Interpretive Essay Outline

LIT 100 Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric

Overview: For Milestone Two, you will be drafting an outline for your interpretive essay using the provided Outline Worksheet. Your outline must include drafts of an introduction (developed from Milestone One if your text has not changed), three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You will also have the opportunity to form ideas for transition sentences that will create a logical flow for the reader.

The intention for this milestone is not to construct a perfect essay, but to organize your ideas in a way that you may use as a starting point for developing a structured essay in the coming modules. This is an opportunity to share your ideas with your instructor for feedback before submitting your final interpretive essay. Therefore, you should provide as much detail as possible.

Reminder: If you have chosen poetry as a basis for your interpretive essay, you must select two poems with common themes. Contact your instructor early

in Module Five if you require assistance.

Prompt: Fill out the provided Outline Worksheet to create an outline for your interpretive essay, including your ideas for sub-arguments for each of your

three body paragraphs and supporting points for each.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: In this section of the outline, you will introduce your chosen text, including the author's background and context, and your thesis

statement. A. Text: Briefly introduce your chosen text(s) and its author(s) to set the stage for your thesis and provide context for your analysis. B. Message: Summarize the author’s overall intended message or draw connections between the author’s time period, culture, etc., and the text

as a whole, based on your experiences with texts across genres in this course. C. Rationale: Explain why you chose this text and/or author to provide context for your reader. What in your life or experiences led you to select

this text for your interpretive essay? D. Thesis Statement: Craft a thesis statement that clearly states your position and argument. This should provide a clear road map for your reader

for what will be presented in the essay. AI. Body: Develop three supporting arguments, one for each body paragraph, based on evidence from text, for each topic sentence. Be sure to use

appropriate literary terminology in your arguments. A. Supporting Arguments: Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that relates to major themes in the text, and to your thesis statement.

Develop supporting points that are based on your critical reading of the text and that relate back to your topic sentence. B. Textual Evidence: Incorporate textual evidence that supports each of your sub-arguments. In other words, what themes or

fundamental elements from the text support your topic sentences? C. Transitions: Draft transitions from idea to idea and paragraph to paragraph so the essay flows logically to allow the reader to follow

your message. BI. Conclusion: In this section you will summarize your overall argument and expand on that interpretation, leaving the reader inspired or reflective.

A. Thesis Restatement: Summarize your overall interpretation of the text, including a restatement of your thesis statement. B. Context: Explain the larger impact or significance of your argument to literature. In other words, apply your argument to a larger or wider

context. C. Cultural Significance: How could culture impact interpretations of the text? How could the text impact culture? D. Identity: Discuss the significance of identity in relation to your argument and the text. In other words, what is the relationship between this

piece of literature and identity?

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Fill out the provided Outline Worksheet and submit the completed worksheet.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction: Text Introduces the chosen text and its author to set the stage for the thesis and provide context for the analysis

Introduces the chosen text and its author to set the stage for the thesis and provide context for the analysis, but introduction lacks clarity or is too wordy

Does not introduce the chosen text and its author to set the stage for the thesis and provide context for the analysis

5

Introduction: Message

Summarizes the author’s overall intended message or draws connections between the author’s time period, culture, etc., and the text as a whole, based on experiences with texts across genres

Summarizes the author’s overall intended message or draws connections between the author’s time period, culture, etc., and the text as a whole, based on experiences with texts across genres, but summary lacks clarity or is too wordy

Does not summarize the author’s overall intended message or draw connections between the author’s time period, culture, etc., and the text as a whole

5

Introduction: Rationale

Explains why this text and/or author was chosen

Explains why this text and/or author was chosen, but explanation is illogical or lacks clarity

Does not explain why this text and/or author was chosen

10

Introduction: Thesis Statement

Crafts a thesis statement that clearly states the position and argument

Crafts a thesis statement, but thesis statement is too wordy or does not clearly state the position and argument

Does not craft a thesis statement 10

Body: Supporting Arguments

Develops three supporting arguments, beginning with topic sentences, that are based on critical reading of the text and that relate back to the thesis statement

Develops three supporting arguments, beginning with topic sentences, that are based on critical reading of the text, but topic sentences do not relate back to the thesis statement or supporting arguments are illogical or contain inaccuracies

Does not develop three supporting arguments, beginning with topic sentences, that are based on critical reading of the text

10

Body: Textual Evidence

Incorporates textual evidence that supports each sub-argument

Incorporates textual evidence, but evidence is illogical or irrelevant or does not support each sub-argument

Does not incorporate textual evidence 10

Body: Transitions Uses effective transitions between ideas and paragraphs

Uses transitions between ideas and paragraphs, but transitions are not all effective or logical

Does not use transitions between ideas and paragraphs

10

Conclusion: Thesis Restatement

Summarizes the argument to communicate the overall interpretation of the text, including a restatement of the thesis statement

Summarizes the argument to communicate the overall interpretation of the text, but summary lacks clarity or does not include a restatement of the thesis statement

Does not summarize the argument to communicate the overall interpretation of the text

5

Conclusion: Context Explains the larger impact or significance of the argument to literature

Explains the larger impact or significance of the argument to literature, but explanation is illogical or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain the larger impact or significance of the argument to literature

10

Conclusion: Cultural Significance

Explains how culture could impact interpretations of the text and how the text could impact culture

Explains how culture could impact interpretations of the text and how the text could impact culture, but explanation is illogical or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain how culture could impact interpretations of the text or how the text could impact culture

10

Conclusion: Identity Discusses the significance of identity in relation to the argument and text

Discusses the significance of identity in relation to the argument and text, but discussion is illogical or contains inaccuracies

Does not discuss the significance of identity in relation to the argument and text

10

Articulation of Response

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%