How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay



Write a Critical Literary Analysis Essay

When writing a literary analysis essay, your main objective is not to write a simple summary. Rather, your goal is to write an essay that discusses your interpretation and critique of the literature. There are a few general guidelines you should keep in mind when writing a literary analysis essay. Remember, there often is no right or wrong answer – what really matters is proving your thesis with evidence!

One tip you should keep in mind while writing a literary analysis essay is that you should always write in the present tense and never in the past tense. For example, you might write “In George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm,’ the animals take over the farm and develop their own independent society” rather than “In George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm,’ the animals took over the farm and developed their own independent society.” Another tip is you should also avoid putting yourself into the literary analysis. This means you should write in the third person and never use the words “I” or “you.” There may be exceptions to this rule, however, depending upon your instructor. In fact, some will request a more informal literary analysis that will include the usage of these words. When in doubt, however, it is safer to use the third person.

Since literary analysis essays are not meant to simply be a book review or summary of the book, you should not retell the story in your essay. Rather, you need to form a thesis about the piece of literature and then explain and support the thesis you have developed. Although you are not summarizing the plot when you write a literary analysis, you will need to pull elements from the plot when writing your literary analysis. For example, when providing an analysis, you will use information from the piece of literature to help support your position. For example, if writing a literary analysis of “The Telltale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe, you might make the assertion that the narrator is insane. You can then use the fact that the narrator said he could hear “all things in the heaven and in the earth” to help support your claim.

Remember, you are writing a literary analysis, which is a critical look at the piece, you must use as many literary terms as possible. Some terms that you should try to include and to use when analyzing the piece include:

• Character • Theme * • Setting • Plot

• Point of view • Alliteration • Symbols • Imagery

• Figurative language • Climax • Protagonist • Conflict

By using these terms, you can create a more professional and respectable piece that reflects your understanding of literature. For example, rather than saying “The story shows that people are like animals by giving the animals human characteristics,” you should say “The piece contains vivid symbols and images to reveal the animalistic nature of humans.” Although both pieces express the same idea, the second sentence reveals a stronger understanding of literature and literary terms. Be sure to include theme in your essay since your comprehension and critique of the author’s message is crucial.

Critical Literary Analysis Template

Essential Question: (How did you like the book?) ________________________________________________________________________

Thesis: (your answer to the question)

________________________________________________________________________

Title your essay: use the title of the work you are writing about and the author:

________________________________________________________________________

Introduction: State your thesis. Name and criticize the author!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 1: discuss the plot and its effectiveness. Be specific, use examples from text.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: discuss the characters or a different element.

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Paragraph 3: discuss the theme (central message) this is always the heart of any novel. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion: Restate your thesis. Give a parting comment about the author and his work. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hints: Write your essay in present tense i.e. like you are there, and in 3rd person. Don’t use personal comments like “I think that …..” Don’t summarize the story! Break it down into its elements and discuss them in detail. Try using the literary devices in your own writing. Make your essay fun to read – make it sexy!

Literary Analysis Essay

| |4 Exceeds Standard |3 Meets Standard |2 Approaching Standard |1 Little or no Evidence |

|Thesis: Clear and | | | | |

|arguable placed | | | | |

|appropriately | | | | |

|Format: 5 paragraphs, in | | | | |

|Present Tense, and 3rd | | | | |

|Person | | | | |

|Conventions: Grammar, | | | | |

|spelling and punctuation | | | | |

|Analysis: Theme + 2 or | | | | |

|more Literary Elements. | | | | |

Reflective narrative: Explain what you think you did well on this essay and what improvements you can make. Use the back of this rubric if necessary.

Literary Analysis Essay

| |4 Exceeds Standard |3 Meets Standard |2 Approaching Standard |1 Little or no Evidence |

|Thesis: Clear and | | | | |

|arguable placed | | | | |

|appropriately | | | | |

|Format: 5 paragraphs, in | | | | |

|Present Tense, and 3rd | | | | |

|Person | | | | |

|Conventions: Grammar, | | | | |

|spelling and punctuation | | | | |

|Analysis: Theme + 2 or | | | | |

|more Literary Elements. | | | | |

Reflective narrative: Explain what you think you did well on this essay and what improvements you can make. Use the back of this rubric if necessary.

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