General Rules for Writing Literary Analysis & Expletives

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. William Strunk, Jr., Elements of Style

Conventions for Literary Analysis Write about literature in the present tense (aka the literary present). –Ex. Hamlet stabs Polonius through the arras. Hamlet will still be killing Polonius 400 years from now. Avoid summaries. –Your job is to analyze, not retell the story. –Assume your reading audience has read the work. Include only enough plot information as you need to give context to your points and the passages you quote. Ex. After the hidden Polonius cries out for help, Hamlet shouts, “A rat?” and then stabs him through the arras (3.4.24).

Rules for Strong Writing Style guidelines for formal, scholarly literary analysis essays ensure vigorous, concise writing. –Use third person pronouns. Avoid 1 st person pronouns (unless part of a quoted passage) –NO! I think that birds of prey represent Macbeth. –YES! Birds of prey represent Macbeth. Avoid 2 nd person pronouns (you, your, etc.) –Remember: your essay is about the work of literature—not about you or me!

More Rules for Strong Writing Use formal diction –No slang or informal language –No contractions –No “air quotes” around your own “cute” words or phrases, either. Follow any demonstrative pronoun (this, that, these, those) with its antecedent. –NO: This is a logical fallacy. –YES: This conclusion presents a logical fallacy.

More Rules for Strong Writing Use specific, active verbs—POWER verbs! –Choose verbs that say precisely what you need them to say. Avoid expletives. –There or It + a form of the verb to be Use active voice constructions. –Subjects perform the actions of the verbs

Expletives Definition: filler words; take up unnecessary space Formula: There or It followed by a form of the verb to be (be, is, am, are, was, were, been, being) –Ex. There are, there were, there was, there will be, there has been, etc. –Ex. It is, it was, it will be, it has been, etc. Often appear at the beginnings of sentences— Watch out!

Revising Expletives Example: There were thirty students in my room. 1.Find the real subject and place at the beginning of the clause. Revision: Thirty students were in my room. Problem: A form of the verb “to be” is still the main verb—still shows nothing specific—only says they existed there. 2.Rid the sentence of its main “to be” verb (can use forms of “to be” as auxiliaries/helping verbs) Surgery: Thirty students in my room.

Removing Expletives Surgery: Thirty students in my room. 3.Fill in the blank! Replace the main to be verb with an action verb that says specifically what you want to communicate. Use POWER VERBS!

Expletive Revision There was thunder in the distance. To Revise— –Find the true subject of the sentence: thunder –Give it a specific action verb. –The thunder _________________. rumbled, roared, ended, rattled, whispered, clashed, banged, rolled, erupted, etc. * “There was” covers all of the above but says none of them specifically!*

Watch those “to be” Verbs! Be Is Am Are Was Were Been Being Passive Voice up next!