Literature Essays
Essays for a literature class require organization. When you first get your assignment, look at it and isolate the key words. Restate them in own words, preferably with synonyms. Brainstorm with the assignment. Write down all the ideas that you have. It is often best to write your introduction after you have written most of your literature assignment because you know your conclusion at that point.
Use the key words that you isolated at the beginning over and over in your paper. Make sure that every paragraph you write in a literature essay supports your thesis in some form.
When you read the material about which you are writing, pick out a couple of short passages for your focus, or use a quote and illustrate your points about it. Make sure that you define the words that need to be explained; you don’t want your reader trying to figure out what you are writing.
Organize your paragraphs into an effective argument that underscores your point. A single concept or idea may be referred to throughout the paper. Use examples that support your thesis. Make sure the examples are presented in a logical manner. It may be a good idea to use a central idea and refer to it throughout the entire paper.
When you have a short literature paper to write, go ahead and focus on the point raised by the assignment. Don’t spend a lot of time building up to your point. Go ahead and present your point early in the paper.