literature essay response

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

• An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
• A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
• A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

Table of contents

Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

• Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
• Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
• Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for  dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, August 14). How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved November 16, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/literary-analysis/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write a thesis statement | 4 steps & examples, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, how to write a narrative essay | example & tips, what is your plagiarism score.

Introduction

Goals and Goal Setting

Goals Common to All RST Writers

Other Goals to Consider

Defining My Own Goals

Advice about Assignments

Getting Started: Listing Topics to Write about in the Tutorial

Narrative One: Personal Piece on a Significant Experience

Narrative Two: Academic Piece on a Significant Experience

Summary/Response One

Summary/Response Two

Tutorial Evaluation Postscript

On Using the Resources for Writers

Generating and Developing Ideas

Finding/Expressing Main Ideas

Showing v. Telling Sentences

Focusing Topic Sentences

Thesis Statements

Reading Strategies

Assessing Your Reading Strategies

Summarizing

Writing Effective Summary and Response Essays

Discourse Analysis Worksheet

Trade Magazines

Selecting Readings

A summary is a concise paraphrase of all the main ideas in an essay. It cites the author and the title (usually in the first sentence); it contains the essay's thesis and supporting ideas; it may use direct quotation of forceful or concise statements of the author's ideas; it will NOT usually cite the author's examples or supporting details unless they are central to the main idea. Most summaries present the major points in the order that the author made them and continually refer back to the article being summarized (i.e. "Damon argues that ..." or "Goodman also points out that ... "). The summary should take up no more than one-third the length of the work being summarized.

The Response:

A response is a critique or evaluation of the author's essay. Unlike the summary, it is composed of YOUR opinions in relation to the article being summarized. It examines ideas that you agree or disagree with and identifies the essay's strengths and weaknesses in reasoning and logic, in quality of supporting examples, and in organization and style. A good response is persuasive; therefore, it should cite facts, examples, and personal experience that either refutes or supports the article you're responding to, depending on your stance.

Two Typical Organizational Formats for Summary/Response Essays:

1. Present the summary in a block of paragraphs, followed by the response in a block:

Intro/thesis Summary (two to three paragraphs) Agreement (or disagreement) Disagreement (or agreement) Conclusion

Note: Some essays will incorporate both agreement and disagreement in a response, but this is not mandatory.

2. Introduce the essay with a short paragraph that includes your thesis. Then, each body paragraph summarizes one point and responds to it, and a conclusion wraps the essay up.

Intro/thesis Summary point one; agree/disagree Summary point two; agree/disagree Summary point three; agree/disagree Conclusion

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

6 Writing the Critical Response Paragraph

The Critical Response Paragraph (CRP) is a short, one-paragraph mini-essay that requires you to write an argument about one aspect of the assigned reading. Often, book club discussions will help generate ideas for these essays, but you may also choose to write an individually generated response, with my prior approval. CRPs are graded on a 100-point scale.

In the CRP, you state your idea of one of the story’s meanings regarding real life (theme), and then you support that claim with evidence from the text and analysis of the evidence. Writing the CRP will require that you think critically about the texts we are reading and discussing in class.

The CRP must not simply summarize the text or evaluate whether or not you like the text . Instead, it must be a 7- to 10-sentence persuasive argument about how you interpret the text in the context of our class discussions about the stories and cultural expectations. Because it is a short argument, obviously it will be a partial argument. That is, a CRP generally only has space to present one piece of evidence, such as a quotation or paraphrase and your analysis to show how it supports your claim.

This work requires and helps you to think critically about the texts you read, and it is meant to help you create a short argument that can be expanded into a longer, more complex argument for the longer critical response essays (CREs), assigned later in the semester. So we do not work on one CRP on one story and then kick it to the curb and move on to something new right away. Instead, you will produce a number of CRPs from which you will choose two on which to base your two CREs (one at mid-term and one near the end of the semester).

The CRP has four required parts:

1) An argumentative topic sentence , also called a CLAIM . You may know this as a thesis statement. This claim must appear at or near the beginning of the paragraph.

2) Evidence in the form of quotations or paraphrases from the text about which you are writing, with the proper source information: author’s last name and page number, in parentheses. Because this is a short argument, I only expect you to work on one or two pieces of evidence, but you must choose them wisely as they will be the only support for argument.

3) Analysis and interpretation of your evidence to show how it supports your claim. Without this part, you will not have made a complete argument. Do not expect your reader (me, in this case) to do the work of analysis and interpretation for you.

4) A strong, worthwhile conclusion , not just a summary of the argument or repetition of the claim.

The following guidelines tell you more about each part of the CRP. Remember: do not write a plot summary. Engage the text and try to understand what it is attempting to say about real life.

1. The Argumentative Claim, written as a Topic Sentence

As a mini-essay, the CRP must include a topic sentence (usually the first sentence or two) that includes the following:

• the author’s name and the title of the text you are engaging
• your claim, which must state concisely what theme you will argue. Remember that THEME means what the story suggests about real life.

Creating a strong argumentative topic sentence is perhaps the most crucial step in writing a critical response paragraph.

Key Takeaways

The most common mistakes students make when writing a critical response paragraph are to start with a weak topic sentence or to start with a topic sentence that is a statement of fact.

If, after writing your paragraph, you find that many of your sentences say the same thing or that you have actually summarized all or part of a text, then you probably have not created a strong topic sentence.

What do you think is a reader’s response to that introductory sentence? “So what?” “Isn’t that obvious?” Yes, it is obvious. It is a statement of fact that leaves no room for interpretation or analysis, and it makes no argument. This kind of topic sentence leads to plot summary of the text. There is nothing to prove.

Instead, ask yourself what is the point of a story in which two sisters dislike the third sister? WHY do they dislike her, and what does that mean if we want to apply the story to real life (which we do)?

To identify possible meanings, let’s give this a little more thought. WHY do the elder sisters dislike Beauty? Isn’t she obviously more beautiful than they are? Do they want her out of the way so that they can shine more brightly? Aren’t they unhappy with their husbands, so maybe they want to look for new husbands? Might Beauty’s presence interfere with that search for new husbands? If the answers are “yes,” what might that mean for the real lives of real young women in general—outside the story?

Here’s one possibility: maybe the writer sees the story as an example of how young women may be divided from each other because they find themselves competing with each other for husbands/partners. From that idea, we might begin to write a better claim::

Notice that this beginning of a claim takes the original idea that the sisters dislike Beauty and turns it into an argument about something the story shows us. Finish the claim by making that something about real life, about the cultural expectation to get married and what it might do to young women and their relationships with each other.

This is a strong claim because it makes a statement that can be argued.

There are various ways in which to proceed with the argument, but remember that in a CRP, you are only required to argue the claim based on one point of textual evidence which you analyze and explain to show how it supports your claim.

• You could argue about the sisters’ early envy of Beauty and how they fear that Beauty will steal the spotlight from them and then they’ll end up with less-than-satisfactory husbands.
• Or you could argue about the sisters’ dislike of Beauty later because they have in fact married unsatisfactory husbands and they don’t want to see Beauty do better than they have in choosing a husband.
• You could even argue how the story suggests that the pressure to marry may lead women (like the sisters) to accept unsuitable partners.

All three possible arguments might be written so as to support the example claim, above. But you must be sure to relate the textual details to the claim’s point about real life. That is, you must say explicitly HOW these points in the story tell us something about the problems of marriage for real-life young women.

2. The Argument: Evidence and Interpretation; Optional Confutation

Now that you have created a strong argumentative topic sentence, how do you prove your argument? Much as an attorney in a court of law does, you must present evidence and analyze it to show precisely how it supports your claim.

Quotations and paraphrases from the text, plus your analysis and interpretations, supply the evidence you need to support your argument.  You may want to go through the text and mark or write down passages that illustrate what you are trying to prove. From these passages, choose one or two that most clearly support your argument. There may be more, but in a 7-10 sentence paragraph, you do not have the space to incorporate all of them, so choose the strongest one, or two at the most.

However, simply filling your paragraph with quotation and paraphrase does nothing to prove your argument.  When you use a quote or a paraphrase, you must do the following:

Unclear Evidence: Beauty’s sisters dislike her, but they turn positively dangerous when they try to keep Beauty from the Beast. “‘Let’s try to keep Beauty here for more than a week. Her stupid beast will get angry . . . and maybe he’ll eat her up’” (48)

This example does use an interesting passage from the text with an appropriate introductory comment. However, the passage is not connected to the introductory sentence in any way, so it isn’t clear how the sentence and the quotation are related. To make this point a better use of evidence, do the following:

• CONNECT the introductory phrase to the quotation with your words or punctuation.

Beauty’s sisters dislike her, but they become positively dangerous when they try to keep Beauty from the Beast: “‘Let’s try to keep Beauty here for more than a week. Her stupid beast will get angry . . . and maybe he’ll eat her up’” (48).

• INTERPRET the quotation to show your reader how it supports your claim.

This way, you, as the writer, tell your reader the meaning of the quotation as you see it. Notice how you can add a little interpretation in the same sentence: especially since both sisters are so unhappy with their husbands.

So you’re saying, in effect, that the sisters intend to clear the competition—Beauty—from the playing field because they may soon be looking for new husbands and they don’t want Beauty around to grab all the attention.

TRY THIS: If you are not sure how to analyze your evidence, try using a “because” statement.

For example: This quotation shows that Beauty’s sisters are dangerous because [now tell me specifically how the quotation shows this danger]. 

Making this kind of move–properly introducing your evidence and then interpreting it–should make up most of your paragraph .

3. Optional: Confutation

Confutation means presenting some opposing idea that might challenge or disprove your argument, and then refuting or dealing with that opposing idea in some way that tends to weaken its challenge to your claim. The goal is to strengthen your argument by showing how weak the opposition is.

Confutation is optional in CRPs. So why would you want to include it in your CRP if it’s not required? Two reasons:

• You can earn extra points if your confutation is properly done.
• Confutation will be required in your longer essay (CRE1 and CRE2), so it’s not a bad idea to practice confutation in your CRPs so you’ll be prepared to write better confutations when it’s time to write your CREs.

However, the choice whether to include confutation in your CRPs is ultimately yours. You won’t lose any points for not including it.

