Getting the most points on your Literary Analysis Paper Click on speaker icon for sound

Read the Directions Carefully Choose: A.Poem + Short Story Or B.Poem + Play * Do not use a Myth, Fairytale, Parable, or Essay

Analysis Choose how you are going to analyze the two works you have chosen Choose 4 of the following : character, audience, theme, literary motif, symbolism, overall message.

Summary versus Analysis A summary re-tells a story. An analysis examines the cause or effect of an incident in the story, compares or contrasts 2 characters, explains how an event occurred etc… Ex: Mary had a little lamb

Summary: Mary had a little lamb. It followed her to school. No lambs were allowed in school. The children laughed. Analysis: one reason Mary may have brought the lamb to school was to get attention. All the children “laughed and played”, making Mary feel at the center and popular.

Summary Page 1 page, single space, brief summary of both works. * This will be the last page of your Literary Analysis Paper.

Writing Your Essay Basic essay parts Introduction [lead in, transition sentences, thesis] Body Paragraphs [ topic sentences, good examples, and quotes] Conclusion [restates thesis in different words, summarizes main points, gives your opinion]

Introduction + Title Clever Title Interesting attention getter Transition sentences that announce the two works Thesis Statement + plan of development

Body Paragraphs Topic sentence with transition Main points supported by quotes from the two works Clear illustration how the quote supports your point

Using quotes in Essay Using a quote requires 3 sentences 1. Your Idea 2. Quote 3. Explanation how quote supports your idea

Quote Examples 1.Mary appears to have a fetish for lamb wool 2. Dr. Benton states that “ Mary’s proclivity for her lamb makes her pet it often and bring it with her.” (Benton 22) 3. Her constant need to touch and stroke her lamb illustrates Mary’s obsession.

Conclusion Restate your thesis in different words Tells what you’ve learned by analyzing the two works What did you learn about poetry, short stories and plays?

Note- get extra credit for posting your outline. Note- get more extra credit for posting your rough draft. Note – get even more extra credit by helping others with their rough drafts.