Discussion Qsts.

- Application Letters & the Two Poems

1. Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” is a more effective catalyst than Page’s “Landlady” for the
writing of an application letter because:

(a) everyone likes nature and this aspect can easily be incorporated into the letter
(b) poem’s speaker values qualities like self-growth, self-improvement, etc.
(c) problems of industrialized society can be discussed
(d) jokes can be included in the letter since this character seems to have humor
(e) all of the above
(f) a and c
(g) a, b and c

2. If “Tintern Abbey” wasn’t an option for the functional resume and application letter
assignment, and you had to deal with “Landlady” only, what would you choose as the
landlady’s dominant characteristic:

(a) organization
(b) fexibility
(c) communication
(d) resourcefulness
(e) method (i.e., she’s methodical)
(f) leadership
(g) innovation
(h) a and f
(i) a, d and e

3. It’s much easier to write an application letter inspired by “Landlady” than “Tintern”
because you can write your letter as if you’re addressing either the landlady or the
anonymous speaker of the poem (since it’s delivered in 3 rd-person voice); in this way, you
have more creative liberty with an application letter based on “Landlady.”

(a) True; “Landlady” is easier to work with

(b) False; “Tintern” is a clearer work and the speaker easier to defne

4. Tone is sometimes more important than diction (i.e., word choice) in an application letter—
although the two aspects are connected. If, for example, John and George are writing
application letters intended for the speaker in “Tintern” and landlady in “Landlady,”
respectively, the most appropriate tones are:

(a) serious for “Tintern”; casual for “Landlady”

(b) casual for “Tintern”; serious for “Landlady”
(c) serious for both poems
(d) casual for both poems
(e) a mixture of serious and casual tones for both works (i.e., well-rounded)
(f) c or e

5. Individually, complete the following template for an application letter inspired by

“Landlady.” The completed letters will be discussed and analyzed in class.

Prof. S. Sucur <ssucur@ualberta.ca> 1

Landlady Inc.
55th & Rocket Street
Cooltown, AB
Canada
T1L 3X7 Sept. 16, 2010

Dear _____,

The job advertised on your website is _____. The skills I can offer your growing company
include _____. Having recently secured my B.Eng. degree, I am very eager _____.

For several years I have taken _____ that closely overlap with _____. The principles your
corporation _____. I am also an avid _____ and believe that this would _____. On one occasion
I found myself in a _____. _____ must be maintained. _____ “…camera eye” (Page’s
“Landlady,” l. 4).

Please do not hesitate _____. I hope _____.

Kind regards,

R.T. Jones

Prof. S. Sucur <ssucur@ualberta.ca> 2