how to write english literature essay a level

How to Write a Good English Literature Essay

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

How do you write a good English Literature essay? Although to an extent this depends on the particular subject you’re writing about, and on the nature of the question your essay is attempting to answer, there are a few general guidelines for how to write a convincing essay – just as there are a few guidelines for writing well in any field.

We at Interesting Literature  call them ‘guidelines’ because we hesitate to use the word ‘rules’, which seems too programmatic. And as the writing habits of successful authors demonstrate, there is no  one way to become a good writer – of essays, novels, poems, or whatever it is you’re setting out to write. The French writer Colette liked to begin her writing day by picking the fleas off her cat.

Edith Sitwell, by all accounts, liked to lie in an open coffin before she began her day’s writing. Friedrich von Schiller kept rotten apples in his desk, claiming he needed the scent of their decay to help him write. (For most student essay-writers, such an aroma is probably allowed to arise in the writing-room more organically, over time.)

We will address our suggestions for successful essay-writing to the average student of English Literature, whether at university or school level. There are many ways to approach the task of essay-writing, and these are just a few pointers for how to write a better English essay – and some of these pointers may also work for other disciplines and subjects, too.

Of course, these guidelines are designed to be of interest to the non-essay-writer too – people who have an interest in the craft of writing in general. If this describes you, we hope you enjoy the list as well. Remember, though, everyone can find writing difficult: as Thomas Mann memorably put it, ‘A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.’ Nora Ephron was briefer: ‘I think the hardest thing about writing is writing.’ So, the guidelines for successful essay-writing:

1. Planning is important, but don’t spend too long perfecting a structure that might end up changing.

This may seem like odd advice to kick off with, but the truth is that different approaches work for different students and essayists. You need to find out which method works best for you.

It’s not a bad idea, regardless of whether you’re a big planner or not, to sketch out perhaps a few points on a sheet of paper before you start, but don’t be surprised if you end up moving away from it slightly – or considerably – when you start to write.

Often the most extensively planned essays are the most mechanistic and dull in execution, precisely because the writer has drawn up a plan and refused to deviate from it. What  is a more valuable skill is to be able to sense when your argument may be starting to go off-topic, or your point is getting out of hand,  as you write . (For help on this, see point 5 below.)

We might even say that when it comes to knowing how to write a good English Literature essay,  practising  is more important than planning.

2. Make room for close analysis of the text, or texts.

Whilst it’s true that some first-class or A-grade essays will be impressive without containing any close reading as such, most of the highest-scoring and most sophisticated essays tend to zoom in on the text and examine its language and imagery closely in the course of the argument. (Close reading of literary texts arises from theology and the analysis of holy scripture, but really became a ‘thing’ in literary criticism in the early twentieth century, when T. S. Eliot, F. R. Leavis, William Empson, and other influential essayists started to subject the poem or novel to close scrutiny.)

Close reading has two distinct advantages: it increases the specificity of your argument (so you can’t be so easily accused of generalising a point), and it improves your chances of pointing up something about the text which none of the other essays your marker is reading will have said. For instance, take In Memoriam  (1850), which is a long Victorian poem by the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson about his grief following the death of his close friend, Arthur Hallam, in the early 1830s.

When answering a question about the representation of religious faith in Tennyson’s poem  In Memoriam  (1850), how might you write a particularly brilliant essay about this theme? Anyone can make a general point about the poet’s crisis of faith; but to look closely at the language used gives you the chance to show  how the poet portrays this.

For instance, consider this stanza, which conveys the poet’s doubt:

A solid and perfectly competent essay might cite this stanza in support of the claim that Tennyson is finding it increasingly difficult to have faith in God (following the untimely and senseless death of his friend, Arthur Hallam). But there are several ways of then doing something more with it. For instance, you might get close to the poem’s imagery, and show how Tennyson conveys this idea, through the image of the ‘altar-stairs’ associated with religious worship and the idea of the stairs leading ‘thro’ darkness’ towards God.

In other words, Tennyson sees faith as a matter of groping through the darkness, trusting in God without having evidence that he is there. If you like, it’s a matter of ‘blind faith’. That would be a good reading. Now, here’s how to make a good English essay on this subject even better: one might look at how the word ‘falter’ – which encapsulates Tennyson’s stumbling faith – disperses into ‘falling’ and ‘altar’ in the succeeding lines. The word ‘falter’, we might say, itself falters or falls apart.

