraph include subject, sound, imagery, this paragraph include subject, sound, imagery,
etc. etc.
Criteria for comparison: Poem 2 title: Notes:

Poem 1 title:
Notes:
Perform a reading of a single poem using an apt Notes for 1 paragraph

literary criticism lens given its content (Marxist,
Feminist, CRT, biographical, reader response,
psychoanalytic, or New Historical reading)
What have other people said about this writer

(use a source)? What do you want your readers
to know about the collection and the writer?
What other writers does this one remind you of?
What makes the writer distinct?
Final thoughts/ conclusions

-Bring what you’ve said to a rhetorical close
-leave no lose ends
-remember the purpose of a review is to sell
books

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All Reviews Should Include:

a. A thesis that makes a single, unified interpretive argument

Make Sure To Remember To…

1. PLEASE make sure to use only these four poems: ‘On

3. final paper should cite at least 3 sources in addition to your

Introduction/ Big Picture Approach to the Notes for 1-2 paragraphs

Biographical Details of Writer using secondary Notes for 1-2 paragraphs

What to say about those lines:

Line numbers to quote:

What to say about those lines:

Criteria for comparison: Poem 2 title: Notes:

Perform a reading of a single poem using an apt Notes for 1 paragraph

What have other people said about this writer

Final thoughts/ conclusions

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