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ENGL 126 Essay #1 Prompt
At this point in the semester, you have read “Part one: The old position” and “Part two:
The attack on the old position” in News of the Universe by Robert Bly. We’ve discussed
the “old position” and read poems in part one that reflect the thinking of the “old
position.” In part two, you read about criticism of the “old position” and focused on
poems which divert from “old position” thinking.
For this essay, I’d like for you to select one poem from “Part one” and one poem from
“Part two” to compare. You will analyze the two poems as they relate to the “old
position” and those who deviated from it. For example, in part one we read about how
the “old position” promoted human superiority over nature and we analyzed how the
poem “The Three Kingdoms in Nature” by Gotthold Lessing categorizes nature with
humans occupying the first kingdom. In part two, we read about poets who by idealizing
nature rebelled against ideas of the “old position” and you read the poem “Intimate
Associations” by Charles Baudelaire which proclaims that “The natural world is a
spiritual house.” If I were writing an essay that compares these two poems in
relationship to the “old position” and those who diverged from it, I would discuss how the
“old position” saw humans as separate from nature, as represente

d in “The Three
Kingdoms in Nature.” In contrast, I would discuss how “Intimate Associations” idealizes
nature and represents a departure from the “old position.” Additionally, I would move
beyond the comparison to argue that we are presently still acting from within an “old
position” mindset which has resulted in a climate crisis and global existential threat.
Remember that your essay needs an argument driven thesis which clearly states how
the two poems differ from one another within the context of the “old position” and those
who criticized it. I would suggest you begin by identifying an aspect of the “old position”
that you want to focus on in the poems. For example, the perception of nature, of
women, or of consciousness. Once you’ve settled on a specific aspect you want to
analyze you can begin to look for similarities and differences in the two poems. Make
sure to ground your findings within the concept of the “old position” and the critique of
the “old position.” Use your introduction to define the “old position” and to introduce the
aspect you will be focusing on in the poems. As with any other essay, you will need to
quote generously from the source texts to support your argument. Do NOT rely on or
include any texts outside of what has been assigned for this class.
Minimum page requirement: 3 FULL pages