That is doing more than just interpreting the words: it’s being a highly careful reader of the poetry and showing how attentive to the language of the poetry you can be – all the while answering the question, about how the poem portrays the idea of faith. So, read and then reread the text you’re writing about – and be sensitive to such nuances of language and style.

The best way to  become attuned to such nuances is revealed in point 5. We might summarise this point as follows: when it comes to knowing how to write a persuasive English Literature essay, it’s one thing to have a broad and overarching argument, but don’t be afraid to use the  microscope as well as the telescope.

3. Provide several pieces of evidence where possible.

Many essays have a point to make and make it, tacking on a single piece of evidence from the text (or from beyond the text, e.g. a critical, historical, or biographical source) in the hope that this will be enough to make the point convincing.

‘State, quote, explain’ is the Holy Trinity of the Paragraph for many. What’s wrong with it? For one thing, this approach is too formulaic and basic for many arguments. Is one quotation enough to support a point? It’s often a matter of degree, and although one piece of evidence is better than none, two or three pieces will be even more persuasive.

After all, in a court of law a single eyewitness account won’t be enough to convict the accused of the crime, and even a confession from the accused would carry more weight if it comes supported by other, objective evidence (e.g. DNA, fingerprints, and so on).

Let’s go back to the example about Tennyson’s faith in his poem  In Memoriam  mentioned above. Perhaps you don’t find the end of the poem convincing – when the poet claims to have rediscovered his Christian faith and to have overcome his grief at the loss of his friend.

You can find examples from the end of the poem to suggest your reading of the poet’s insincerity may have validity, but looking at sources beyond the poem – e.g. a good edition of the text, which will contain biographical and critical information – may help you to find a clinching piece of evidence to support your reading.

And, sure enough, Tennyson is reported to have said of  In Memoriam : ‘It’s too hopeful, this poem, more than I am myself.’ And there we have it: much more convincing than simply positing your reading of the poem with a few ambiguous quotations from the poem itself.

Of course, this rule also works in reverse: if you want to argue, for instance, that T. S. Eliot’s  The Waste Land is overwhelmingly inspired by the poet’s unhappy marriage to his first wife, then using a decent biographical source makes sense – but if you didn’t show evidence for this idea from the poem itself (see point 2), all you’ve got is a vague, general link between the poet’s life and his work.

Show  how the poet’s marriage is reflected in the work, e.g. through men and women’s relationships throughout the poem being shown as empty, soulless, and unhappy. In other words, when setting out to write a good English essay about any text, don’t be afraid to  pile on  the evidence – though be sensible, a handful of quotations or examples should be more than enough to make your point convincing.

4. Avoid tentative or speculative phrasing.

Many essays tend to suffer from the above problem of a lack of evidence, so the point fails to convince. This has a knock-on effect: often the student making the point doesn’t sound especially convinced by it either. This leaks out in the telling use of, and reliance on, certain uncertain  phrases: ‘Tennyson might have’ or ‘perhaps Harper Lee wrote this to portray’ or ‘it can be argued that’.

An English university professor used to write in the margins of an essay which used this last phrase, ‘What  can’t be argued?’

This is a fair criticism: anything can be argued (badly), but it depends on what evidence you can bring to bear on it (point 3) as to whether it will be a persuasive argument. (Arguing that the plays of Shakespeare were written by a Martian who came down to Earth and ingratiated himself with the world of Elizabethan theatre is a theory that can be argued, though few would take it seriously. We wish we could say ‘none’, but that’s a story for another day.)

Many essay-writers, because they’re aware that texts are often open-ended and invite multiple interpretations (as almost all great works of literature invariably do), think that writing ‘it can be argued’ acknowledges the text’s rich layering of meaning and is therefore valid.

Whilst this is certainly a fact – texts are open-ended and can be read in wildly different ways – the phrase ‘it can be argued’ is best used sparingly if at all. It should be taken as true that your interpretation is, at bottom, probably unprovable. What would it mean to ‘prove’ a reading as correct, anyway? Because you found evidence that the author intended the same thing as you’ve argued of their text? Tennyson wrote in a letter, ‘I wrote In Memoriam  because…’?

But the author might have lied about it (e.g. in an attempt to dissuade people from looking too much into their private life), or they might have changed their mind (to go back to the example of  The Waste Land : T. S. Eliot championed the idea of poetic impersonality in an essay of 1919, but years later he described  The Waste Land as ‘only the relief of a personal and wholly insignificant grouse against life’ – hardly impersonal, then).

