Name:
Literature Based Essay Writing
What is the purpose of or objective in writing an analytical essay on a piece of literature?
è To closely examine the work or an aspect of the work.
è To understand authorial intent in writing a piece of literature as a whole and the way it is written (i.e., literary elements, stylistically).
What are the necessary components of a literature based essay?
è An argument: You are making a statement of why or how well a piece of literature is written. The argument relays your opinion or perspective.
è A debatable thesis statement: The thesis statement makes your argument known, but also allows for discussion and exposition of other ideas and perspectives.
è Examples from literature that support your thesis. You may also incorporate research that supports your thesis. In this type of essay, research is supplemental to example from the literature you are analyzing.
è Acknowledgement of counter-claims and perspectives: Recognizing other points of view shows your reader that you are not narrow-minded.
è Disproving counter-claims or using counter-claims to support your own argument.
è Voice and style: Your must write with strength, clarity, and confidence to ensure that you have a credible voice, one that your readers will take seriously. Academic (formal) writing style and an unbiased tone will help create this unique voice.
è Proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics.
o 30 minute rule for titles (GENERAL RULE): If you can read a piece of literature or listen to a piece of music in under thirty minutes, you use quotation marks. If you need more than thirty minutes to read a piece of literature or listen to a piece of music, you underline or italicize it.
- Short Story: “All Summer in a Day”
- Newspaper article/Academic journal article/Magazine article: “I’ll Cover You”
- Song: “Stairway to Heaven”
- Book: Things Fall Apart, Things Fall Apart
- Newspaper/Academic journal/Magazine: The New York Times, Rolling Stone
- Music album: Vitalogy, Vitalogy