Documented Literary Analysis

ENG102 English Composition II

Documented Literary Analysis

The purpose of a documented literary analysis essay is to carefully examine

and sometimes evaluate a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature and

to use sources of outside literary criticism to help you make your argument.

Examining the different elements of a piece of literature is a process to help you

better appreciate and understand the work of literature as a whole. For instance, an

analysis of a poem might deal with the different types of images in a poem or with

the relationship between the form and content of the work. Analyzing a short story

might include identifying a particular theme (like the difficulty of making the

transition from adolescence to adulthood) and showing how the writer suggests

that theme through the point of view from which the story is told. You might also

explain how the main character’s attitude toward women is revealed through his

dialogue and/or actions.

An essay in general has particular elements and a particular form because it

serves a specific purpose. Keeping this in mind, consider what an essay is and what

it does. An essay is a relatively short written composition that articulates, supports,

and develops an idea or claim. It aims to explain something complex. Explaining in

this case entails both analysis (breaking the complex "thing" down into its

constituent parts and showing how they work together to form a meaningful whole)

and argument (working to convince someone that the analysis is valid). In an essay

about literature, the literary work is the complex thing that you are helping a reader

to better understand. The essay needs to show the reader a particular way to

understand the work, to interpret or read it.

To achieve these ends, an essay must incorporate certain elements: a clear thesis, a

coherent structure, and ample, appropriate evidence.

Choosing a Topic

You can write about one or a combination of the works that we have read

throughout the course. If you are examining a short story/stories in your essay, your

paper could be centered on one or a combination of the following elements of

fiction:

 Characterization  Setting  Symbolism  Irony

 Point of view  Foreshadowing  Conflict (Plot)  Theme

If you are examining a poem/poems in your essay, your paper could be centered on one or a combination of the following elements of poetry:

 Imagery  Sound rhyme, pace, onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance)  Figurative language (personification, simile, metaphor)  Structure (poem length, line length)

You could write about one story or poem. You could even write about a couple of works in a comparison or contrast type paper. For instance, you could contrast two characters from two different stories. You could write about one element. You could also “mix and match” the elements of fiction or poetry and argue that the writer/poet uses several of the elements to achieve a desired effect in a particular work. Forming a Thesis

Think of framing up your thesis in a manner similar to this one: In (title of work),

(author) uses (one aspect) to (define, strengthen, illustrate) the (element/s of

work).

Example: In “Youth,” Conrad uses foreshadowing to strengthen the plot.

Example: In “Because I could not stop for Death,” Dickinson uses personification and

imagery to depict the speaker’s experience with death.

Establishing a Structure

The structure of the literary analysis essay will follow the usual structure of an

essay: an introductory paragraph (with thesis), body paragraphs (at least three),

and a concluding paragraph. Your body will be structured around the element/s

being examined about the work.

Using Evidence to Support the Thesis

Evidence to support your thesis will come from two sources: the work itself and

from published literary criticism of the work. You will incorporate the evidence into

your essay either by directly quoting or paraphrasing the material.

Additional Notes about the Essay

 When first referring to an author, use his or her full name; thereafter, use the

last name.

 Essays about literature tend to function almost wholly in the present tense, a

practice that can take some getting used to. The rationale is that the action

within any literary work never stops; a text simply, always is. Therefore, you

will write your literary analysis essay using primarily present tense verbs.

However, if you include historical references, those references will require

past tense verbs.

 The essay should include no usage of first person “I” or second person “you”

outside of the confines of quotation marks.

Format/Requirements of the Literary Analysis Essay

 Must be at least two full pages of text (excluding the works cited page)

 Must reference two outside sources of literary criticism

 Must not include any plagiarism

 Must conform to MLA specifications to include double-spaced text, one-

inch margins, appropriate student and class information at the left

margin of the first page, and a running header on every page

 Must include parenthetical citations and a works cited page