Texts – and their writers – can often be contradictory, or cagey about their meaning. But we as critics have to act responsibly when writing about literary texts in any good English essay or exam answer. We need to argue honestly, and sincerely – and not use what Wikipedia calls ‘weasel words’ or hedging expressions.

So, if nothing is utterly provable, all that remains is to make the strongest possible case you can with the evidence available. You do this, not only through marshalling the evidence in an effective way, but by writing in a confident voice when making your case. Fundamentally, ‘There is evidence to suggest that’ says more or less the same thing as ‘It can be argued’, but it foregrounds the  evidence rather than the argument, so is preferable as a phrase.

This point might be summarised by saying: the best way to write a good English Literature essay is to be honest about the reading you’re putting forward, so you can be confident in your interpretation and use clear, bold language. (‘Bold’ is good, but don’t get too cocky, of course…)

5. Read the work of other critics.

This might be viewed as the Holy Grail of good essay-writing tips, since it is perhaps the single most effective way to improve your own writing. Even if you’re writing an essay as part of school coursework rather than a university degree, and don’t need to research other critics for your essay, it’s worth finding a good writer of literary criticism and reading their work. Why is this worth doing?

Published criticism has at least one thing in its favour, at least if it’s published by an academic press or has appeared in an academic journal, and that is that it’s most probably been peer-reviewed, meaning that other academics have read it, closely studied its argument, checked it for errors or inaccuracies, and helped to ensure that it is expressed in a fluent, clear, and effective way.

If you’re serious about finding out how to write a better English essay, then you need to study how successful writers in the genre do it. And essay-writing is a genre, the same as novel-writing or poetry. But why will reading criticism help you? Because the critics you read can show you how to do all of the above: how to present a close reading of a poem, how to advance an argument that is not speculative or tentative yet not over-confident, how to use evidence from the text to make your argument more persuasive.

And, the more you read of other critics – a page a night, say, over a few months – the better you’ll get. It’s like textual osmosis: a little bit of their style will rub off on you, and every writer learns by the examples of other writers.

As T. S. Eliot himself said, ‘The poem which is absolutely original is absolutely bad.’ Don’t get precious about your own distinctive writing style and become afraid you’ll lose it. You can’t  gain a truly original style before you’ve looked at other people’s and worked out what you like and what you can ‘steal’ for your own ends.

We say ‘steal’, but this is not the same as saying that plagiarism is okay, of course. But consider this example. You read an accessible book on Shakespeare’s language and the author makes a point about rhymes in Shakespeare. When you’re working on your essay on the poetry of Christina Rossetti, you notice a similar use of rhyme, and remember the point made by the Shakespeare critic.

This is not plagiarising a point but applying it independently to another writer. It shows independent interpretive skills and an ability to understand and apply what you have read. This is another of the advantages of reading critics, so this would be our final piece of advice for learning how to write a good English essay: find a critic whose style you like, and study their craft.

If you’re looking for suggestions, we can recommend a few favourites: Christopher Ricks, whose  The Force of Poetry is a tour de force; Jonathan Bate, whose  The Genius of Shakespeare , although written for a general rather than academic audience, is written by a leading Shakespeare scholar and academic; and Helen Gardner, whose  The Art of T. S. Eliot , whilst dated (it came out in 1949), is a wonderfully lucid and articulate analysis of Eliot’s poetry.

James Wood’s How Fiction Works  is also a fine example of lucid prose and how to close-read literary texts. Doubtless readers of  Interesting Literature will have their own favourites to suggest in the comments, so do check those out, as these are just three personal favourites. What’s your favourite work of literary scholarship/criticism? Suggestions please.

Much of all this may strike you as common sense, but even the most commonsensical advice can go out of your mind when you have a piece of coursework to write, or an exam to revise for. We hope these suggestions help to remind you of some of the key tenets of good essay-writing practice – though remember, these aren’t so much commandments as recommendations. No one can ‘tell’ you how to write a good English Literature essay as such.

But it can be learned. And remember, be interesting – find the things in the poems or plays or novels which really ignite your enthusiasm. As John Mortimer said, ‘The only rule I have found to have any validity in writing is not to bore yourself.’

Finally, good luck – and happy writing!

And if you enjoyed these tips for how to write a persuasive English essay, check out our advice for how to remember things for exams  and our tips for becoming a better close reader of poetry .

