The Four-Paragraph Literary Essay

1. The Four-Paragraph Literary Essay

2. What is a literary essay? An essay is an extended piece of writing in which an author explores a subject in some detail. Skilled essayists establish a purpose for writing, take time to reflect on their ideas, plan how to organize them clearly, and come up with some original insights to stimulate their audience.

3. Writing an essay involves: • choosing a topic • developing a strong thesis statement • gathering textual evidence to support that statement • organizing your thoughts into a logical outline of an introduction, a body (2 paragraphs), and a conclusion

4. The Essay Structure A. The Introductory Paragraph B. The Body Paragraphs a) Body Paragraph 1 b) Body Paragraph 2 C. The Concluding Paragraph Note: The structure within the body paragraphs will reflect the type of essay you are writing…in this case you will include TWO points/proofs/analyses in each body paragraph.

5. The Four-Paragraph Literary Essay Outline Refer to your handout.

6. The Introduction • A good introduction arouses the interest of the audience, often through a strong statement, a provocative quotation, etc. This is your topic ‘hook’. • The introduction states the main idea and your position on the topic (thesis) of the essay. It also provides a preview of the ideas discussed in the body of the essay.

7. The Thesis Statement • A thesis statement should be written in no more than one sentence at this point, and it should appear in the introduction of your essay. • An effective thesis statement incorporates a clear statement of topic and purpose for your essay, and your subsequent ‘argument menu’ suggests the method of organization that the essay will take (what you will cover in your two body paragraphs) The TOPIC answers the question: “of who or what are you writing about?” The PURPOSE answers the question: “how or why?”

8. The Body--Structure The body of your essay needs to be carefully planned. The simplest approach is to use one paragraph per argument.

9. The Body—Structure Cont… The internal structure of a body paragraph should be formatted as follows: Topic sentence: Thoughtfully lead into your 1st argument Point #1: Introduces 1st argument (supports thesis) Proof #1: Evidence (direct quotation from the primary source) Analysis #1:How does this evidence support your point? Point #2: Connect back to your 1st argument Proof #2: 2nd piece of evidence (quotation) Analysis #2 :How does this evidence support your point? Concluding sentence which contains an explicit link to the thesis and a transition

10. Transitions • As you use transitions within paragraphs for coherence, you should also use them between paragraphs. • Each topic sentence must somehow hook onto the paragraph above it by including some word or phrase to ease the reader’s path. • You may simply repeat a word from the sentence that ended the paragraph above • You may bring down a thought generally developed or left slightly hanging in the air: “Viola’s idea of love is different” ... • Or you may use transitional words such as, But, however (within the sentence), Nevertheless, Therefore, Indeed, Of course. One brief transitional touch in your topic sentence is usually sufficient.

11. Imbedding Citations Quotations are effective in essays when used selectively. Overuse of quotations can bore your readers and might lead them to conclude that you are neither an original thinker nor a skillful writer. Refer to the MLA Citation Guide to help you integrate your quotations (FOUR overall).

12. The Conclusion • Endings, like beginnings, should be short and to the point. • A brief summary that reviews the main points of the essay, and rewords your thesis statement, is appropriate. • The ending should naturally grow out of what precedes it. It should not add new informationor suddenly change your position, but can present the writer’s final thoughts on the thesis. Be thoughtful and creative.