how to write a literature essay

When writing academic papers it is necessary to apply the established educational standards. It should be admitted that a literature essay is not an exception. Thus, if you want to produce top-notch work, you should do everything steps by step.

Essay Structure

  • Introduction

When writing this paragraph you should give readers a hint about what they are going to deal with. Provide some brief details of the literary composition or book you are going to examine.

  • Body

This part of your work should be logically divided into paragraphs. You need to single out about six points you are going to examine. Remember that it is necessary to perform a detailed analysis of the issues when producing a literary essay. Do not forget that each paragraph should discuss a particular idea. To make a paper easy to read, you need to use different transition words. It will help connect the ideas explored in paragraphs.

  1. It is of crucial importance to prove the presented points. Therefore, it is necessary to provide sound evidence. If you are assigned to write a drama essay, for example, you should cite vivid examples from a particular play.
  2. You should bear in mind that all quotations should be cited properly. Remember to use quotation marks. If your literary essay is focused on examining a piece of poetry, you should provide readers with some lines from the poem. However, there is no need to use a lot of quotes.
  3. Be specific. When producing a paper, you should not just retell readers its plot. You need to stick to the point and examine the subject indicated in the introduction.
  4. Address the matter. It sometimes happens that students cannot focus on the topic and deviate from it when writing papers. Thus, you have to make sure that you have tackled the issue directly.
  • Concluding paragraph

This section should summarize your piece of writing. Here, you should restate the addressed points.

When preparing such types of papers, you should pay attention to their style. Remember that it is necessary to follow the formal one. At the same time, you should be original and put forward creative ideas. Do not hesitate to express your opinion about particular issues. Why retell what other people say if you have your point of view?

Types of Literature Essays

There is a considerable variety of essays. They are divided into subtypes according to the topic, literary style, characters, etc. However, the topic of the paper also matters.

Poetry Essay

A specific style and technique should be applied to writing such a paper. You should use such stylistic literary devices as rhyme, alliteration, assonance, and others. When producing a poetry essay, it is necessary to italicize or underline the titles of the explored literary pieces, i.e. novels, plays, etc. The titles of poems and short stories should be put in quotation marks.

Drama Essay

When preparing this essay, pay close attention to its central theme, characters, plot, and other key elements. If you are supposed to describe a particular technique, you should present its influence on the perception of the story. Thus, you should find a fascinating play and analyze the technique used by its author. In this case, you should not discuss the characters and plot. However, it does not mean that you cannot talk about these two items at all. You can mention the characters when describing the technique used them.

When writing literature essays, you should express your criticism and that of other authors. You should keep in mind that it is essential to choose an interesting topic for your work. Therefore, it will be easier for you to produce a paper of superior quality.