Confutation Example:

Some readers may argue that the sisters have good reason to dislike Beauty, since they have been living in her shadow for most of their lives. But Beauty should not be blamed because others see her as beautiful. On the contrary, she does her best to be kind to her sisters, but they resent and reject her kindness. [Include some evidence here regarding Beauty’s kindness and the sisters’ resentment.]

SO, now that you’ve produced an arguable claim, provided evidence from the text and analysis to show how it supports your claim, and possibly added confutation, it’s time to wrap up your argument with a brief concluding sentence or two.

4. Concluding Statement

Don’t allow your paragraph to just fade out at the end or to stop abruptly after you’ve proven your argument. You’ve stated your claim, supplied evidence to support it, and interpreted the evidence, and possibly refuted a point of opposition. Now, end your paragraph with a brief but strong conclusion (one or two sentences) that identifies how your argument is important in some way and makes your reader feel that reading your argument has been worthwhile.

Notice that this statement is somewhat like the argument’s claim, but it says more now, in the light of what you’ve argued. And it says something about real people in real life, not just the characters in the story. This is what it takes to write an argument and a useful conclusion—linking your argument to real life and what the story suggests about it.

Try this: If you are having trouble writing a useful conclusion, try using confutation as your conclusion. Write a confutation that relates to your claim and use that to conclude your argument. See the example below.

Notice how this conclusion provides both confutation AND a reminder of the initial CLAIM and how your argument has supported it.

5. Works Cited

See the chapter titled “Citing Your Sources”

6. Some ADDITIONAL Things to Keep in Mind

Book club discussions and claims.

Book Club Discussions are meant to help you produce possible claims in a group discussion setting. I provide feedback on these claims in class which is meant to help you further improve the claim so it can be used for your CRPs. Many instructors provide a list of questions as critical response paragraph topics. Generally, if you can write an argumentative response to the prompt in one or two sentences, you’ve created a claim.

Most critical response paragraphs are between 7 and 10 sentences in length. Any shorter and you probably have not argued your point persuasively; any longer and you probably have lost focus and drifted outside the scope of your argument.

Format your paragraph using  MLA format, which is the format shown in the CRP Example .

Parenthetical Documentation

Always  document  the page number(s) you quote or paraphrase using MLA parenthetical documentation style. Your instructor may not require a works cited page, but most instructors do want to know from where the material is taken and that you can demonstrate proper documentation technique. Not documenting your sources risks plagiarism.

The “So what?” Test

Your topic sentence and your paragraph should be able to pass the  “So what?” test. In this case, the question “So what?” is meant to remind you that we are reading the story to figure out what it says about real people in real life. When you’re thinking of what to argue about the story, remember that stories mean to push you around, to make you think and feel certain things. What are those things, and how can you build an argument about one of them? If you can’t provide an answer, you may want to re-read the story with the connection to real life in mind.

Proofreading and Editing

Always  proofread, edit, and revise . Silly mistakes, awkward sentences, and poor grammar detract from the authority you are trying to create to prove your argument. They will also cost you points on your grade; but you can easily avoid losing these points with careful proofreading. Two very good ideas to help you revise your paragraph are to read it out loud to yourself and to have someone else, such as the Writing Lab, proofread it with you and help you improve it.

Introduction to Literature Copyright © by Judy Young is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Responding to literature

Get started, understand the assignment, understand your text.

• Choose your topic
• Construct your argument
• Create an outline
• Draft your essay
• Revise for clarity
• Format your sources
• Visit the Writing Centre

Books to help you get started

In most English courses, you will be asked to read and respond to a work of literature by writing an essay. This can either be about a poem, a short story or a play. How do you respond to literature and where do you start?

• Understand your essay guidelines
• Different kinds of writing assignments

 First of all, you can start by making sure you understand the essay guidelines:

Read the guidelines carefully.

Are there questions that need answering?

When is the assignment due?

How long should the paper be? (number of words or pages)

What citation style is required? (Usually, for English classes, you use MLA.)

What physical format is required? (Do you need a title page,  margins, line spacing ?)

Do you need to include secondary sources? What type of sources and how many are required? (books, journal articles? Are websites allowed?)

Does your instructor give a grading rubric or criteria for marking the essay? If so, what are they?

If you are unclear about the guidelines, check with your instructor.

This guide is intended to help you with the most common types of essays you use when writing about literature: the analytical essay, the compare and contrast essay or the argumentative essay. However, reading your assignment guidelines carefully will help you determine which kind of writing or response your instructor is looking for. The five most common types of academic writing are the following:

Report-  Reports are generally fact-based and descriptive with an objective tone. The purpose is to describe something. A book report, for example, will generally focus on a description of setting, characters, plot, conflict, etc. and will not focus too much on analysis. 

Analysis-  An analysis is an explanation of how parts of something relate to a whole. The purpose of an analysis is to look closely at certain elements of something and explain how they work together to create larger meaning.

Summary-  A summary is an abbreviation of the main points of an original text. Its purpose is to communicate in a condensed fashion the main points of something.

Reflection-  A reflection is a personal response to something that is based on your own feelings, sensations, initial reactions, etc. A reflection is subjective, can use first person ("I") and is a good way to start thinking about how a text has made you feel. 

Essay-  An essay is a piece of writing that is structured in such a way that it supports a debatable claim. It should be written from an objective standpoint, and its purpose is to persuade the reader to believe the claims you are making. An essay consists of a series of organized paragraphs that offer details in support of a position. In addition to different types of academic writing, there are different types of academic essays.

• Analytic-  The analytical essay is the most common kind of essay you will write for a literature course. The analytic essay goes beyond simple summary and description.  Rather than telling the reader the facts of the situation, the analytic essay demands that you examine information and evaluate it. In other words, the analytic essay does not simply ask what, where and when; it asks how, why and what is the effect of this?
• Compare and contrast-  This is the examination of similarities and differences between two things. You may choose to compare and contrast two stories or two poems by the same or different authors. However, you must have a purpose in deciding why to compare or contrast two texts that goes beyond a mere explanation of the similarities and differences between them. It should explain what the implications of these similarities and differences are, and what one might learn from looking at these two texts side-by-side. 
• Argumentative-  Argumentative essays bring up an important debatable issue that has two distinct sides. The thesis of an argumentative essay always clearly states which side of the issue is being supported; it does not merely state that there are two sides to the issue. In literature, you may be arguing why or how your interpretation of a text is valid and insightful, and how it may differ from another common interpretation or analysis.
• Expository-  Expository essays are intended to persuade an audience of a particular position by addressing one side of a debatable issue. In order to write an expository essay you must have a strong, debatable thesis statement (an argument or a claim), evidence to support your thesis, and a logical organization of your materials. Usually, expository essays only deal with one side of an argument without addressing the opposition.
• Descriptive-  The purpose of a descriptive essay is to persuade the reader of a particular position or belief through the use of rich descriptive detail. Descriptive essays are often paired with narrative arguments because effective stories contain evocative descriptions of people, places, and events. Descriptive writing does not just tell readers what to think, but instead shows readers why one way of looking at the world is better than another. These kinds of essays should contain specific details that bring a picture to life for the audience. It focuses on showing rather than telling. This may be less common when you are asked to write about literature, but may be a useful practice when looking to incorporate more creativity and description into your academic writing style.
• Cause and effect- The cause and effect essay traces the relationship between reasons and results. It asks why something happened, and what the consequence was. This may be less common when you are writing about literature, but is useful for things like illuminating patterns in society and underlining the consequences if trends are not reversed.
• Research-  A research essay can take the form of any of the above essay methods, but must always include credible, scholarly research that supports the claim(s) you are making.
• Review literary terms
• Identify themes

Many English essays analyze how formal elements of a literary text work together to create meaning or affect the reader. E very word, action, place, thought and object described in a literary text is deliberate.  Analyzing how an author uses different literary devices can help you identify themes and understand how the author is constructing meaning through their text. 

1. Plot- Plot refers to the elements that govern the unfolding of the actions, including the conflict and its development in a story or play. Probably the single most revealing question you can ask about a work of literature is, "What conflict does it dramatize?" Often, analyzing the conflict can point to the meaning or theme of the story.

1. Characters-  In literature, all actions, interactions, speeches, and observations are deliberate. In a story or play, you may expect that each action or speech, no matter how small, is a presentation of the complex inner and outer worlds that constitute a human being. Examining the actions, descriptions, statements and thoughts can give you insight into what the author is trying to say about a particular person with particular experiences.

3. Point of View - Point of view is the speaker, narrator, persona or voice created by the author to tell stories, make observations, present arguments, and express personal attitudes and judgments. There are four common point of views:

• Omniscient point of view- In this point of view, the author, not one of the characters, tells the story, and the author assumes complete knowledge of the characters' actions and thoughts.
• Limited omniscient point of view- When this method is used, the author still narrates the story but restricts (limits) his or her revelation—and therefore our knowledge—of the thoughts of all but one character. One name for this character is "central consciousness." A device of plot and characterization that often accompanies this point of view is the character's gradual discovery of himself or herself until the story climaxes in an epiphany. 
• First person point of view- In the first person position, the author is even more restricted: one of the characters tells the story, eliminating the author as narrator. Here, the narrator is restricted to what one character says he or she observes. The narrator can therefore be unreliable (subject to their own thoughts, experiences, maturity level, etc.) or reliable (a credible source of information).
• Objective (dramatic) point of view- Objective point of view is the most restricting of all. Though the author is the narrator, he or she refuses to enter the minds of any of the characters. The writer sees them (and lets us see them) as we would in real life. In this method, we learn about the characters from what they say and do, how they look, and what other characters say about them. We don't learn what they think unless they tell us. This is sometimes called "dramatic" point of view, because we learn about characters in the same way we would in a play. 

4. Tone - Tone also has a great deal to do with the narrator. Tone is the narrator's predominant attitude toward the subject, whether that subject be a particular setting, event, character or idea. The narrator conveys tone through the way devices are handled, including word choice, which may be directly stated or indirectly implied. 