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30 thoughts on “How to Write a Good English Literature Essay”

You must have taken AP Literature. I’m always saying these same points to my students.

I also think a crucial part of excellent essay writing that too many students do not realize is that not every point or interpretation needs to be addressed. When offered the chance to write your interpretation of a work of literature, it is important to note that there of course are many but your essay should choose one and focus evidence on this one view rather than attempting to include all views and evidence to back up each view.

Reblogged this on SocioTech'nowledge .

Not a bad effort…not at all! (Did you intend “subject” instead of “object” in numbered paragraph two, line seven?”

Oops! I did indeed – many thanks for spotting. Duly corrected ;)

That’s what comes of writing about philosophy and the subject/object for another post at the same time!

Reblogged this on Scribing English .

• Pingback: Recommended Resource: Interesting Literature.com & how to write an essay | Write Out Loud

Great post on essay writing! I’ve shared a post about this and about the blog site in general which you can look at here: http://writeoutloudblog.com/2015/01/13/recommended-resource-interesting-literature-com-how-to-write-an-essay/

All of these are very good points – especially I like 2 and 5. I’d like to read the essay on the Martian who wrote Shakespeare’s plays).

Reblogged this on Uniqely Mustered and commented: Dedicate this to all upcoming writers and lovers of Writing!

I shall take this as my New Year boost in Writing Essays. Please try to visit often for corrections,advise and criticisms.

Reblogged this on Blue Banana Bread .

Reblogged this on worldsinthenet .

All very good points, but numbers 2 and 4 are especially interesting.

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Reblogged this on rainniewu .

Reblogged this on pixcdrinks .

• Pingback: How to Write a Good English Essay? Interesting Literature | EngLL.Com

Great post. Interesting infographic how to write an argumentative essay http://www.essay-profy.com/blog/how-to-write-an-essay-writing-an-argumentative-essay/

Reblogged this on DISTINCT CHARACTER and commented: Good Tips

Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented: This could be applied to novel or short story writing as well.

Reblogged this on rosetech67 and commented: Useful, albeit maybe a bit late for me :-)

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• A-Level English Literature Revision Notes >

How do I structure an English literature essay at A-Level?

Structuring an English literature essay at A-Level can be broken down into the following steps:

• Understand the question and develop a thesis statement: Begin by reading the question carefully and identifying what it is asking you to do. Develop a thesis statement that clearly answers the question and sets out the main argument you will be making in your essay.
• Plan your essay: Create an outline for your essay that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Decide on the main points you want to make in each paragraph and the evidence you will use to support them.
• Write the introduction: Start with a strong opening sentence that grabs the reader’s attention and introduces the topic. Provide background information and context for the text you will be analyzing, and end with your thesis statement.
• Write the body paragraphs: Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that relates to your thesis statement and introduces the main point you will be making. Use evidence from the text to support your argument, and explain how the evidence supports your point. Make sure to analyze the evidence and explain how it relates to your argument rather than just summarizing it.
• Write the conclusion: Summarize the main points you made in your essay and restate your thesis statement. End with a final thought that ties your argument together and leaves the reader with something to think about.
• Edit and proofread: Read through your essay carefully and make sure that it flows well, that your arguments are clear and supported by evidence, and that there are no grammatical or spelling errors.

Remember to also use relevant literary terms and techniques to support your analysis, and to provide quotations from the text to back up your arguments.

The key elements of a well-structured English literature essay at A-Level include a clear thesis statement, well-planned body paragraphs with topic sentences and evidence to support your arguments, and a conclusion that summarizes your main points and restates your thesis.

To develop a thesis statement for your English literature essay, begin by carefully reading and analyzing the text. Identify the key themes and literary techniques used by the author and develop a statement that clearly answers the question and sets out the main argument you will be making in your essay.

The best way to plan your English literature essay at A-Level is to create an outline that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Decide on the main points you want to make in each paragraph and the evidence you will use to support them.

To write clear body paragraphs for your English literature essay, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that relates to your thesis statement and introduces the main point you will be making. Use evidence from the text to support your argument, and explain how the evidence supports your point.

To analyze literary texts effectively in your English literature essay at A-Level, look for literary techniques used by the author, such as imagery, symbolism, and metaphor. Use quotes from the text to support your analysis and explain how these techniques contribute to the meaning of the text.

