{"id":3884,"date":"2016-12-12T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=3884"},"modified":"2020-12-01T12:21:40","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T20:21:40","slug":"writing-about-literature-9-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/writing-about-literature-9-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing About Literature: 9 Things You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some semesters can seem like the perfect storm\u2014reading unfamiliar material, advanced writing, and seemingly not enough time to do it all.<\/p>\n

Before you start feeling like you\u2019re drowning, learn how to take charge of your essay and be the captain of your own ship.<\/p>\n

Although it might feel like you\u2019re trying to pilot a boat with no knowledge of how it works or where you’re going, I\u2019m here to help navigate you through the treacherous waters of writing about literature.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll not only get a rundown about the different parts of your vessel (different types of essays and literary devices), but you\u2019ll also get helpful tips on how to pick a course and guide your ship to your destination.<\/p>\n

1. How Are You Writing About Literature?<\/h2>\n

The first thing you have to know is what kind of ship you\u2019re in charge of\u2014or what kind of essay you\u2019re writing. If you know how to canoe, but not how to sail, your sailboat probably isn\u2019t going to get very far.<\/p>\n

Likewise, you can write the best literary analysis in the world, but if you’re supposed to write an argumentative essay, you\u2019re not going to get a very good grade.<\/p>\n

Here’s a breakdown of some of the different types of essays:<\/p>\n

Analytical<\/h3>\n

An analytical essay<\/a> is one in which you analyze and interpret the literature. Most of the time, this will include a brief summary of the story, followed by an analysis of the themes, literary devices, characters, or any other components.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, your instructor will let you know what to write about. A prompt could be, \u201cAnalyze symbolism in The Scarlet Letter<\/i><\/a>.\u201d Or it could ask you a question\u2014for example, “Why is Nick the narrator (and not Gatsby) in The Great Gatsby<\/em>?<\/a>”<\/p>\n

However, you might also have less direct instructions. Prompts can be more vague, such as, \u201cWrite a literary analysis about ‘Mother Tongue.’<\/a>” If your prompt is broad like this, don\u2019t write about every single literary device<\/a>. Pick one or two, and give strong support.<\/p>\n

Argumentative<\/h3>\n

An argumentative essay<\/a> is one in which you’re trying to prove your thesis is correct among other options. This could mean arguing what an author is trying to prove in his or her story, or which parts of the plot were most critical to the outcome of the story.<\/p>\n

In an argumentative essay, you\u2019ll want to state what you\u2019re arguing, but also be aware of and address other arguments.<\/p>\n

Persuasive<\/h3>\n

As the name suggests, in a persuasive essay<\/a>, you’re trying to persuade your readers to adopt your viewpoint. It\u2019s very similar to the argumentative essay, except there aren\u2019t a finite number of arguments involved. Therefore, you don\u2019t really have to address other arguments.<\/p>\n

Many of these essays involve questions about the actions of certain characters, such as whether a character was right to do whatever he or she did. It also might involve explaining why a certain theme is the most important of the story.<\/p>\n

Expository<\/h3>\n

An expository essay<\/a> is one where you explain an idea. This could mean explaining what the author\u2019s main idea is, or even explaining your reaction to the literature.<\/p>\n

2. Know How to Recognize and Use Literary Devices<\/h2>\n\t
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No matter what type of essay you write, a large part of your body paragraphs will include literary devices\u2014such as symbolism, metaphors, personification, foreshadowing, and others\u2014as support.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re reading a novel, play, or poem, read with these devices in mind and make notes when you find them. This will help when you start putting ideas together for your essay because you can see how often each literary device is used, by which characters, and relating to which themes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easier when you have a prompt or topic assigned to you, so you aren\u2019t writing every<\/i> detail down and can focus more closely on just one theme or issue.<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t Underestimate the Power of a Good Outline<\/h2>\n

Before you set sail and start going full speed into writing your essay, you need a map. When writing about literature, your outline<\/a> serves as that map.<\/p>\n

You can make it as minimal or full as you want, but it\u2019s always helpful to get your ideas organized so that you\u2019re not scrambling. It also makes it easy to stick to your charted course\u2014your thesis statement.<\/p>\n

A good outline should include brief information about each section of your essay\u2014the introduction<\/a>, body paragraphs<\/a>, and conclusion.<\/p>\n

Make sure you add supporting details in the body paragraph section, so you know in what order you want to present your support. Once you\u2019re done, you\u2019ll have a much clearer picture of how to complete your essay.<\/p>\n

If you’re still feeling like you’re treading water on your essay or outline, check out some example literary analysis essays<\/a> for inspiration.<\/p>\n

4. When Writing About Literature, Do It Academically<\/h2>\n

Okay\u2014so you\u2019ve drawn out your map and you\u2019re ready to get started. Remember first that you\u2019re the captain of your ship\u2014so speak like one! There is no \u201cI think\u201d in academic writing.<\/p>\n

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There is no \u201cI think\u201d in academic writing.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

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Instead, you simply state what you have to say. Writing about literature requires you to write in the third person<\/a>. This means you never<\/i> refer to yourself or your audience directly. This not only makes your writing more concise, but it also makes you sound more sure of what you\u2019re writing about.<\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t Forget to Be Interesting<\/h2>\n

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When sailors are on a boat, it\u2019s not all work and no play. They have to sing songs and make things fun. So when you\u2019re writing about literature, you don\u2019t have to be so academic that you make it boring. This will make the journey seem much longer to your readers.<\/p>\n

Write with some personality, and you\u2019ll not only find that your readers like reading your essays more, but also that you enjoy writing them more.<\/p>\n

6. Writing About Literature Always Involves a Thesis Statement<\/h2>\n

Ah, the mighty thesis statement<\/a>. Why is it so important? Think about it this way\u2014if you\u2019re steering your ship, you want your crew to know where to go, so you state your charted course. This intended course is your thesis statement, and your readers are your crew members.<\/p>\n

To put it bluntly, a thesis statement tells your readers what you intend to accomplish in your essay. For a persuasive essay, for example, the thesis statement would let readers know what you’re trying to convince them of. An argumentative essay would state your side of the argument and why you think you’re right.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to explain all the details up-front\u2014your crew will know what to do with new information as they get it. Just include the basic details for right now so that you can get your readers on board.<\/p>\n

A thesis statement for an essay on Lord of the Flies<\/i><\/a> might go as follows:<\/p>\n

In Lord of the Flies, <\/i>William Golding uses the symbolism of the conch shell, Piggy\u2019s glasses, and fire to depict the rise and fall of civilization.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In this example, you would stick to your course by ensuring each body paragraph talks about either the conch, Piggy\u2019s glasses, or fire.<\/p>\n

7. Support, Don\u2019t Summarize<\/h2>\n

Just like a sailboat needs strong winds to move it forward to its destination, you need strong support for your essay. This means you cannot summarize<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s hard to tell the difference between support and summary, especially when you\u2019re writing about literature. After all, all of your support comes from the novel, play, or poem you’re reading.<\/p>\n

There is<\/em>, however, a difference between summary and support.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/b> means simply regurgitating what\u2019s in the text. For example, you give a quote from a character or write about a certain plot point.<\/p>\n

Support<\/b>, on the other hand, takes summary one step further\u2014it links the quote or the plot point back to your thesis statement and explains why it\u2019s important. Don\u2019t assume your readers are going to make the same connections you did\u2014spell it out for them.<\/p>\n

Need some more help with the different between summary and support? Read How to Write a Good Essay: Stop Summarizing, Start Commentating<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For good measure, here’s a few sources on analyzing and writing about literature to make sailing through your essay a little smoother:<\/p>\n