4. Structure- A structure is anything made with a clear organizational pattern. Every literary work has a structure of some sort. Sometimes the structure is new and original; often, it follows a known, set format, like that of a sonnet or a haiku. Certain structures have certain meanings attached to them. For example, a sonnet is traditionally used for love poetry. If a poet is writing a love poem following only certain rules of the sonnet structure, that may reveal elements of traditional notions of love that they accept and reject. Analyzing the structure or form of a story or poem can help reveal certain layers of meaning the author may be referencing.

5. Setting - Setting refers to where and when the plot occurs and the environment in which the characters are described as living. This environment includes the natural environment, the material environment, and the social environment. After determining basic questions such as, "Where does the story take place?" and " What sensuous qualities does the author give to the setting?" you can move on to other questions like, "What relationship does place have to characterization and theme?"

6. Imagery - Imagery is a term used for descriptive language that evokes the senses such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes and other physical sensations. The word "imagery" is also used for other kinds of figurative language, such as metaphor and simile.

7. Figurative language - Figurative language is something that is described in terms of something else, usually taking the form of a metaphor or simile.

• Metaphor- A metaphor compares something to something else without using "like" or "as" or other comparative terms. For example, "Your words are music to my ears." We know that words are not music, but by making this comparison, we ascribe a musical, pleasing quality to these words.
• Simile- A simile shows similarities between things that are different, using words like "like" or "as". For example: "My love is like a red, red rose" (Burns). What we know about a red rose helps us to understand what the beloved is like.

8. Denotation and Connotation- Denotation and connotation both deal with word meaning.

• Denotation- means the explicit meaning or dictionary definition of a word.
• Connotation- refers to the implications, feelings and cultural associations a word has collected through its use over time, for example, the association of red roses with romantic love.

9. Symbolism-  A symbol is a thing that represents another thing which is usually larger and more abstract. For example, a cross is a symbol of Christianity, or a heart is a symbol of love. In literature, words, characters, setting, events and situations can all be symbolic.

10. Rhythm-  Rhythm is the stresses that come at regular intervals to create effect. Poetry is built on a rhythmic pattern, called metre, which also contributes to effect and meaning. A metrical pattern is made up of a sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables.

11. Rhyme- Rhyme is a sound device in which identical or very similar sounds are repeated, often at the ends of lines in poems or songs.

12. Irony- Irony plays with the differences between appearances and reality, or between meaning and the words used to convey that meaning. An example of verbal irony occurs when a character says or does something without the knowledge that other characters and the readers/ viewers share.

13. Diction- Diction refers to the words and grammatical constructions a writer selects and which may reveal, among other things, the nationality and level of education of the writer or of the literary character given those words by the writer. A writer's diction will affect the "tone" of the text and its meaning.

14. Allusion- Allusion is a reference inside a work to something outside it, such as a person, place, event or other work. A writer making an allusion often presupposes that the reader knows something about the external reference and will understand how it adds to the work.

15. Genre- Genre has its roots in French, meaning "type" or "kind." Literature is divided up into genres or types, which share conventions or similar features. The major literary genres are drama, poetry, and fiction, which can be further subdivided by type. Knowing more about the conventions that are specific to certain genres can help in your analysis and understanding of the text.

Adapted from Writing About Literature by Edgar V. Roberts and Writing the English Essay by Mary Ann Armstrong

Once you have reviewed some of the formal elements of a text, you can start to draw some conclusions about what message the author is trying to convey. 

Literature and poetry usually tell us more than just a story. The story can often be representative of some aspect of what it means to be alive, to be human, to connect or to not connect with others, etc. These are what we call themes.  A theme is a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

They can be things like

• Dreams and disillusionment
• The beauty of simplicity
• The illusion of power, etc.

Identifying what some of the themes of the story are, and how the author expresses these themes, is a good place to start when deciding what you want to write on.

You can ask yourself questions like

• Aside from the basic elements of plot, setting, and character development, what is the story really about? Then, how do other literary elements contribute to the development of this theme?
• What symbols and metaphors does the author use and what might these represent? How do these further enhance an overall theme or message of the story/poem?
• If there are several themes/messages, how might these be working together? What is the result of the author exploring these issues side-by-side?
• How might the historical context during which the story/poem was written influence the way the author portrays certain elements of these themes?

Often, your instructor will provide you with a list of questions specific to the text to help you start thinking about it in these terms.

• Next: Choose your topic >>
• Last Updated: May 3, 2023 2:58 PM
• URL: https://camosun.libguides.com/RespondingToLiterature

How Do I Write a Research Report? Part Two

How Do I Write a Response-to-Literature Essay? Part Two

How Do I Write a Response-to-Literature Essay?

• By English Essay Writing Tips

The Response-to-Literature Essay

by Owen Fourie

~ Part One ~

Whenever I have given this exercise to students, I have found that some have difficulty in distinguishing between a response-to-literature essay and a summary essay.

Know the difference

Let’s say that you have finished reading a novel. You are given two assignments on that one novel–it’s a bad dream, so don’t worry. In the first assignment, you are required to give a summary; in the second, you have to write a response.

For the first exercise, you will summarize the plot in your own words.

If you go to the post “ How Do I Write a Summary Essay? ” you will see what you need to do. 

For the second exercise, you are offering a critique–your criticism–of the novel.

This does not mean that the response essay is entirely without a synopsis of the work. It should give a brief summary, particularly where it provides the background to the point or the idea that is the focus of your response.

Although some instructors prefer it, such summarizing need not stand as a distinct part of the essay. It can be woven into your analysis to appear as needed for the background to a specific point that you are making as you develop your critique.

While a summary essay will show your comprehension of the novel and its plot, the response essay should demonstrate your critical analysis of the literary work.

Be a prepared student

Whether you are writing a summary essay or a response essay, the prepared student is one who is in the habit of making notes while reading literature. Use webs, charts, diagrams, maps, and tables for your notes. If you do this, you will find it a lot easier to handle your assignment.

If you do this as part of your routine, even if no assignment is given at the end of the reading, you will build up a valuable personal-development resource. You will be enhancing your study skills and equipping yourself to handle projects in any area of life.

Choose your focal point

In a response essay, there are several areas that could receive your attention. Some that you could write about are

• the author’s style;
• the author’s purpose in writing this particular work;
• the background issues that prompted the writing: historical, social, economic, and political issues;
• the characterization;
• the symbolism used by the author;
• the effectiveness of any foreshadowing in the story;
• the figurative devices used by the author to tell the story and to bring out its deeper meaning: simile, metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, and so forth;
• a comparison between this novel and other novels by the same author;
• a comparison between this novel and other novels by other authors in the same genre.

It is wise to choose only one of these aspects and to focus on that point by creating a thesis statement and supporting it thoroughly throughout your essay.

If you are reviewing a non-fiction work that is dealing with a practical issue, you may wish to consider whether the author’s thesis has contributed usefully to the debate and to the resolution of the problem.

Ask questions

In the particular area that you have chosen to be your focal point, you must ask certain questions:

• In this matter, let’s say the background issues that prompted the writing, has the author succeeded or failed?
• Are there weaknesses or strengths in the the author’s treatment of these issues?
• Is there clarity or is it lacking?
• Does it bring enlightenment about similar issues today?
• Could the author have handled the matter more effectively?
• Are there other works of the author where this particular point receives better (or worse) treatment?
• Are there other writers in the same genre who have perhaps handled this point in a better way?

By asking such questions and doing whatever research is necessary to get the answers, you will be able to develop a critical response to literature. Obviously, you can do this only if you have read the work with attention to its detail and as you have grasped its message. The more you are able to read of the author’s other works and also of publications in the same genre by other authors, the better equipped you should be to give an acceptable, intellectual response.

Your response is not meant to be merely a description of how you feel about the novel. You can include that element, of course, but it forms only a small part of your overall response.

In my opinion, the response-to-literature essay is not a beginner’s exercise. It is for students who have had exposure to the writings of several authors in various genres and more than one work of each of those authors.

Response essays do not deal only with literature. Assignments may also be given to respond to plays and movies, but in this post and its sequel we are concerned only with literature.

In Part Two of this article, we’ll give attention to the introduction, the body, and the conclusion of the response-to-literature essay, and we’ll also consider a point about paragraphing.

—–

What is your experience with writing response-to-literature essays? Do you have any useful insights? What are your particular struggles? How has the difference between summary essays and response essays been explained to you? At what point in your academic career were you first required to write a response-to-literature essay? Your comments, observations, and questions are welcome.

Here are more articles to help you with English words , grammar , and essay writing .

Copyright © 2010 by English Essay Writing Tips www.englishessaywritingtips.com

• critical response essay , essay writing , how can i write an essay , how do you write an essay , how to write an academic essay , response to literature essay , write an essay , writing an essay , writing essay

English Essay Writing Tips

Skip to comment form

• John Jones on March 5, 2012 at 22:45

i have a California writing test tomorrow. i couldn’t really understand the gist and critique. please help

• English Essay Writing Tips on March 6, 2012 at 08:12 Author

John Jones: I trust that you will see this response before the beginning of school today.

Have you read Part Two?

https://www.englishessaywritingtips.com/2010/12/how-do-i-write-a-response-to-literature-essay-part-two/

You’ll find a link to “gist” there. “It is something that lies in the center of a matter. It is the heart of the matter or the argument. It is the essence, the core, the essential point of an idea, a speech, a literary work.” You must be aware of the author’s main focus, the focal point of the book or short story or article.

Please read again Parts One & Two of “How Do I Write a Response-to-Literature Essay?” The critique is your critical analysis of the assigned literature. These articles guide you to focus on a particular point that you choose to critique or, to put it another way, that you choose to review, discuss, and analyze in relation to other parts of the same book, or to other books by the same author, depending on your grade level.

I sincerely hope this will help you. Good luck with your test!

• fatima gomez on March 5, 2012 at 21:12

i am in seven grade and tomorw is going to be my california seventh grade writing test.I was so worried but this hepled me alot.I recomd this website to alot of my classmates.

• English Essay Writing Tips on March 5, 2012 at 22:00 Author

Fatima: Thank you for commenting. I am pleased that you have found this helpful. Your recommendation is appreciated. Good luck with your test tomorrow.

