Use this informal outline to organize your essay. If you plan to have more than three body paragraphs in your essay, continue on another sheet of paper. Pattern of organization I will use Least important to most important Title of my essay The road not taken What I want to include in my introduction Thesis statement The theme of this poem is in life when picking which path to go down, choosing the harder path will make your life more meaningful. Thematic evidence I want to include in my first body paragraph The speaker is not identified by gender or age because the speaker could be anyone. Essentially, the poem is about how it is human nature to want our lives to have meaning and purpose. Thematic evidence I want to include in my second body paragraph The meter in this poem is an iambic tetrameter, a metrical scheme that presents four beats to the line. This meter gives the poem a sense of propulsion and forward movement, fitting for a poem about a traveler. The rhyme scheme in each of the four stanzas is ABAAB. Thematic evidence I want to include in my third body paragraph The whole poem is a metaphor about life. What I want to say in my conclusion Just because not everyone wants to take the harder path doesn’t mean you shouldn’t because it can make all the difference.

Read the excerpts from part 3 of "an occurrence at owl creek bridge." a rising sheet of water curved over him, fell down upon him, blinded him, strangled him! the cannon had taken a hand in the game. as he shook his head free from the commotion of the smitten water he heard the deflected shot humming through the air ahead, and in an instant it was cracking and smashing the branches in the forest beyond. *** a whiz and rattle of grapeshot among the branches high above his head roused him from his dream. the baffled cannoneer had fired him a random farewell. he sprang to his feet, rushed up the sloping bank, and plunged into the forest. *** as he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence! what function does the motif of the cannon serve throughout the story? the cannon continually pushes farquhar to continue his journey through his dream and back to reality. the cannon encourages farquhar to investigate whether his escape was a dream or reality. the cannon reminds farquhar that time is subjective and encourages him to move quickly in order to reach his home. the cannon represents farquhar’s romantic dream that he escaped his execution and will return home.