Professor Gair's Writing Tips for Literature Response Papers - Prof. Richard A. Gair, Papers of Contemporary Literature

Download Professor Gair's Writing Tips for Literature Response Papers - Prof. Richard A. Gair and more Papers Contemporary Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Writer's Tips from Professor Gair  Writing About Literature   Use this for LIT 2174 and LIT 2955 Literature Response Papers All papers are to be Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced with a half inch margin on all four sides. Objective In this lesson, you'll learn how to read a literary piece closely, to identify some literary elements, and to write an academic essay about a literary work. At the end of studying this handout you should have an idea of the variety of ways you will need to think about and react to the weekly literature readings in your IMAGES FROM THE HOLOCAUST anthology. Keep this handout next to you when you write your responses. Since the responses will be for multiple readings you must be concise and to the point. Each piece of literature in the course will require a single paragraph (1) reaction in the following form: Title of Piece Page number in Images…. Write a one paragraph reaction incorporating some of the tips in this handout that are relevant to that particular piece. Choose the most dominant features since you will be limiting the length to a paragraph. You will not be able to incorporate all these tips in each…choose wisely. SKIP A LINE REPEAT THE ABOVE PATTERN FOR EACH PIECE OF LITERATURE ASSIGNED. Thinking about Literature Being able to write about a work of literature such as a novel, short story, or poem is the key to success in many college English courses. Before you can write about a work of literature, you must learn to read it well and to analyze it. Pa ge 1 1. Close reading: • It is best to read a piece of literature at least twice. The first time you read it, focus on the story or idea being presented. Sourcehttp://www.smarthinking.com/static/Document_Library/docs/writeman/1_10.cfm • The second time you read it, think about the characters' development and the author's writing techniques. 2. Highlight important passages in the text and take good notes to help you remember what you read. 3. You might be asked to write about the piece of literature in several ways: • Explication: Most often used with poetry but sometimes with prose or drama, explication is a detailed, line-by-line, explanation of a passage. This type of essay requires close attention to language: e.g., special meanings of words, figurative language, irony, symbolism, rhythm, sound, and irony. • Analysis: Whereas an explication will examine certain passages in great depth, an analysis usually looks only at one element of a piece of literature, such as plot or character development, and then relates that element to the entire work. • Comparison and Contrast: Sometimes you will be asked to write about more than one work. In this case, usually you will write about the similarities or differences within and between works. So, you might be comparing two poems about the same theme by different authors or contrasting the plots of two different stories by one author. Some Elements for Understanding Literature • Author: Who is the author? What kind of person is s/he? Reading a brief biographical sketch of the author will give you valuable insight. Was the author male or female? Rich or poor? A member of a minority group in society? Understanding the author can help you to understand his/her writing better. • Historical Context: What was life like when the author wrote the piece? For example, consider Mark Twain's book Tom Sawyer. American society in Twain's day was divided over the issue of slavery and racial relations. On the surface, Tom Sawyer is about two boys who take a boat ride on the Mississippi River. However, understanding the racial concerns of Twain's day suggests that a major theme of the book is his opposition to racism in America. • Structure: While reading through the work, look at the plot or main point. Does it have a definite beginning, middle, and end? What is the major conflict? Which characters are most important? Are there any subplots (that is, secondary stories about minor characters)? Pa ge 2 • Literary Techniques: Different writers use different literary techniques. Usually, the writer chooses a specific technique in order to bring important themes to the reader's attention. Look for the following literary techniques as you read a work: o Irony - Irony is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. There are three kinds of irony commonly found in literary works: Sourcehttp://www.smarthinking.com/static/Document_Library/docs/writeman/1_10.cfm