• jessie on December 12, 2011 at 11:07

i am a middle school student and i neeed help trying 2 rite my rtl what is a commentary and concreet detail

• English Essay Writing Tips on December 12, 2011 at 12:00 Author

Jessie: Good question. If your rtl assignment specifically states that you must give a commentary and concrete detail, this is what you should understand by those terms:

Commentary:

Whatever portion of the assigned literature you choose to focus on, you should comment on it and explain it.

What is happening in this part? What do you understand about it? How does it relate to the plot? How vital is it to the plot? What does it reveal of the characters in the story? How would you interpret their actions and/or words?

Deal with questions like these and you’ll be giving a commentary.

Concrete detail:

In your commentary, you are referring to specific details in the story, even quoting relevant phrases, clauses, or sentences to give substance to the points you are making. In other words, you are not being vague or making irrelevant or meaningless comments.

I hope this will help you. Ask, if you need more clarification.

Comments have been disabled.

Citation machine.

Son of Citation Machine automatically generates citations in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian.

How to use Son of Citation Machine

How’s Your Logic? Play This Game

• Cedarsong Nature School: Forest Kindergartens and Nature Preschools are growing in popularity in the U.S. as American parents begin to understand the importance of nature immersion time for their young children.
• Enago: Enago is the flagship brand of Crimson Interactive and a leading provider of English Editing and Proofreading services for ESL authors.
• English Worksheets Land: For Teachers: Tons of Language Arts Worksheets – Common Core Aligned
• Helping Your English on You Tube: This useful collection of videos will help you to write and speak English correctly.
• Online High Schools: Foresttrailacademy offers online high school education that allows each student to learn with the methods that work best for them.
• Editing Market: Editing Services: A tool that helps researchers compare price and quality of editing services
• English Idioms: In this lesson series, we will introduce you to 102 common English idioms. Each is written with an idiom definition, 3 idiom examples, and audio recordings. That way, you will know what the idiom means and how to use it in a conversation.
• Free Online Maths Games: maths games where children can practice their mathematics skills
• Juni Learning: Learn the art of expression with English. There’s more to English than the rules of grammar. Learn to lasso the language for self-expression and communication with fun project-based 1:1 courses guided by hand-picked instructors.

© 2010 English Essay Writing Tips.com All Rights Reserved

Made with by Graphene Themes .

The Edvocate

• Lynch Educational Consulting
• Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
• Write For Us
• The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
• The Edvocate Podcast
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Assistive Technology
• Best PreK-12 Schools in America
• Child Development
• Classroom Management
• Early Childhood
• EdTech & Innovation
• Education Leadership
• First Year Teachers
• Gifted and Talented Education
• Special Education
• Parental Involvement
• Policy & Reform
• Best Colleges and Universities
• Best College and University Programs
• HBCU’s
• Higher Education EdTech
• Higher Education
• International Education
• The Awards Process
• Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Award Seals
• GPA Calculator for College
• GPA Calculator for High School
• Cumulative GPA Calculator
• Grade Calculator
• Weighted Grade Calculator
• Final Grade Calculator
• The Tech Edvocate
• AI Powered Personal Tutor

Teaching Students About Drug Cartels: A Necessary Lesson in Today’s World

Embracing la chilindrina: a cultural learning experience for k-12 students, teaching students about super bowl 2013: a unique learning opportunity, teaching students about draft horses, teaching baseball positions to k-12 students: mastering the basics, asiago adventures: unveiling the history and delight of a gourmet cheese, teaching students about the bears-packers rivalry: a lesson in sports rivalry history, unraveling the triquetra: a guide for k-12 educators, teaching students about sam underwood: inspiring the next generation of creatives, engaging k-12 students with rufus from kim possible, what is a response to literature.

Response to Literature is the act of explaining, analyzing, or criticizing a work of literature. A response can be written in any form, from a scholarly article to a personal essay.

Response to Literature is an essential part of any literature student’s education. It allows them to explore and critique the works they have read, providing a depth and understanding that cannot be found any other way. A response can be written in any form, from a scholarly article to a personal essay.

A response to literature can be divided into two main categories: criticism and interpretation. Criticism is the analysis of the work itself, while interpretation is the analysis of the author’s intentions.

In order to provide critical analysis of a work, a response must first understand the basics of literature. Literature is composed of words, and those words must be arranged in a specific way to communicate a message. In order to understand the message of a work, a response must understand the author’s intent.

It is important to remember that a response is not a literal interpretation of the work. The intent of the author is what should be focused on, not the author’s interpretation of the work. For example, in “The Catcher in the Rye,” Holden Caulfield is a troubled teenager who is trying to find himself. In response to this, many people have interpreted Holden Caulfield as a symbol for their own struggles. While it is possible to do this, it is not the intent of the author.

In order to provide an interpretation of a work, a response must understand the author’s background and the context of the work. Therefore, the context of this teenager who is struggling to localize himself is important in understanding the message of the work.

While a response to literature is an essential part of any literature student’s education, it is important to remember that a response is not a literal interpretation of the work. The intent of the author is what should be focused on.

HBCU Graduation Etiquette

What is texture in art.

Matthew Lynch

Related articles more from author, a game-changing practice fuses math and literacy, how to write and structure a persuasive speech, what is programmatic accreditation, 5 ways student veterans can maximize gi bill® benefits, 7 myths about college professors.

When Students Are Traumatized, Teachers Are Too

92 Essay Transition Words to Know

Abruptly switching topics in essays can be jarring; however , transition words can smooth the change for the convenience of the reader. Moreover , you can use essay transition words to start a paragraph, sentence, or clause more naturally. Additionally , essay transition words can connect new information to the previous statement so you don’t have to say everything at once.

This guide looks at how to use transition words in essays. We’ll explain what they are and how to use them, plus we even share an essay transition word list with the most common and useful transition words examples.

Cite your sources with confidence Grammarly helps you avoid plagiarism Write with Grammarly

What are essay transition words?

In general, transition words and phrases bridge the gap between two topics whose connection isn’t obvious. Transition words and phrases like however , although , likewise , and on the contrary cue the reader that a change is coming so they know to expect it.

The type of transition word or phrase signals which type of change is coming. For example, transition words like therefore show a cause-and-effect relationship, while transition words like in conclusion introduce a summary or wrap-up. Often, conjunctive adverbs work well as transition words.

Essay transition words are no different from other types of transition words. They are often the same words and phrases used in other pieces of writing, just used for all types of essay , such as an informative essay or a narrative essay .

How to use essay transition words

Transition words and phrases are used to make transition sentences , which either contain two opposing topics in the same sentence or join together the opposing sentences or paragraphs that come before and after the transition sentence.

Essay transition words aren’t necessary for every sentence; you need them only when a shift in topic is so pronounced that it interrupts the writing flow . For example, consider this example, which doesn’t use transition words:

The GPS told us to go left. We went right.

Although those two sentences are grammatically correct, the abrupt change in topic is a bit jarring to readers. Some may feel like they need to reread the passage because they’re worried they missed something. That’s where transition words come in handy.

The GPS told us to go left. However , we went right.

The transition word however acts as a signal to the reader to prepare for a change in topic. When the reader sees transition words like this, they know to expect the switch, so it’s not so jarring.

You can use transition words to start a paragraph, sentence, clause, or even a brief phrase or individual word.

Although tired , we had to continue.

Even in situations when the connection between topics is obvious, essay transition words can help keep your writing organized and comprehensible. This is especially true with ordinal numbers and transition words like next , then , and last , all of which keep items from a series or sequence in order.

First , you wet your hair, and then you apply the shampoo. Last , you rinse the shampoo with warm water.

Keep in mind that transition words aren’t always sentence starters . Sometimes essay transition words and phrases like also , too , or above all can come at the end of a sentence, clause, or phrase.

We were happy to get second place, but we wanted first place above all .

However, most essay transition words work best at the beginning of a sentence, where they can more effectively bridge the gap between two seemingly unrelated topics.

92 transition words examples

Essay transition word list for contradictions.

• alternatively
• nevertheless
• nonetheless
• notwithstanding
• on the contrary
• on the other hand

Essay transition word list for additions

• accordingly
• additionally
• comparatively
• coupled with
• equally important
• furthermore
• in addition
• in the same way
• understandably

Essay transition word list for introducing examples

• for example
• for instance
• in particular / particularly
• specifically
• to illustrate

Essay transition word list for conditions and cause and effect

• as a result
• consequently
• for fear of
• for this reason
• in the event of
• subsequently
• under these/those circumstances

Essay transition word list for extra clarification

• by all means
• in other words
• incidentally
• predictably
• significantly
• undoubtedly

Essay transition word list for summarizing

• briefly / in brief
• in conclusion
• in summary/summation
• to summarize

Essay transition word list for time relations

• at the same time
• in the meantime

Essay transition word list for series and sequences

• first , second , third , etc.

Essay transition words FAQs

In general, transition words and phrases bridge the gap between two topics whose connection isn’t obvious. Transition words and phrases like however , although , likewise , and on the contrary cue the reader that a change is coming so they know to expect it. Essay transition words have the same function in essays.

When should you use essay transition words?

Use essay transition words and phrases to either contain two opposing topics in the same sentence or join together the opposing sentences or paragraphs that come before and after them. Essay transition words aren’t necessary for every sentence; you need them only when a shift in topic is so pronounced that it interrupts the writing flow.

What are some essay transition words examples?

Some of the most common essay transition words examples include however , although , ultimately , in summary , next , last , also , in general , for that reason , as a result , for example , in the meantime , therefore , similarly , and likewise .

• Essay Guides
• Main Academic Essays
• How to Write a Response Paper: Outline, Steps & Examples
• Speech Topics
• Basics of Essay Writing
• Essay Topics
• Other Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Research Paper Guides
• Formatting Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
• Dissertation & Thesis Guides

How to Write a Response Paper: Outline, Steps & Examples

Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

Response essays are a frequent assignment in many academic courses. Professors often ask students to share their thoughts and feelings about a variety of materials, such as books, articles, films, songs, or poems. To write an effective response paper, you should follow a specific structure to ensure that your ideas are well-organized and presented in a logical manner.

In this blog post, we will explore how to write a good outline and how it is used to develop a quality reaction essay. You will also come across a response paper example to help you better understand steps involved in writing a response essay.  Continue reading to explore writing tips from professional paper writers that you can use to improve your skills.