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How to Write an A-Level English Literature Essay

Dr Rahil Sachak-Patwa

The ability to write well may just be the most important skill tested within A-Level English literature. Of course, this skill is tested through your essay writing, with all of the final exams being longer essay questions. While students will have had experience with GCSE Literature essay writing, A-Level students are expected to produce much more writing which consistently reads at a higher degree.

But, with just under 40,000 students sitting English Literature each year, this is a skill that many people around the UK need to develop. If you’re looking to score top marks in your English Literature A-Level exams, then this is the guide for you. We’ll be covering the three most important elements of constructing a great essay, detailing exactly how you can streamline your writing and shoot for top marks.

Let’s get right into it.

Going Beyond PEE for the Perfect A-Level English Literature Essay Structure

It’s almost impossible to get through GCSE English without your English teacher telling you some variation of PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) or PEA (Point, Evidence, Analysis). While this strategy does work for GCSE, an A-Level English Literature essay answer needs to have much more detail.

If you’re one for structures, then here is a general essay format that you should follow:

• Point - In your first line, you should always mention the main idea you’re going to be exploring in the whole paragraph, giving as much detail as possible.
• Evidence - You can’t access high marks in A-Level English Literature without pulling quotes from the text and explaining what’s going on in them. Start with the basics, then get more complex as the paragraph progresses.
• Device - Devices are when you identify a specific technique in the evidence you’ve pulled out, then go on to explain exactly why this device matters or changes the meaning of the evidence.
• Analysis - Honing in on close analysis, you should focus on the evidence you've collected on a word or phrase level, breaking down the individual meaning and demonstrating how it further proves the point you made in your first sentence.
• Link to Context - Finalise your point by touching on context, demonstrating how what you’ve argued in your paragraph aligns with or contradicts a wider historical, social, political, or literary trend or idea.

The PEDAL system allows you to go beyond PEE, hitting the additional elements that you gain marks for at A-Level. More specifically, this structure ensures that you discuss AO2 (closes analysis) by pulling out a device and explaining what it does, while then also explaining the quote itself. Equally, this ensures that you finish off each paragraph with a contextual link, either to history, the author's life, or another text from your wider reading that has similar ideas.

Getting away from PEE and expanding to cover more in each paragraph is a wonderful way to structure your ideas. Be sure to hit each one of these elements so you can maximise your marks.

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Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

There’s a reason that English teachers won’t stop going on about planning at GCSE and A-Level - planning is one of the easiest ways to save time and construct a cohesive argument. At A-Level, alongside individual ideas, your whole essay is marked on the strength of the argument that you’ve constructed. If you have three body paragraphs that argue three different things, your argument looks weak, leading to much worse marks overall.

Due to this, the best thing you can do in the first five minutes of your exam is plan out each paragraph that you’re going to write. Using the PEDAL structure, you’ll know exactly what you need to find, thinking quickly of your main points, the evidence that supports them, and then processing on to the close analysis sections of Device and Analysis. Context is one of the easiest parts of writing an essay, as large parts of history can be applied to texts within a period.

Once you read the question and start thinking, the few minutes that you spend roughly planning your answer will ensure that the whole essay is cohesive, carrying through a general argument that builds over time. The phrase “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail” does initially seem a little harsh, but the fact is that planning will save you time in the long run while also boosting your marks.

Always plan your answers before beginning.

For those students who are struggling in this subject should consider A-Level tutoring since it is a vital resource that complements exam preparation strategies by providing individualized attention and specialized instruction. It equips students with deeper insights into challenging concepts, tailored study techniques, and critical examination tactics.

Construct an Argument with Your Own Point of View

What sets the top A-Level English Literature students apart is the fact that their essays will contain a certain point of view. Within English Literature A-Level, students will learn that nothing is black or white - everything is nuanced.

The very best English Literature essays will thrive in that grey area, constructing detailed arguments that have more than one angle. The best way to easily build this into your English essays is to use a three-paragraph body structure.

• Paragraph One - Should focus on the opposite of what you actually think. This will argue for the contrary of your opinion, detailing an idea that’s commonly believed or associated with the texts.
• Paragraph Two - Will acknowledge the first paragraph, but signal how the texts could be understood in a different light. You will then use this paragraph to detail your real argument.
• Paragraph Three - You’ll use this third paragraph to build upon the second, increasing how convincing your argument is and smoothly transitioning into a hard-hitting conclusion.

Pair this with an introduction and conclusion, and you’ll be well on your way to writing a top-tier A-Level English Literature essay!

