For example, “analyze” means to pull apart. The prompt “Analyze a poem by Charles Baudelaire” is asking you to divide a poem into specific elements and explain how they function. Note any details such as “Compare and contrast 2 short stories not discussed in class. ” Discuss the similarities and differences of your examples’ literary devices, and be sure to choose stories that weren’t covered in class. Your assignment instructions may include a breakdown of how your work will be graded (e. g. , a certain number of points may be awarded based on organization, spelling and grammar, or the strength of your sources). If the grading criteria aren’t clearly explained in the instructions, ask your teacher or professor to explain their rubric. If any part of the prompt seems unclear or confusing, don’t hesitate to ask your professor for help.
You’ll likely need to include primary sources, such as the poem or story you’re analyzing, or letters written by the historical figure you’re discussing. Secondary sources, such as scholarly articles or books, are publications by experts on your topic. Cite secondary sources to back your argument, or mention a source in your counterargument to refute the claims of its author. If you have trouble tracking down good sources, ask a librarian or your professor for help. Your course syllabus likely includes useful texts, too. Check their reference or further reading sections for additional leads. Your school or university library likely subscribes to academic research databases like EBSCO and J-STOR. Log in to your library’s website to access these resources. You can also use free online resources like Google Scholar.
You could write down main ideas or keywords in bubbles or clouds. Draw lines between connected concepts and make smaller bubbles for terms connected to larger ideas. Bullet point lists could help you gain a bird’s-eye-view over your material. For a literary analysis, you could list examples for categories such as “Literary Devices” or “Key Events. ” Try journaling or free-writing to get your creative juices flowing. Write what you know about the topic for 15 or 20 minutes without censoring your ideas.
Try to find an overarching argument or idea that encompasses all the major points you want to address. Suppose you need to compare and contrast 2 literary works. You’ve analyzed each example, and you’ve identified how their elements function. They both employ nostalgic appeals to emotion, so you’ll assert that the works use similar persuasive strategies to advance opposed ideologies.
You’ll include your thesis in the introduction. It lets the reader know exactly what you’re trying to prove. Note that you should just write your claim; don’t start your thesis with “I will prove that,” or “It will be shown that. ” Early in the drafting process, your working thesis could be “Charles Baudelaire’s experiences of city life and travel abroad shaped his poetry’s central themes. ” As your essay takes shape, refine your thesis further: “Drawing on experiences of urban life and exotic travel, Charles Baudelaire reinterpreted la voyage, a primary theme of French Romantic poetry. ”
It’s also helpful to plug in your sources and citations where you plan on using them. For instance, next to section III-B-3, write the source you plan on citing, e. g. , “Smith, French Poetry, p. 123. ”
The road map should mention the evidence you’ll use to prove the thesis. For example, “Analyses of the key poetic elements, along with discussion of autobiographical excerpts, will show how Baudelaire imagined la voyage as darker and more complicated than his Romantic predecessors. ” Some people prefer to write the introduction before making an outline. Do whichever feels more comfortable. Your outline could help you structure your introduction, or your intro might lay out a road map for your outline.
In high school, you probably learned to write a basic essay with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. That structure won’t work if your argument calls for a more complex structure, or if your paper needs to be 10 or 15 pages. For instance, in the first 2 or 3 paragraphs after the introduction, you’d need to discuss how la voyage was a recurring theme in French Romantic poetry in the 19th Century. [9] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source After establishing how other poets handled the theme, the next logical step is to describe Baudelaire’s conception, and to support this description by citing his poetry. Since the thesis argues that this conception owes to his personal experiences, you’d then discuss how city life and travel abroad shaped Baudelaire’s poetry.
Suppose you’ve argued that a military conflict was caused by increasing nationalism and competition over resources. A scholar previously claimed that the conflict was solely instigated by the involved nations’ authoritarian governments. You’d mention that this argument ignores the underlying tensions that set the stage for the conflict. Good ways to address a counterargument include refutation (where you provide evidence that weakens or disproves the opposing perspective) and rebuttal (in which you offer evidence that shows that your argument is stronger).
For instance, if you argued about how a rising tide of nationalism led to a military conflict, you could write, “Unwillingness to find diplomatic solutions, bolstered by the belief of national superiority, led to this particular conflict. So too, on a global scale, rising tides of nationalism threaten the political and economic bonds of the international community. ”
As you read, consider whether each of your body paragraphs fully supports your thesis. It’s helpful to print a copy of your essay so you can write notes and corrections by hand. Additionally, take a break before you begin revising so you can approach your work with fresh eyes. [11] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
For example, when you see your essay in outline form, you might realize that the essay would flow better if you changed the order in which you present your main points.
The sentences, “The first author appeals to readers’ emotions. The second author similarly employs pathos,” are boring and repetitive. A better structure could be, “In terms of rhetorical strategy, impassioned appeals to emotion link the pair of short stories. ”
Be sure you’ve used strong, clear verbs. “The expert witness rebutted the defense’s claim,” for instance, is stronger than “The expert witness went against the defense’s claim. ” Double check that you’ve used the active voice whenever possible. “Baudelaire defined our understanding of modernity,” is stronger than the passive construction, “Modernity was defined by Baudelaire. ”
Be sure to spell check with your brain and not your computer. Your computer probably won’t catch a “wear” used instead of “where. ”
Ask the person to look for more than just spelling and grammatical errors. Have them offer feedback on your argument’s structure, and ask them to point out any spots that seem unclear or under-developed. If necessary, revise your essay once more to apply their suggested changes.