What Is a Response Paper?

It is vital to understand the meaning of a response essay before you start writing. Often, learners confuse this type of academic work with reviews of books, articles, events, or movies, which is not correct, although they seem similar.  A response paper gives you a platform to express your point of view, feelings, and understanding of a given subject or idea through writing. Unlike other review works, you are also required to give your idea, vision, and values contained in literal materials. In other words, while a response paper is written in a subjective way, a review paper is written in a more objective manner.  A good reaction paper links the idea in discussion with your personal opinion or experience. Response essays are written to express your deep reflections on materials, what you have understood, and how the author's work has impacted you.

Purpose of a Response Essay

Understanding reasons for writing a reaction paper will help you prepare better work. The purpose of a response essay will be:

• To summarize author's primary ideas and opinions: you need to give a summary of materials and messages the author wants you to understand.
• Providing a reflection on the subject: as a writer, you also need to express how you relate to authors' ideas and positions.
• To express how the subject affects your personal life: when writing a response paper, you are also required to provide your personal outcome and lesson learned from interacting with the material.

Response Essay Outline

You should adhere to a specific response paper outline when working on an essay. Following a recommended format ensures that you have a smooth flow of ideas. A good response paper template will make it easier for a reader to separate your point of view from author's opinion. The essay is often divided into these sections: introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.  Below is an example of a response essay outline template:

• Briefly introduce the topic of the response paper
• State your thesis statement or main argument
• Provide a brief summary of the source material you are responding to
• Include key details or arguments from the source
• Analyze the source material and identify strengths and weaknesses
• Evaluate the author's arguments and evidence
• Provide your own perspective on the source material
• Respond to the source material and critique its arguments
• Offer your own ideas and counterarguments
• Support your response with evidence and examples
• Summarize your main points and restate your thesis
• Provide final thoughts on the source material and its implications
• Offer suggestions for further research or inquiry

Save time and effort with our high-quality academic paper assistance. Buy college papers from experts and get an A+ with ease!

Response Paper Introduction

The success of response papers is partly dependent on how well you write the introductory paragraph. As with any academic paper, the introduction paragraph welcomes targeted readers and states the primary idea.  Below is a guideline on how to start a response essay:

• Provide a compelling hook to capture the attention of your target audience.
• Provide background information about the material, including the name and author of the work.
• Provide a brief summary of main points to bring readers who are unfamiliar with the work up to task and enable them to follow up on your subsequent analysis.
• Write a thesis statement at the end of your introductory paragraph to inform readers about the purpose and argument you are trying to relay.

Response Essay Thesis Statement

A thesis statement summarizes a paper's content within a sentence or two. A response essay thesis statement is not any different! The final sentence of the introductory paragraph of a reaction paper should give readers an idea of the message that will be discussed in your paper.  Do you know how to write a thesis statement for a response essay? If you follow the steps below, you should be able to write one:

• Review the material you are responding to, and pinpoint main points expressed by authors.
• Determine points of view or opinions you are going to discuss in the essay.
• Develop your thesis statement. It should express a summary of what will be covered in your reaction. The sentence should also consider logical flow of ideas in your writing.
• Thesis statement should be easy to spot. You should preferably place it at the end of your introductory paragraph.

Response Paper Body Paragraph

In most instances, the body section has between 1 and 3 paragraphs or more. You should first provide a summary of the article, book, or any other literature work you are responding to.  To write a response essay body paragraph that will capture the attention of readers, you must begin by providing key ideas presented in the story from the authors' point of view. In the subsequent paragraph, you should tell your audience whether you agree or disagree with these ideas as presented in the text. In the final section, you should provide an in-depth explanation of your stand and discuss various impacts of the material.

Response Paper Conclusion

In this section of a response paper, you should provide a summary of your ideas. You may provide key takeaways from your thoughts and pinpoint meaningful parts of the response. Like any other academic work, you wind up your response essay writing by giving a summary of what was discussed throughout the paper.  You should avoid introducing new evidence, ideas, or repeat contents that are included in body paragraphs in the conclusion section. After stating your final points, lessons learned, and how the work inspires you, you can wrap it up with your thesis statement.

How to Write a Response Paper?

In this section, we will provide you with tips on how to write a good response paper. To prepare a powerful reaction essay, you need to consider a two-step approach. First, you must read and analyze original sources properly. Subsequently, you also need to organize and plan the essay writing part effectively to be able to produce good reaction work. Various steps are outlined and discussed below to help you better understand how to write a response essay.

1. Pick a Topic for Your Response Essay

Picking a topic for response essay topics can be affected either by the scope of your assignment as provided by your college professor or by your preference. Irrespective of your reason, the guideline below should help you brainstorm topic ideas for your reaction:

• Start from your paper's end goal: consider what outcomes you wish to attain from writing your reaction.
• Prepare a list of all potential ideas that can help you attain your preferred result.
• Sort out topics that interest you from your list.
• Critique your final list and settle on a topic that will be comfortable to work on.

Below are some examples of good topics for response essay to get you started:

• Analyzing ideas in an article about effects of body shaming on mental health .
• Reaction paper on new theories in today's business environment.
• Movies I can watch again and again.
• A response essay on a documentary.
• Did the 9/11 terror attacks contribute to issues of religious intolerance?

2. Plan Your Thoughts and Reactions

To better plan your thoughts and reactions, you need to read the original material thoroughly to understand messages contained therein. You must understand author's line of thinking, beliefs, and values to be able to react to their content. Next, note down ideas and aspects that are important and draw any strong reactions.  Think through these ideas and record potential sequences they will take in your response paper. You should also support your opinions and reactions with quotes and texts from credible sources. This will help you write a response essay for the college level that will stand out.

3. Write a Detailed Response Paper Outline

Preparing a detailed response paper outline will exponentially improve the outcome of your writing. An essay outline will act as a benchmark that will guide you when working on each section of the paper. Sorting your ideas into sections will not only help you attain a better flow of communication in your responsive essay but also simplify your writing process.  You are encouraged to adopt the standard response essay outline provided in the sample above. By splitting your paper into introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs, you will be able to effectively introduce your readers to ideas that will be discussed and separate your thoughts from authors' messages.

4. Write a Material Summary

For your audience to understand your reaction to certain materials, you should at first provide a brief summary of authors' points of view. This short overview should include author's name and work title.  When writing a response essay, you should dedicate a section to give an informative summary that clearly details primary points and vital supporting arguments. You must thoroughly understand the literature to be able to complete this section.  For important ideas, you can add direct quotes from the original sources in question. Writers may sometimes make a mistake of summarizing general ideas by providing detailed information about every single aspect of the material. Instead of addressing all ideas in detail, focus on key aspects.  Although you rely on your personal opinion and experience to write a response paper, you must remain objective and factual in this section. Your subjective opinion will take center stage in the personal reaction part of the essay.

Example of a Response Summary

Below is a sample summary response essays example to help you better understand how to write one. A Summary of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

The classic film The Adventure of Robin Hood (1938), as directed by Michael Curtis and William Keighley, stars an infamous outlaw, Robin Hood, who "robbed from the rich and gave to the poor''. The charismatic and charming Saxon lord, Robin Hood (Flynn), becomes an outlaw and seeks justice for poor people by fighting Sir Guy of Gisborne (Rathbone), Sheriff of Nottingham (Copper), and Prince John (Rains), who were oppressing people. After assembling an outlaw group, Robin defies the excessive taxes imposed on poor people by stealing from wealthy individuals and redistributing wealth to the destitute in society. Robin Hood is eventually lured into an archery tournament and gets arrested, but survives an execution. He later helps King Richard to regain his lost throne and banish Prince John.

5. Share Your Reaction

After summarizing the original material, the second part of a response paper involves writing your opinion about author’s point of view. After a thorough review of the material, you should be able to express your perspective on the subject.  In this section, you are expected to detail how the material made you feel and how it relates to your personal life, experience, and values. Within the short response essay, you may also be required to state whether you agree or disagree with author's line of thinking. How does the material relate to current issues, or in what way does it impact your understanding of a given subject? Does it change your opinion on the subject in any way? Your reaction should answer these questions.  In addition, you may also be required to outline potential advantages and shortcomings of the material in your reaction. Finally, you should also indicate whether or not you would endorse the literal work to others.

Reaction in Response Body Paragraph Example

Below is a reaction in a response essay body paragraph sample to help you improve your skills in writing the response body paragraph: Reaction Paragraph Example

My main takeaway from watching The Adventure of Robin Hood (1938) is that society should prioritize good and justice over laws if the set rules oppress people. Prince John, Sir Guy, and Sheriff Cooper were cruel and petty and used existing laws to oppress and exploit poor people. In response, Robin Hood employed unorthodox means and tried to help oppressed people in society. I agree with his way of thinking. Laws are made to protect people in society and ensure justice is served. Therefore, when legislation fails to serve its purpose, it becomes redundant. Even in current society, we have seen democratic governments funding coups when presidents start oppressing their people. Such coups are supported despite the fact that presidency is protected by law. Although Robin Hood's actions might encourage unlawfulness if taken out of context, I would still recommend this film because its main message is advocating for justice in the community.

6. Conclude Your Response Essay

Do you know how to write a response paper conclusion? It should be the icing on the cake. Irrespective of how good previous sections were, your reaction essay will not be considered to be exceptional if you fail to provide a sum up of your reaction, ideas, and arguments in the right manner.  When writing a response essay conclusion , you should strive to summarize the outcome of your thoughts. After stating your final point, tell readers what you have learned and how that material inspired or impacted you. You can also explain how your perspective and the author's point of view intertwine with each other.  Never introduce new ideas in the conclusion paragraph. Presenting new points will not only disrupt the flow of ideas in the paper but also confuse your readers because you may be unable to explain them comprehensively.  You are also expected to link up your discussions with the thesis statement. In other words, concluding comments and observations need to incorporate the reaffirmation of the thesis statement.