Final Thoughts

Essay writing is far from easy. If you’re looking to develop your writing skills and create perfect essays every time, then working with an online English Literature A-Level tutor is one of the most effective ways of doing so.

Our tutors will guide you through the essay writing process, supporting you every step of the way as you develop your writing skills and overall confidence. As with everything, essay writing is a skill that comes with practice, with a tutor helping to speed up the process.

Best of luck in your A-Level English Literature exams!

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Written by: Dr Rahil Sachak-Patwa

Rahil spent ten years working as private tutor, teaching students for GCSEs, A-Levels, and university admissions. During his PhD he published papers on modelling infectious disease epidemics and was a tutor to undergraduate and masters students for mathematics courses.

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Traditional Subjects

Aptitude tests, higher learning, how to structure an english literature essay, how to structure an english literature essay (as and a-level).

Understanding how to structure an essay can be difficult so we asked Hannah one of our English Literature Tutors to guide you through the process.

1.  Introduction

• Use the opening paragraph to  frame  the project, i.e. what you intend to prove/analyse in this essay to show your individual and original perspective on the text.
• Introduce the text as a  construct  making comments about  why  the text has been written and the  context  in which it has been produced.
• Include, in a succinct manner, the following: names of text and author and dates of publication/performance, some  brief  explanation of text’s reception and its context and a concise consideration of the  relevant  themes of the text.
• The key to a successful introduction is  brevity , establishing the basic facts of the text whilst employing a clear  critical  voice: this will immediately establish an academic register in your writing.

2.   Thesis

• In this section you  outline  your argument in response to the title question, clearly  sign posting  to the reader what you intend to do in the essay.
• Acknowledge the  terms  of the question to discuss what the  implications  of the question are in terms of how you are going to write your response.
• Use this section to introduce your own  interpretation  of the question, adopting an individual critical voice to show your  engagement  with the text by expressing yourself  imaginatively  and  creatively  in your writing.
• As with the introduction, the thesis should be  brief  and  succinct , giving the reader a general but engaging  summary  of what you intend to argue throughout your essay.

3.  Main Body Paragraphs

• This will make up the majority of your essay and is where you explore each point of your argument.  You want to ensure that each paragraph has one significant point which is  supported  with evidence from the text which you then unpack, explain and explore in relation to your  thesis .  Ensure that the point you make in each paragraph is  relevant  to the argument in your thesis and  sustainable  through textual evidence.
• The following outline is a useful guideline for structuring each body paragraph: (a) Point – opening the paragraph by stating the  point  you intend to make. This needs to be one of the  ideas  that is contributing to your overall  thesis . (b) Evidence from text – this can either be an  embedded quotation  that enhances or examples the point you are making about the text OR a brief description of something from the text that  supports  your idea.  Your evidence should be carefully chosen to  clearly  and  efficiently  back up the point that you are trying to prove. (c) Exploration of evidence and idea – this element of the paragraph is crucial as you are trying to  prove  an argument by bringing your point and textual evidence together to  explore  your idea.  Explain  how  your chosen quotation demonstrates your idea and  comment  on the quotation in its context, e.g. relevant remarks about how the language used by the writer shows how they are trying to achieve a particular effect.   Justify  the credibility of your argument through a  convincing  exploration of your ideas. (d)  Refer back to the thesis – having acknowledged the terms of the question and established what your argument will be in the thesis section, you need to show  how  what you have written in the body paragraph is  relevant  to your argument.  A couple of sentences on this is effective for showing how the  analysis  you have just made is  proving  the argument of your essay.
• This section is where you lay out your argument, moving from  observation  to  analysis  to write an intelligent and convincing response to the question. Be  efficient  in your choice of quotations and textual evidence; using only what you  need  shows a succinct and thought-out response.  Within these paragraphs always  signpost  where you are going with your argument to  guide  the reader through your ideas for a clear and concise writing style.

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4.   conclusion.

• The conclusion of an essay is an opportunity for you to give a final,  original  perspective on the text. It should not be a re-iteration of the introduction or a repetition of the points of your argument.  Instead, you should briefly summarise  how  the ideas you have written about overall agree or disagree with the title question and provide your  own  definitive response to the title question.
• The conclusion is where you can demonstrate your  engagement  with the text on a personal, as well as intellectual, level; it is an opportunity to be  creative  and  inventive  in your writing by offering the reader a final  insight  that they might not have thought about.  You should ensure that what you say about the text in the conclusion is something that you haven’t had the opportunity to write about in the rest of the essay.  However, keep the conclusion in  proportion  and avoid tangents that might obscure the positive points you have made previously: be original, yet concise.
• Some ways that you can conclude an essay might be: (a) Commenting on your  personal  reaction to the text. (b) Commenting on  how  the text still holds relevance for readers in the present day. (c) Commenting on  why  the text is successful as a work of literature in terms of its characters, themes or structure.

