Poetry Analysis Scoring Guide
9-8
These well-organized and well-written essays clearly demonstrate an understanding of how
the speaker / author in ________ uses ________ to convey ________. In their references,
they are apt and specific. Though not without flaws, these papers will offer a convincing
interpretation of the poem, as well as consistent control over the virtues of effective
composition, including the language unique to the criticism of poetry. They demonstrate the
writer’s ability to read perceptively and to write with clarity and sophistication.
7-6
These essays also demonstrate an understanding of _________’s poem; but, compared to the
best essays, they are less thorough or less precise in their analysis of how the speaker / author
uses ________ to convey ________. In addition to minor flaws in interpretation, their
analysis is likely to be less well-supported and less incisive. While these essays demonstrate
the writer’s ability to express ideas clearly, they do so with less mastery and control over the
hallmarks of mature composition than do papers in the 9-8 range.
5
While these essays deal with the assigned task without important errors, they have little to
say beyond what is easiest to grasp. Their analysis of how ________ conveys ________ may
be vague. As a critical explanation, they deal with the poem in a cursory way. Though the
writing is sufficient to convey the writer’s thoughts, these essays are typically pedestrian, not
as well conceived, organized, or developed as upper-half papers. They may reveal simplistic
thinking or immature writing.
4-3
These lower-half essays often reflect an incomplete or over-simplified understanding of the
poem. Typically, they fail to respond adequately to part of the question. Their analysis may
be weak, meager or irrelevant, inaccurate or unclear. The writing demonstrates uncertain
control over the elements of effective composition. These essays usually contain recurrent
stylistic flaws and/or misreadings, and they often lack persuasive evidence from the text.
Essays scored 3 exhibit more than one of the above infelicities; they are marred by a
significant misinterpretation, insufficient development, or serious omissions.
2-1
These essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3 range. Writers may seriously
misread the poem. Frequently, these essays are unacceptably brief. They are poorly written
on several counts and may contain many distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. While
some attempt may have been made to answer the question, the writer’s observations are
presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Essays that are especially
inexact, vacuous, and/or mechanically unsound should be scored 1.
0
This is a response with no more than a reference to the task or no response at all.