Example of Response Paper Conclusion

You can use the responsive essay conclusion sample below as a benchmark to guide you in writing your concluding remarks: Conclusion Example

There are a lot of similarities between the film's message and my opinion, values, and beliefs. Based on my personal principles, I believe the actions of the main character, Robin Hood, are justifiable and acceptable. Several people in modern society would also agree with my perspective. The movie has provided me with multiple lessons and inspirations. The main lesson acquired is that laws are not ultimate and that we should analyze how they affect people rather than adhere to them blindly. Unless legislation protects people and serves justices, it should be considered irrelevant. Also, morality outweighs legislation. From the movie, I gathered that morality should be the foundation for all laws, and at any time, morality and greater good should be prioritized above laws. The main inspiration relates to being brave in going against some legislation since the end justifies the means sometimes. My point of view and that of the movie creators intertwine. We both advocate for human decency and justice. The argument discussed supports the idea that good and justice is greater than law.

Proofread Your Response Paper

It is important to proofread your response paper before submitting it for examination. Has your essay met all instructional requirements? Have you corrected every grammatical error in your paper? These are common questions you should be asking yourself.  Proofreading your work will ensure that you have eliminated mistakes made when working on your academic work. Besides, you also get the opportunity to improve your logical flow of ideas in your paper by proofreading.  If you review your work thoroughly before submitting it for marking, you are more likely to score more marks! Use our Paper Rater , it is a tool that can help you pinpoint errors, which makes going through your work even simpler.

Response Essay Examples

If you have never written this type of academic paper before, responsive essay examples should help you grasp the primary concepts better. These response paper samples not only help you to familiarize yourself with paper's features but also help you to get an idea of how you should tackle such an assignment. Review at least one written response essay example from the compilation below to give you the confidence to tackle a reaction paper. Response essay example: Book

Response paper example: Poem

Response paper sample: Movie

Example of a response paper: Article

Sample response essay: Issue

Response Paper Format

It is important to follow a recommended response essay format in order to adhere to academic writing standards needed for your assignment. Formats depend on your institution or the discipline.  A reaction paper can be written in many different academic writing styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago, with each demanding a slightly different format.  The outlook of the paper and referencing varies from one writing style to another. Despite the format for a response paper, you must include introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.

Response Essay Writing Tips

Below are some of the best tips you can use to improve your response papers writing skills:

• Review your assignment instructions and clarify any inquiries before you start a response paper.
• Once you have selected topics for response essay, reviewed your original materials, and came up with your thesis statement, use topic sentences to facilitate logical flow in your paper.
• Always ensure that you format your work as per the standard structure to ensure that you adhere to set academic requirements. Depending on the academic writing style you will be using, ensure that you have done your in-text citation as per the paper format.
• If you have never worked on this kind of academic paper, you should review examples and samples to help you familiarize yourself with this type of work. You should, however, never plagiarize your work.
• You can use a first-person perspective to better stress your opinion or feelings about a subject. This tip is particularly crucial for reaction part of your work.
• Finally, before submitting your work, proofread your work.

Bottom Line on Response Paper Writing

As discussed in this blog post, preparing a response paper follows a two-step approach. To successfully work on these sections, you need to plan properly to ensure a smooth transition from the reading and analyzing the original material to writing your reaction. In addition, you can review previous works to improve your writing skills.  So, what is a response essay that will immediately capture the attention of your instructor? Well, it should have a captivating introduction, evidence backed reaction, and a powerful conclusion. If you follow various tips outlined above and sum up your work with thorough proofreading, there is no chance that you can fail this type of assignment.

Order a response essay from our academic writing platform! Send us a ‘ write my college paper ’ message and our experienced writers will provide you with a top-notch essay according to your instructions. 

FAQ About Response Paper

1. how long is a short response essay.

The length of a short response essay varies depending on topic and your familiarity with the subject. Depending on how long original sources are and how many responsive points you have, your reaction paper can range from a single paragraph of 150-400 words to multiple paragraphs of 250-500 words.

2. How to start a response body paragraph?

Use an argumentative topic sentence to start your responsive paper paragraph. Failing to begin a paragraph with an elaborate topic sentence will confuse your readers. Topic sentences give readers an idea of what is being discussed in the section. Write a responsive body paragraph for every new idea you add.

3. Is reaction paper similar to a response paper?

Yes. Reaction papers and response essays are used interchangeably. Responsive essays analyze author's point of view and compare them with your personal perspective. This type of academic writing gives you freedom to share your feelings and opinion about an idea. People also discuss how ideas, concepts, and literature material influence them in a response paper.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

You may also like

I need help adding to this  Response Essays develop your personal...

I need help adding to this 

Response Essays develop your personal responses to a literary work; they clarify your thoughts and feelings, consider what may have triggered these responses, and place your reading in the context of your individual history, other readings, and cultural background.

Madden, Frank, Exploring Literature, 5th Ed. ISBN: 9780205184798  

1. "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin

Your Own View: In "Sonny's Blues," I found the portrayal of the complex relationship between the two brothers and the power of music to be deeply moving.

A Clearly Stated Thesis: The healing power of music is a central theme in "Sonny's Blues."

Logically Developed: This story explores the struggles of African American brothers in Harlem and how Sonny, the younger brother, uses jazz music as a means to express himself and cope with his pain. The story delves into the themes of addiction, redemption, and the importance of understanding and empathy within a family.

Supported With References to the Text: One poignant moment in the story is when Sonny says, "I wanted to hear the music, and look, all I was able to do was close my eyes and watch the darkness between the notes." This quote illustrates Sonny's deep connection to music as a way to convey his emotions.

2. "The Red Convertible" by Louise Erdrich

Your Own View: "The Red Convertible" is a touching exploration of brotherly love and the devastating effects of war on the human psyche.

A Clearly Stated Thesis: The red convertible symbolizes the relationship between the two brothers and the impact of the Vietnam War on their bond.

Logically Developed: The story revolves around two brothers, Lyman and Henry, and their cherished red convertible, which becomes a symbol of their carefree relationship before Henry's deployment to Vietnam. The story explores the changes in Henry's personality and the emotional toll of war on both brothers.

Supported With References to the Text: The transformation of the red convertible from a symbol of freedom and joy to a neglected and damaged vehicle mirrors the transformation of the brothers' relationship. The text emphasizes this shift, as Lyman says, "I didn't know if I had done right but I had done something." This quote underscores the emotional weight of their experiences.

3. "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan

Your Own View: "Two Kinds" highlights the struggles between a mother and daughter's conflicting aspirations and expectations.

A Clearly Stated Thesis: The story "Two Kinds" explores the generational and cultural clash between a Chinese immigrant mother and her American-born daughter.

Logically Developed: The story delves into the challenges faced by the young protagonist as she tries to fulfill her mother's dreams of becoming a child prodigy. It illustrates the tensions that arise when cultural expectations collide with personal desires.

Supported With References to the Text: The text provides several examples of the mother's insistence on her daughter's success, such as the statement, "Only two kinds of daughters. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind!" This quote reveals the central conflict between the two characters.

Answer & Explanation

1. "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

• Your Own View: "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a chilling and suspenseful exploration of the human psyche and the consequences of guilt.
• A Clearly Stated Thesis: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" delves into the effects of guilt on the narrator's sanity and the thin line between reality and madness.
• Logically Developed: The story unfolds through the eyes of an unreliable narrator who, driven by guilt, becomes increasingly unhinged. His obsession with the old man's eye and his eventual murder reveal the depths of his deteriorating mental state.
• Supported With References to the Text: The narrator's descent into madness is evident when he declares, "It's the beating of his hideous heart!" This statement underscores the narrative's exploration of guilt, paranoia, and the narrator's deteriorating mental condition.

2. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Your Own View: "The Great Gatsby" is a timeless novel that provides a vivid portrayal of the American Dream and its ultimate disillusionment.
• A Clearly Stated Thesis: F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" serves as a critique of the American Dream, highlighting its shallow and illusory nature.
• Logically Develope d: The novel explores the lives of the wealthy elite during the Roaring Twenties and the pursuit of material success. Through the character of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald presents the idea that the American Dream is ultimately unattainable and empty.
• Supported With References to the Text: Gatsby's unrequited love for Daisy Buchanan and his opulent parties are symbolic of the pursuit of the American Dream. As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that Gatsby's wealth and success are hollow, as he remains unfulfilled and disillusioned.

3. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

• Your Own View: "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a thought-provoking exploration of racial injustice and moral growth in the American South during the 1930s.
• A Clearly Stated Thesis: Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" underscores the pervasive racial prejudice and the moral awakening experienced by the young protagonist, Scout Finch.
• Logically Developed: The story follows Scout, her brother Jem, and their father, Atticus, as they navigate the deeply divided town of Maycomb, Alabama, where racial tensions and prejudice run high. Through the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, the novel examines the moral challenges and ethical choices faced by the characters.
• Supported With References to the Text: Atticus Finch's iconic statement, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it," encapsulates the novel's central theme of empathy and understanding in the face of racial injustice.

4. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

• Your Own View: "The Catcher in the Rye" is a poignant exploration of adolescent alienation, the loss of innocence, and the search for authenticity in a conformist society.
• A Clearly Stated Thesis: J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" delves into the alienation and disconnection experienced by the teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield, as he grapples with the complexities of growing up.
• Logically Developed: The novel takes readers on Holden's journey through New York City, where he encounters various characters and experiences, each contributing to his sense of isolation and disillusionment. It raises questions about the authenticity of the adult world and the loss of innocence in the transition to adulthood.
• Supported With References to the Text: Holden's fixation on the song "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" and his desire to be the catcher in the rye who saves children from falling off a cliff symbolize his longing to protect innocence and preserve the purity of youth in a world he perceives as corrupt and hypocritical.