Overall, excellent essay-writing must be logical, persuasive and creative, teaming your personal engagement with the text with the ability to observe, analyse and argue a series of coherent and concise points.  A well-written essay demonstrates a thorough understanding of the text as well as a unique perspective on a range of ideas presented in the text.  Logical argument, close knowledge of the text and an individual response will make your essay stand out from the crowd.

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Essay Structure – Edexcel A Level English Literature

14th June 2017

by Aimee Wright

The first thing you need to consider when writing an English essay is the structure, and how you can make sure it is one that you can remember and will give you a good grade.

• Generic Introduction :You will need to know the book , the author , the publication date and the literary period / monarchy era – g. Frankenstein , Mary Shelley, 1818, Romantic period. Then, you will need to state the genre of the book(s) – e.g. Frankenstein is a gothic novel. Lastly, you will need to briefly summarise the theme / character that the question asks of you. Below are some example generic introductions :
• (For the Prose exam): Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published in 1818, during the Romantic Period, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood was published in 1985, and is a postmodern text. Both of these texts are science fiction novels, but Frankenstein is a gothic novel, written in the first wave of gothic literature, while The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel. *The role of gender in the misuse of science* is seen in both texts in the way that the writers have used linguistic techniques and contextual factors, and this is what will be explored in this analysis.
• (For Othello ): Othello by William Shakespeare was published in 1604 during the Elizabethan era. The play is considered a tragedy, but many critics have picked up on the use of satire that Shakespeare has used, however it is not used so much that it could be seen as a comedy. In this analysis, it will be explored how Shakespeare has used his linguistic abilities and contextual factors to present the *theme of betrayal*, and subsequently how critics have viewed this.
• (For A Streetcar Named Desire ): A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams was published in 1947, making it a modernist play. The play is a tragedy which aligns with the context of events such as World War Two, and the Great Depression, as these are very tragic. In this analysis, the *character of Blanche* will be explored, and it will be considered whether Williams uses linguistic, structural and contextual techniques to impact Blanche’s character.
• (For Post 2000 Poetry): Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll is a poem that presents the themes of frustration, manipulation and irritation that the modern day society brings. As a postmodern poem, the twenty-first century challenges that the narrator undertakes align with each other. On first reading Somewhat Unravelled by Jo Shapcott, the reader can perceive that the narrator also represents strong emotions to represent how the narrator is feeling. By comparing these two poems, the analysis will explore how *strong emotions* are used in order to relay a story, such as through linguistic and structural crafting.
• (For Keats ): The Eve of St Agnes by John Keats was written in 1819, just two years before Keats’ death, in the Romantic period. The *theme of physical sensations* in this poem are represented through linguistic and structural methods, as well as contextual factors of the time. Physical sensations are not just seen in The Eve of St Agnes , however – Keats has also used this theme in La Belle Dame sans Merci , which was written in 1819 like The Eve of St Agnes . In this analysis, it will be seen whether La Belle Dame sans Merci shares a similar approach to physical sensations, and whether the time period had impact on this.

It is important to mention what you are going to be discussing in the essay. But, you do not need to use specific details in your introduction, otherwise the rest of your essay will seem sort of shallow. So, use phrases such as ‘In this analysis, the linguistic and structural crafting will be explored’, for instance.

If the question is particularly linked to a specific one contextual factor – maybe it is about monarchy or social hierarchy, or war? – you should give a brief overview of that contextual factor. E.g. “The social hierarchy in Shakespearean times was based on the chain of being , which will be discussed in this analysis.”

