Writing A Literary Analysis Essay
- Library Resources
- Books & EBooks
- What is an Literary Analysis?
- Literary Devices & Terms
- Creating a Thesis Statement This link opens in a new window
- Using quotes or evidence in your essay
- APA Format This link opens in a new window
- MLA Format This link opens in a new window
- OER Resources
- Copyright, Plagiarism, and Fair Use
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How does one write a literary analysis paper, the cornerstone of many English courses? Watch, listen, and learn from a master teacher.
Examples of Literary Analysis
Literary Analysis
A literary analysis is not a summary of a literary work. Instead, it is an argument about key concepts, characters, or techniques used in the work. It is used to write about the deeper meaning of the text. This is accomplished by analyzing the different parts of a text such as the language, viewpoint, structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices or elements to create effects and convey ideas. The idea of a Literary analysis is to tell your readers about your interpretation or meaning of the text or literary work. It can be applied to many forms of literary works such as novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing
Links & Resources
A detailed PDF supplying information and insight on the process of writing a literary analysis paper in a step-by-step fashion.
Analyzing Literature (& Film) & Annotating Texts
Writing About Literature: Introduction (Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)) Discussion about the issues to consider when writing an essay about literature.
Creating Literary Analysis
Literary Form and Analysis
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ENGL 1102 - Comp II - THOMPSON: Tips for writing literary analysis/literary criticism
- Classifying Sources
- Tips for writing literary analysis/literary criticism
- Articles & Media
- Searching with Discover
- Searching the Catalog (GIL Find)
- Annotation, deconstructed
- Sample Annotation
- Artificial Intelligence
- MLA 9th edition
- Get Help from your Librarian!
- Instructional Humor Survey
Constructing a Thesis
Click on the links, below for help in constructing an effective thesis.
- Literary Analysis Thesis
- How to Write a Strong Thesis
Writing a Literary Analysis
- Figures of speech
- Rhyme/Rhythm
- Point of View
- Historical, political, geographical context
- Critical lens/Literary theory (feminist, postcolonial, psychoanalytic,etc.)
2. Make sure your topic has sufficient supporting evidence within the text.
3. Make sure you are analyzing something that is debatable/arguable (meaning it is not immediately obvious within the text), so that your analysis will provide the evidence to support your point.
For more information, you may want to check out the Purdue OWL's page on Writing About Literature
Developing a topic
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What Makes a Good Literature Paper?
An argument.
When you write an extended literary essay, often one requiring research, you are essentially making an argument. You are arguing that your perspective-an interpretation, an evaluative judgment, or a critical evaluation-is a valid one.
A debatable thesis statement
Like any argument paper you have ever written for a first-year composition course, you must have a specific, detailed thesis statement that reveals your perspective, and, like any good argument, your perspective must be one which is debatable.
You would not want to make an argument of this sort:
Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play about a young man who seeks revenge. That doesn't say anything-it's basically just a summary and is hardly debatable.
A better thesis would be this:
Hamlet experiences internal conflict because he is in love with his mother. That is debatable, controversial even. The rest of a paper with this argument as its thesis will be an attempt to show, using specific examples from the text and evidence from scholars, (1) how Hamlet is in love with his mother, (2) why he's in love with her, and (3) what implications there are for reading the play in this manner.
You also want to avoid a thesis statement like this:
Spirituality means different things to different people. King Lear , The Book of Romans , and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance each view the spirit differently. Again, that says nothing that's not already self-evident. Why bother writing a paper about that? You're not writing an essay to list works that have nothing in common other than a general topic like "spirituality." You want to find certain works or authors that, while they may have several differences, do have some specific, unifying point. That point is your thesis.
Lear , Romans , and Zen each view the soul as the center of human personality. Then you prove it, using examples from the texts that show that the soul is the center of personality.
Literary Analysis
- Criticism & Analysis
- Library Databases
- eBooks and Books
- Literary Analysis Video
Getting Started - Helpful Resources
- Purdue OWL's Writing in Literature Guide Explains literary theory and schools of criticism, defines literary terms, and provides examples and descriptions about writing papers about literature.
- Texas A&M's Analyzing Novels & Short Stories Details the literary elements of novels and short stories.
- Goshen College's Literary Analysis Guide Explains how to analyze a text and provides examples.
Primary v. Secondary Sources
In the context of analyzing literature, the work under study is the primary source , while anything written about the work , author, genre, etc is a secondary source .
Determining if a source is primary or secondary can sometimes be tricky, and can even depend on how you are using the source. Check out this toolkit for more advanced help with understanding the differences between primary and secondary sources.
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
OWL Video Offerings for Instructors; Job Acceptance Letter Presentation; Invention Presentation; Suggested Resources Style Guide Overview MLA Guide APA Guide Chicago Guide OWL Exercises. Purdue OWL; Resources; Teaching Resources; Writing a Literary Analysis Presentation; Writing a Literary Analysis Presentation
Writing about World Literature. This resource provides guidance on understanding the assignment, considering context, and developing thesis statements and citations for world literature papers. It also includes a PowerPoint about thesis statements in world literature for use by instructors and students.
There may be a temptation to think that merely announcing the text as a rhetorical analysis is purpose enough. However, especially depending on your essay’s length, your reader may need a more direct and clear statement of your intentions. Below are a few examples. 1. Clearly narrow the focus of what your essay will cover.
A book or article that discusses the text you are discussing. A book or article that discusses a theory related to the argument you are making. A book or article that discusses the social and historical context of the text you are discussing. How Do I Find Secondary.
Table of contents. Step 1: Reading the text and identifying literary devices. Step 2: Coming up with a thesis. Step 3: Writing a title and introduction. Step 4: Writing the body of the essay. Step 5: Writing a conclusion. Other interesting articles.
A detailed PDF supplying information and insight on the process of writing a literary analysis paper in a step-by-step fashion. Analyzing Literature (& Film) & Annotating Texts . Writing About Literature: Introduction (Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)) Discussion about the issues to consider when writing an essay about literature.
Compare & Contrast Essay. Compare and contrast is a rhetorical style that discusses the similarities and differences of two or more things: ideas, concepts, items, places, etc. This rhetorical style is one that you’ll see often as a complete essay, but you may also use it quite a lot within paragraphs of any kind of essay in which you need to ...
3. Make sure you are analyzing something that is debatable/arguable (meaning it is not immediately obvious within the text), so that your analysis will provide the evidence to support your point. For more information, you may want to check out the Purdue OWL's page on Writing About Literature
Lear, Romans, and Zen each view the soul as the center of human personality. Then you prove it, using examples from the texts that show that the soul is the center of personality. This handout provides examples and description about writing papers in literature. It discusses research topics, how to begin to research, how to use information, and ...
Purdue OWL's Writing in Literature Guide. Explains literary theory and schools of criticism, defines literary terms, and provides examples and descriptions about writing papers about literature. Texas A&M's Analyzing Novels & Short Stories. Details the literary elements of novels and short stories. Goshen College's Literary Analysis Guide.