I hope this can help and guide you on your task. If there are any questions, clarifications, or concerns, feel free to ask me. Would love to answer that and help you.  Thank you. :)

Related Q&A

• Q Hi, I need help with part (b).  . 7. Suppose that f : [a, b] - R is a bounded Riemann integrable function. Define the ar... Answered over 90d ago
• Q In Illinois v. Wardlow , the Court found that fleeing from law enforcement officers while in an area known for heavy nar... Answered 51d ago
• Q Discuss why the distinctive credential 'chartered accountant' (and its abbreviations) has been important to members of t... Answered over 90d ago
• Q This week, you learned about demographic traits as they relate to an audience analysis, which is important to know about... Answered 44d ago
• Q  . An airline is considering charging a two-tiered rate for checked bags based on their weight. Before deciding at what ... Answered 51d ago
• Q Elliot and Brandwon operate a record label, Surf Dreams, in the Inland Empire region of California. They have not filed ... Answered over 90d ago
• Q A researcher has two sections of a psychology class, each with 30 students, to use as participants. The same puzzle is p... Answered over 90d ago
• Q Activity 2. 12:31 Exp Rd Wr IV-2 Johnson Keduy TO LaunchACTIVIty Z 20139) O APEX 2023 $5 8 23:59 X141 15 > Complete t... Answered over 90d ago
• Q "You are focused on independent planning, instructing large groups of students, and leading activities supporting profes... Answered 4d ago
• Q  . A scaffold of mass 53 kg and length 5.0 m is supported in a horizontal position by a vertical cable at each end. A wi... Answered over 90d ago
• Q Mrs. Jensen has been a patient in your office for longer than 10 years. At best, she has been difficult and demanding. S... Answered over 90d ago
• Q {American History to 1865}     Considering all you have learned this semester, what do you see as the two most impactful... Answered over 90d ago
• Q Text Book: Fred S. Kleiner's Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume I, 15th or 16th edition. Ch... Answered over 90d ago
• Q Progressivism in the first decades 20th Century and the New Deal in the 1930s both represented efforts to address partic... Answered over 90d ago
• Q   1.  Footnote 4 explains "whatever is dependently arisen" as the "interrelation of everything in the world."  According... Answered 36d ago
• Q Assignment, play the first run of the Macroeconomics Simulation: Econland from Harvard Business Review, in which you wil... Answered over 90d ago
• googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('footerCliffsnotesAd'); }); CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. About CliffsNotes

Which of these describes a response-to-literature essay? A.) analysis of theme, plot, and allusion in a work of literature B.) examination of the historical context of a work of literature C.) expression of an emotional reaction to a work of literature D.) writing to persuade the reader about a controversial opinion

📚 Related Questions

The Knights of the Round Table were bound by the code of chivalry that called for loyalty to king, God, and lady. In which lines of this excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight does Sir Gawain describe upholding this code? As you promised in presence of these proud knights. To the Green Chapel come, I charge you, to take Such a dint as you have dealt--you have well deserved. And the loss of my life would be least of any; That I have you for uncle is my only praise; My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth; And for that this folly befits not a king, And 'tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine, By heaven, I would hold me the happiest of men If by word or by work I once might aspire To the prize of your praise--'twere a pure joy!' "Behold , sir," said he, and handles the belt, "This is the blazon of the blemish that I bear on my neck; This is the sign of sore loss that I have suffered there; For the cowardice and coveting that I came to there; This is the badge of false faith that I was found in there,

And the loss of my life would be least of any;

That I have you for uncle is my only praise;

My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;

And for that this folly befits not a king,

And 'tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine,

Explanation:

Here, Sir Gawain shows loyalty to his uncle and king. He makes it clear that he would even die for him. It is certainly chivalrous and described by Sir Gawain in a poetic, but firm and convincing way.

We can actually deduce here that the lines of this excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that Sir Gawain describe as upholding this code is: And the loss of my life would be least of any;

And 'tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine.

What is excerpt?

An excerpt actually talks about an extract that is gotten from a passage, a text, a story, movie or music. It is usually extracted for some specific reasons.

Thus, we see that the option B is the correct line of this excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that shows Sir Gawain describe upholding the code.

Learn more about the excerpt on https://brainly.com/question/24864502

Select the choice which best identifies the given passage from "The Cask of Amontillado". "Putting on a mask of black silk, and drawing a roquelaire [cloak of knee length] closely about my person, I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo [a large home or mansion]." A.) Characterization B.) Irony/sarcasm C.) Setting D.) Tragic resolution

Characterization ( I just took the quiz )

Choose the best word pair to complete the following analogy. NEWSPAPER WRITING : NARRATIVE NONFICTION = ______________:__________ A. nonfiction : fiction. B. story : poem . C. dog : mammal . D. author : novel

Identify the connection between the way individuality is expressed in Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and in Thoreau's Walden. Which of these is correct? A. Emerson supports the group, while Thoreau supports the power of the individual. B. Emerson explores the negative side of individuality, while Thoreau explores the positive side. C. Emerson introduces the tenant of individuality, and Thoreau puts it into practice. D. Emerson connects individuality with frugality, while Thoreau connects individuality with wealth.

Details : Identify the connection between the way individuality is expressed

Which of the following sentences from "The Balek Scales" does NOT support the story's theme of oppression and inequality? "For five generations they had been breathing m the dust which rose from the crushed flax stalks letting themselves be killed off by slow degrees, a race of long-suffering, cheerful people who ate goat cheese, potatoes, and now and then a rabbit...' "Durmg the day they would carry the flax stalks to the antiquated machmes, with no protection from the dust and at the mercy from the heat which came pourmg out of the drymg 'Each cottage contained only one bed, standmg against the wall like a closet and reserced for the parents, while the children slept all round the room on benches. " "The children would crawl deep into the green darkness of the forest during the autumn when dampness drove the mushrooms out of the soil, and almost every family had its places where it gathered mushrooms, places which were handed do-em m whispers from generation to generation. "

In which of the following excerpts from "The Yellow Wall Paper" does author Charlotte Perkins Gilman seem to mock the romantic belief in the supernatural? A) A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity—but that would be asking too much of fate! B) There is a delicious garden! I never saw such a garden—large and shady, full of box-bordered paths, and lined with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them. C) The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. D) Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it!

The correct answer for the question: In which of the following excerpts from "The Yellow Wallpaper" does author Charlotte Perkins Gilman seem to mock the romantic belief in the supernatural, would be, excerpt A: A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity- but that would be asking too much of fate!

In Romanticism, one of the main characteristics was the admiration of the supernatural, and even sometimes the magical worlds. However, when Realism and Naturalism arrived, all these notions about the supernatural, and the admiration for it changed entirely. In this work by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and which was published in 1892, the author herself turns the idea of the supernatural into something of a joke, especially in excerpt A, when she says: "I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity-but that would be asking too much of fate!". With this statement, what the author is saying is that the house did not even merit much admiration, and what to romantics would have seem as mysticism, to her it was plainly, and basically, a ghost story, if that.

Read the following sentence: After hiking all morning, Rafael and his friends needed a rest, so they sat down on a large rock and ate their lunches. How would you correct the sentence? A.) After hiking all morning, Rafael and his friends needed a rest so they sat down on a large rock and ate their lunches. B.) After hiking all morning, Rafael and his friends needed a rest. So they sat down on a large rock and ate their lunches. C.) The sentence is correct as is.

Identify the meaning of the metaphor used in this phrase from the excerpt. An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man; A. An institution can be undermined because of the negative effect of an individual. B. Most institutions begin with or revolve around one exceptional individual. C. An institution's growth requires the presence of educated people. D. Most institutions are built by the efforts of many like-minded individuals.

Details : Identify the meaning of the metaphor used in this phrase from the

In the first paragraph of the passage, the author describes the setting of the essay. Which of these is the key component of a narrative does he address? A.) thesis statement B.) development C.) story elements D.) point of view

Which of these best describes Mrs. Peters in "A Jury of Her Peers?" A.) She hated to see things half done. B.) She had eyes that looked as if they could see a long way into things. C.) She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively. D.) She was real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery.

Choose the statement that shows the way the modernist poets' language differ from that of traditional poetry. A.) The modernists rejected the use of similes and metaphors. B.) The modernists preferred long lines of verse to short lines. C.) The modernists did not follow uniform rhyme and rhythm patterns. D.) The modernists rarely used allusions to other well-known works.

The correct answer is c.

Complete the sentence. In the spiritual "Go Down, Moses," Moses is a coded reference to __________. A.) a master who has decided to free his slaves B.) a conductor who guides people on the Underground Railroad C.) a slave trader who causes much misery D.) a former slave who is escaping to the North

The correct answer is B) : a conductor who guides people on the Underground Railroad.

" Go Down, Moses" is said to be a spiritual as it is associated with the southern African American people,who live in the south of U.S,and the oppression they were living in the Underground Railroad. This type of songs remembers them there may be a possibility to escape to be free.

There is a direct reference with the biblical episode of Moses liberating the Israelites from the Egyptians. In this case, Moses is the abolitionist who wants to conduct the slaves out of the Underground Railroad and take them to freedom.

Details : Complete the sentence. In the spiritual "Go Down, Moses," Moses is

What kind of sound do the poem's rhyme and meter create in "The Rainy Day"? A. jazzy and strong B. intellectual and challenging C. simple and rhythmic D. complex and unpredictable

The answer is simple and rythymic

Hope you pass your test

you probably did

Fill in the blank with the appropriate word. An adjective clause may modify a(n) _____. A.) adjective B.) adverb C.) noun D.) verb

The purpose of the anecdotes in "The last judgement" about each person kugler has known serve most to ______. A) generate sympathy for Kugler. B) add characters to the story. C) help the judges make their decisions. D) develop Kugler's character.

Which of these statements should not be included in a summary of “The First Seven Years” by Bernard Malamud? A.) Sobel returns to work as Feld’s assistant. B.) Sobel escapes from the Nazis in World War II. C.) Sobel hears Feld ask Max to date Miriam. D.) Sobel shares a love of reading with Miriam

Details : Which of these statements should not be included in a summary of

Which elements of drama reveal the traits and motivations of the characters to the audience? A.) Plot B.) Theme C.) Setting D.) Stage directions E.) Dialogue

The plot of Antigone incorporates various elements of tragedy. Determine through which character does Sophocles primarily develop the element of hubris.

Sophocles develop the element of hubris by creating Creon.

Hybrid is a concept Sophocles develop as a state of mind or personality type that characterizes for an increased self-confidence that makes the person under its characteristics superb, arrogant, proud, and as a consequence overconfident of himself or herself. Its effect on people is making them believe that they are exempted from the gods' punishments and thus, believe they can defy them because they are so capable that gods have no control or influence over their destiny.

In what way does the choice of a narrator, persona, or speaker affect the tone of a text? A.) The choice determines the tone's point of view. B.) The choice determines how the tone develops in the climax. C.) The choice never impacts the tone(s) in a text. D.) The choice determines how the audience perceives a given tone.

