1. Evaluation Criteria
2. Sample of A Paper
3. Sample of B Paper
4. Sample of C Paper
5. The In-class Essay
6. Sample of A Essay
7. Sample of C Essay

The following is an example of an "A" in-class essay. The two poems were discussed in class, and the student was permitted to refer to his book and notes. This paper was written under a time restraint of 20 minutes.

QUESTION: Explain how possessiveness is a theme in Robert Browning's two poems, "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess."

In his two poems "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess," Browning uses the theme of possessiveness that dominates each poem. First, both men view their lovers as though they were mere objects. In PL, Porphyria is strangled in order that her lover can create a statue-like corpse that would hold a particular look in her eyes that "laughed…without a stain" forever. In MLD, the Duke reduces his wife to a portrait, a possession where he can display her whenever and wherever he wishes, "[l]ooking as if she were alive." Second, both men murder their lovers as though the women were without a freewill. In PL, the lover kills Porphyria after he thinks that she should not have enjoyed "tonight's gay feast" from which she returned. In MLD, the Duke kills his wife, because she was kind and gave "who passed without / Much the same smile." Third, both men fail to show any remorse as though their lovers were disposable. In PL, the lover sits with the dead Porphyria and remarks that "God has not said a word" about the murder. In MLD, the Duke is able to negotiate a deal for a new Duchess, while he speaks calmly about his last wife, of whom he "gave command; / Then all smiles stopped together."

This essay is a good example of one that is nearly flawless. The student used a couple of devices that set his writing above his classmates. Notice that his topic sentences use good parallelism. In addition to this, the student incorporates the quoted material well. For the most part, the student uses simple sentences, but nevertheless displays a mature writing style.

Thesis Statement: The thesis statement uses the words of the question very effectively by restating it in a bold way that demands proof of the statement. Also, the student cleverly uses the word "dominates" that reinforces the idea of possessiveness.

Topic Sentences: The student supplied the milestones (first, second, and third) to help the reader understand the points of his argument. But more importantly, the topic sentences all answer the question, "Why?" The sentences use a parallel structure and clearly state the topics.

Support Sentences: The support sentences are identified well with the use of acceptable abbreviations for the two poems. The student is consistent when discussing "Porphyria's Lover" first, and "My Last Duchess" second. Perhaps the only weakness in this essay is the two support sentences for the third topic of disposability. The student's support seems to prove the men's lack of remorse, but not the idea of throwing the women away as common objects. However, this point is not fatal, because the essay has so many other good qualities.