Literary Analysis Essay
Objective:
Analyze a work of literature (short story, poem, novel, play, etc).
Create a thesis that conveys a unique or interesting idea about the work, and then prove your thesis
using evidence from the piece.
Be sure to keep in mind uses of literary techniques (setting, tone, imagery, etc) and devices (simile,
metaphor, etc) to help prove your thesis.
Be sure to use specific quotes and examples from the piece to prove your point, and make sure you cite
them! (For test essays you only need examples and you will not have to cite.)
Remember, begin with an introductory paragraph that has a clear thesis statement and briefly touches
on the points you plan to discuss on your essay, and end with a concluding paragraph that extends your
thesis into the real (or philosophical) world.
You DO NOT need any outside sources for this essay besides your chosen piece of literature. These are
your ideas about the work.
Thesis help:
1. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be
supported with specific evidence.
2. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.
3. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have
discussed in the paper.
4. A thesis statement without the opinion part results in plot summary. A complete thesis discusses how the writer
used the text and provides commentary to support the opinion (thesis).
Sample thesis statement for a literature analysis paper.
In "If you Were Coming in the Fall," Emily Dickinson uses simile, diction, and syntax to describe how people wait, hoping
to fall in love.
Thesis statement formulas
Directions: Remember, a thesis is an ANSWER to a specific question. A thesis statement makes
a claim or proposition that reflects a specific POV. The thesis statement should recognize
BOTH sides of a question, yet focus on two to three specific points (discussion points)
sometimes called points of analyses.
A thesis statement MUST be controversial (provocative), thoughtful (not TRITE, banal, or
hackneyed), and reasonable (able to be proved with specific EVIDENCE).