What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening! I wished to annihilate the tedious intervening days. I chafed against the work of school. At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read. The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me. I asked for leave to go to the bazaar on Saturday night. My aunt was surprised, and hoped it was not some Freemason affair. I answered few questions in class. I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness; he hoped I was not beginning too idle. I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had hardly any patience with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child's play, ugly monotonous child's play. Which line from this excerpt of James Joyce's "Araby" indicates that the bazaar represents an escape for the narrator from his mundane life? A. What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening! B. in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read. The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me. C. My aunt was surprised, and hoped it was not some Freemason affair. D. I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness; he hoped I was

Details : What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts

Which sentence best interprets this excerpt from “Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen?

C. The poet rebukes readers for their mistaken belief that war is glorious.

plato/edmentum - correct answer

According to Lao Zi, what does a wise ruler do to maintain order among his people? A. praises the good B. Empties their minds C. Punishes the weak D. Takes no action

a , praise the good got it right on edg

This sentence does not contain any errors in the use of italics or quotation marks. A. People whose names begin with A and B can come to this line. B. People whose names begin with "A" and B can come to this line. C. People whose names begin with "A" and "B" can come to this line. D. People whose names begin with A and B can come to this line.

Which Greek god was Helen of Troy's father according to Homer's Iliad? A. Apollo B. Poseidon C. Zeus D. Hades

Details : Which Greek god was Helen of Troy's father according to Homer's Iliad?

Which lines in the passage explain why English scholars felt a dire need to set standards for the English language? One might think that proud English writers would welcome a broader readership. However, quite the opposite happened. Though scholars agreed that English was a great language, many felt that it was in danger. According to some scholars, when poorly educated people read, wrote, and spoke, they corrupted the English language. Today, if you do not know how to spell a word, you look it up in the dictionary. During the early eighteenth century, there were few dictionaries. Those that did exist were mainly collections of difficult words or translation dictionaries (Latin to English, for example). There was no authority on the"correct" way to use or spell words.

According to some scholars , when poorly educated people read , wrote , and spoke , they corrupted the English language explain that English scholars felt a dire need to set standards for the English language .

Why English scholars felt a need to set standards for the English language?

Some English scholars felt a desire to set the standards for the English language because nowadays English plays a crucial role in our educational system .

The set of standards would bring the innovation and creativity to the English language that is essential to teaching and learning .

Other line that shows the need of scholars to set the standards for English is there was no authority on the " correct " way to use or spell words .

Learn more about the standard English here:-

https://brainly.com/question/2730810

In this analogy from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, which element is analogous to "sweet herbs"? These attributes, in spite of poverty and the strict integrity which shut him out from the more worldly successes, attracted to him many admirable persons, as naturally as sweet herbs draw bees, and as naturally he gave them the honey into which fifty years of hard experience had distilled no bitter drop. A.) attributes B.) admirable persons C.) hard experience D.) honey

Which of the following sentences contains a capitalization error? A.) The president and his family visited some historic sites. B.) The family of president Jones enjoyed a vacation. C.) The nation looks to the president for leadership. D.) The media interviews the president most days.

its b hope this helps:)

This distinguishing feature of realist literature is used by Mark Twain in this excerpt from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I ain' gwyne to len' no mo' money 'dout I see security. Boun' to git yo' money back a hund'd times, de preacher says! Ef I could git de ten cents back, I'd call it squah, en be glad er de chanst. A.) dramatic dialogue B.) dialect C.) an unreliable character D.) setting E.) undecipherable language

Right answer is B. Dialect

Details : This distinguishing feature of realist literature is used by Mark

Complete the sentence. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" can best be categorized as a villanelle for all of the following reasons except _______ . a. The rhyme scheme is open b. The poem contains 19 lines c. the lines establish a musical rhythm d. the poem ends with a rhyming couplet

rhyme scheme is open

Choose the statement in this excerpt from Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby shows that the author learned to have high expectations in life only after he went to a football (soccer) game. I'd been to public entertainments before, of course; I'd been to the cinema and the pantomime and to see my mother sing in the chorus of the White Horse Inn at the Town Hall. But that was different. The audiences I had hitherto been a part of had paid to have a good time and, though occasionally one might spot a fidgety child or a yawning adult, I hadn't ever noticed faces contorted by rage or despair or frustration.

"but that was different aint" one the answers

Other Questions

• The Knights of the Round Table were bound by the code of chivalry that called for loyalty to king, God, and lady. In which lines of this excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight does Sir Gawain describe upholding this code?As you promised in presence of these proud knights.To the Green Chapel come, I charge you, to takeSuch a dint as you have dealt--you have well deserved. And the loss of my life would be least of any;That I have you for uncle is my only praise;My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;And for that this folly befits not a king,And 'tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine,By heaven, I would hold me the happiest of menIf by word or by work I once might aspire To the prize of your praise--'twere a pure joy!'"Behold , sir," said he, and handles the belt,"This is the blazon of the blemish that I bear on my neck;This is the sign of sore loss that I have suffered there;For the cowardice and coveting that I came to there;This is the badge of false faith that I was found in there,
• Check my answer, please.What does conserving mass mean in a chemical equation?1) There is an equal number of each type of atom on the reactant and product side.2) There is an unequal number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.3) There are more of each type of atom on the product side than on the reactant side.4) There are more of each type of atom on the reactant side than on the product side.
• Select the choice which best identifies the given passage from "The Cask of Amontillado". "Putting on a mask of black silk, and drawing a roquelaire [cloak of knee length] closely about my person, I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo [a large home or mansion]." A.) Characterization B.) Irony/sarcasmC.) SettingD.) Tragic resolution
• Complete the sentence with the appropriate word.Your _____ are the beliefs and principles that define who you are, shape attitudes and choices, and help set priorities. a. aptitudesb. valuesc. interestsd. abilities
• Which of these represents the measures of all angles coterminal with a 418 angle?A. 360 + 58n, for any whole number nB. 58 + 360n, for any integer nC. 58 + 360n, for any whole number nD. 360 + 58n, for any integer n
• Choose the best explanation for the Catholic Church to introduce tropes. A.) to convey to the common people the mysterious ways in which fate worked B.) to teach morals by dramatizing the lives of saints and church leaders C.) to increase the common people's interest in and understanding of religious ideasD.) to popularize the classical language of Latin among the people
• Which of these policies enacted by Genghis Khan aided the development of Mongolian society? A.) the promotion of trade throughout Asia. B.) the adoption of Turkish script. C.) the codification of Mongolian laws. D.) all of the above.
• British Columbia's geography, ethnic diversity, and trade link the province to________.(A) Eastern Europe(B) South America(C) the Pacific Rim(D) France and Germany
• In right triangle ABC, C is a right angle and sin A = sin B. Solve for mA.A. 30 degrees B. 45 degreesC. 60 degreesD. 75 degrees
• Choose the best word pair to complete the following analogy.NEWSPAPER WRITING : NARRATIVE NONFICTION = ______________:__________ A. nonfiction : fiction. B. story : poem . C. dog : mammal . D. author : novel
• Miranda bought some apples and oranges at the store for fruit salad. Owen bought three times as many apples and twice as many oranges. Miranda has 5 fruits in her bag, but Owen has 12 fruits in his bag. Determine how many apples did Miranda purchase.
• Identify the connection between the way individuality is expressed in Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and in Thoreau's Walden. Which of these is correct?A. Emerson supports the group, while Thoreau supports the power of the individual. B. Emerson explores the negative side of individuality, while Thoreau explores the positive side. C. Emerson introduces the tenant of individuality, and Thoreau puts it into practice.D. Emerson connects individuality with frugality, while Thoreau connects individuality with wealth.
• Consider the formula for glucose: C6H12O6. What does this indicate about the relationship of the reactants to glucose?A.) Twelve water (H2O) molecules were used to make it.B.) Twelve hydrogen (H2) molecules were used to make it.C.) Six oxygen (O2) molecules were used to make it.D.) Six carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules were used to make it.
• Which of these fronts did the fighting occur during the Revolutionary War? A.) the northern front B.) the southern front C.) the western frontier D.) The ocean front E.) all of the above
• Which term describes a relationship in which one quantity is a multiple of the other quantity?A. VariationB. Indirect variationC. Direct optionD. Direct variationE. Indirect option
• Complete the sentence with appropriate words. World War I and World War II were both concentrated in ____ and ____ in scope.
• The Marshall Plan was enacted to support a U.S. foreign policy to keep communism from spreading, also known as _______.A.) containmentB.) deterrenceC.) the Nuremberg TrialsD.) NATO
• Aerial's grandmother gave her $5,500.00 to save for her college education. She went to the bank to open a savings account. The bank told her they had two options available.Account A will pay 5.5% simple interest until the account is closed.Account B will pay 4.5% simple interest and if the account is left open for longer than 3 years, then at the end of the third year a bonus account will be opened with $250 that also earns 4.5% for the remainder of the time the initial account is open. When the initial account is closed, the bonus account will be closed as well and the money from the two accounts will be combined.If Aerial is planning on leaving the money in the account for 4 years and then withdrawing all funds, then account a or b is the better choice earning her ________ more. A.) 18.75B.) 30.00C.) 41.25D.) 208.75 E.) 220.00
• Which of the following sentences from "The Balek Scales" does NOT support the story's theme of oppression and inequality?"For five generations they had been breathing m the dust which rose from the crushed flax stalks letting themselves be killed off by slow degrees, a race of long-suffering, cheerful people who ate goat cheese, potatoes, and now and then a rabbit...' "Durmg the day they would carry the flax stalks to the antiquated machmes, with no protection from the dust and at the mercy from the heat which came pourmg out of the drymg 'Each cottage contained only one bed, standmg against the wall like a closet and reserced for the parents, while the children slept all round the room on benches. " "The children would crawl deep into the green darkness of the forest during the autumn when dampness drove the mushrooms out of the soil, and almost every family had its places where it gathered mushrooms, places which were handed do-em m whispers from generation to generation. "
• Which of these fields was the Lost Generation associated with?a. musicb. moviesc. literatured. science