Literary Analysis Tenth Grade World Literature

Introduction Introduce topic/get your reader’s attention (3-4 sentences) Thesis Statement (1 sentence)

Introduction Example Write a literary analysis essay on a theme from “The Cask of Amontillado.” Horror and short stories is a special talent for Edgar Allan Poe. His use of literary elements such as foreshadowing and suspense keep the reader on edge guessing and anticipating. Also, he often creates a theme or underlining message through the characters actions, thoughts, and words.

Thesis= Topic + Point

Thesis Example In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” it is evident through character development that revenge is a major theme, and Poe uses of foreshadowing and suspense reinforce this theme. What is the topic? What is the point made about the topic?

Body Paragraph Each point from the thesis becomes a body paragraph Uses the same order Body 1 Character Development creates theme Body 2 Foreshadowing reinforces the theme Body 3 Suspense reinforces the theme

Body Paragraph Topic Sentence Supporting Detail from story or poem Commentary (Comment how this detail supports the topic Supporting detail (Comment how this detail supports the topic)

Body Paragraph Example The poem,“The Counsels of the Bird,” and the fable,“Numskull and the Rabbit,” are two forms of storytelling that teach a moral lesson. For example, the bird in “The Counsels of the Bird,” teaches the man “don’t be listen to foolish assertions. This lesson teaches the reader that it is never good to listen to what people say when you know there is no proof or fact in what they are saying. Also, in “Numskull and the Rabbit,” the moral of the story is brains over brawns because the rabbit uses his intelligence and wit to beat the powerful, mighty Numskull. The reader learns that when faced with a more powerful and strong opponent, it is important to rely on intelligence to defeat the opponent. Although these stories were told many centuries ago, these stories still provide important lessons that can be applied to even the modern reader.