stvdybuddies:1. Familiarize yourselfReally get to know the work that you will be analyzing. Whether
stvdybuddies:1. Familiarize yourselfReally get to know the work that you will be analyzing. Whether it‘s a poem, short story, or play, make sure you read it over a number of times. It also doesn’t hurt to do some background research into the author and his/her writing styles. 2. AnnotateWhile reading, annotate the work and jot down some of the formal language you noticed. For example, the use of literary and formal features, themes, characters, tone etc. Here is a link to some of the basic and most well-known literary devices: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/575/01/3. Theme/Topic Choose the theme that you want to focus on (this may be a general, universal theme or specific literary features). The theme/topic may also have been assigned by your teachers. Essay topics can range widely in specificity:Romantic and familial love in Shakespeare sonnet # John Milton’s use of paradoxes and juxtaposition to create a stark contrast between Satan and God in Book one of “Paradise Lost”4. Find supportive evidenceOnce you know your theme/topic, make sure you have enough supporting evidence to write a good essay. If not, you either want to go back and find more, or change to a more easily supported topic. For example, you don’t want to write an essay on a poem’s use of metaphors, when all you can find are examples of the use of imagery.5. OutlineWriting an outline really helps when writing any essay. I like to use a certain layout that I find is really effective in helping me structure my ideas:Topic sentence: Evidence #: Literary Feature:Importance (of the literary feature):6. Putting it all togetherReally take advantage of your outline when writing your essay! With all your ideas laid out, it’s really about putting your thoughts into coherent and fluent sentences. Tip: Make use of transition words, as well as complex, compound, and simple sentences, in order to make your essay really flow7. Revise, revise, revise. Nobody can write a perfect essay on the first try. Editing may include asking you friends to peer edit, or even your teacher/professor for suggestions.8. Take a step backIf you have the extra time, it helps to leave your essay for a while (a day), before coming back to it. Sometimes taking a step back can really go a long way. -- source link
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