Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Book report vs Literary essay


  • Using Thesis statement+Topic sentence

Three components:

1- What; claim about the text ( interpretation)

2- How; the literary elements ( figures of speech, symbolism, themes)

3- Why; the significance of your claim answers the question: so what?

Bad thesis statements:

1- This poem shows the narrator comparing his love to a summer's day. (plot summary)

2- The poem presents the power of love to conquer death. (too universal)

3- The poem shows how narratives can last while nature cannot. (too general)

4- The poem proves that the pen is mightier than the sword. (cliché)

5- The structure, character and dialogue in the poem show us how humans search for knowledge. (list)

Good thesis statements

1- Despite its emphasis on love and physical beauty, the poem reveals the ways in which humans can triumph over the vagaries of nature. (qualities: specific, arguable, provides a structure for your arguments, goes beyond "so what?")

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