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Assignment Sheet for First Paper Length: 1,400-1600 words

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Assignment Sheet for First Paper Length: 1,400-1600 words. Details: 12-point, Times New Roman Font, 1-inch margins. Double-space. At the top of your paper, double-space your name, your professor's name, the class, the date. Please title your paper (something interesting!). Paper Guidelines: We will spend the first few weeks of class looking at many different arguments for song, . Perhaps the greatest of all time (GOAT). We will read 25 writers on 25 characters. We will see odd arguments about powerful songs and specific arguments about great music from the 2010s. And in all of these cases, the writers then set out to expand on why that song is great. And, maybe most importantly, why they believe their judgment stems from something more than their own taste. Now, you will have a turn to argue for a great thing: a song. Think about the various specific arguments our writers make. Draw on those lists. Did your choice make an impact, change a mind? Was it the first of its kind? Did it get people through a tough time, beautifully rhyme? Feel free to use personal reflection and personal narrative. Still, in most cases you’ll want to explore whatever you’ve chosen from a number of different angles. And you must draw on and quote from at least two reputable sources to help you make your case. THE OUTLINE FOR A SONG OR A CHARACTER OR A CAR OR A PIECE OF CLOTHING 1. Intro • • • State the topic clearly. ( You don’t need a “hook”, but there are many ways to begin. There’s no perfect formula. Try a few opening sentences if you need to.) Consider thinking about the “occasion” of your essays. Why, besides this being an assignment, are you writing this now? Are you responding to another person’s argument ( if so, should you mention a writer and a title) ? Has a new idea emerged for you recently? Best not to digress. This is your chance to keep a reader’s attention. A longer paper has a room for ideas. An intro. Is about getting us interested and staking a claim. • Use the intro as a kind of informal map of the rest of your argument. If you’re going to write about the popularity of something, its social importance, and a personal story, think about using your intro to anticipate those points. 2. History and popularity? 3. Comfort or performance or likability. Actual quotes or evidence of this. 4. Social importance? Importance in wider culture? Add a quote 5. Personal story?