• In comparison essays – so the Prose and Poetry exams – it is important to highlight which text is your primary text . In the Prose exam, your primary text is Frankenstein , because it “comes first” in literary history. In Post 2000 poetry, the primary text is the poem from the anthology , accompanied by the unseen poem . In Keats, the primary text is the poem it gives you , and you “support” your points with another poem. But, it is important not to compare . So, when exploring your point further, you could say “To support this point, this is also seen in *insert other poem name* by using the same techniques.”
• In non-comparison essays – the Drama exam – you will need to write the same number of points that you would use for a comparison essay (the average is 2-3), but you may need more substance and expansive analysis. For example, if you wrote two paragraphs for one point in the Prose exam (which includes two texts ) you would still need to write two paragraphs for one point , even though you only have one text .
• So the structure of your essays need to be clear , concise and understandable . Especially for comparison essays, you will need to split up your points into more than one paragraph so that the examiner can understand your analysis more clearly.Having said this, in the Prose exam, it is important to note that you must state the points for both texts in the initial paragraph. This is so that the examiner can see where your point is going from the beginning.In the comparison essays in the Poetry exam, the first paragraph of the point should be about the primary text , which will then lead you to explore the secondary text . So, the advice for this would be: do not plan points for both poems – if you want to plan, just think of points for the primary text , and then think about how that same technique or concept is seen in your secondary text .
• Quoting / quotations: It is important to follow the succeeding points when considering the quotations that you use –
• Think about the context that you are talking about, and how you are putting the quotation in a sentence. Generally, it is better to put a quotation in a sentence like: “This is seen in the declarative sentence , ‘We are two-legged wombs.’ (p.146).” (this is a quote from The Handmaid’s Tale ). But if you are going to use the quotation like this: “The narrator said that ‘We are two legged-wombs’ to present the idea that the Handmaids are irrelevant.” you will need to think about the structure of the sentence. Instead of using the pronoun ‘We’ in the quotation, put ‘they’ in square brackets to show that you have modified the quotation . So, the sentence would look like this: “The narrator said that ‘[they] are two-legged wombs’ to present the idea that the Handmaids are irrelevant.”
• Think about the length of the quotation that you are using. If there is a long quotation – perhaps one that includes a stream of consciousness or syndetic listing , or just lengthy description – you may want to use snippets of the quotation to ensure that the examiner does not get bored. So instead of saying: “Walton (who is speaking) is seen to be a man who has power. Shelley presents this by saying, ‘One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought, for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race.’” (This is a quotation from Frankenstein ). you could use specific words or phrases to portray the same point. For instance, if your point was: “Walton (who is speaking) is seen to be a man who has power. Shelley presents this is seen in his fourth letter with a semantic field of power and knowledge, with words such as ‘acquirement’; ‘knowledge’; ‘dominion’’ and ‘transmit’.”
• Terminology : I know that terminology is difficult to use, especially if you can’t think of the name for a technique. But, you are marked on your terminology use as it “proves” that you know what you’re talking about.
• Where to use terminology: when structuring your point, you should use terminology either before you mention the quotation – this is if you are making a point that the technique has a direct impact on the theme or character – or after you mention the quotation – this is just to show that you know what technique the author has used.Before the quotation: If you are making the point that the author uses declarative sentences to depict the theme or character, you could say: “Atwood uses declarative sentences to represent how straightforward prejudice is as a theme in society: ‘We are two-legged wombs.’ (p.146).” The idea that prejudice is ‘straightforward’ is your point .After the quotation: So, after the point made above, you could expand by saying: “Atwood uses this declarative sentence to represent that the Handmaids are discriminated against in a simple way, otherwise she may have used another sentence mood, such as exclamatory sentences . In addition, the metaphor of Handmaids being ‘two-legged wombs’ shows Atwood’s linguistic crafting to portray that Handmaids are only seen as women who give birth to children, and nothing else.” The use of further terminology in your essay – in this case ‘exclamatory sentences’ and ‘metaphor’ – will show more knowledge.
• Word Specific Analysis: Instead of using terminology for the analysis of a whole quotation , you can use Word Specific Analysis to really unpick the underlying ideas. For instance: “Atwood uses the pronoun ‘We’ to represent that the Handmaids are a collective. This shows that if one Handmaid is victimised or targeted, the whole group of Handmaids are discriminated against. In addition, the use of the noun ‘wombs’ indicates the part of the body that the Handmaids are seen as: they are just seen as being able to conceive a child, and nothing more.”

For instance: “ Bright star! would I were steadfast as thou art by John Keats uses the Petrarchan sonnet  form. Petrarch was famous for using themes such as unrequited love, and the sonnet will always use a Volta . The Volta is the beginning of the ninth line of the sonnet and, in Keats’ poetry, is often representative of his own personal change in mood or thought, so the Volta ‘No’ in Bright star! could be Keats changing his mind, or disagreeing, with his previous comments.”

In the Drama exam, it is important to know the names of speech and structure:

For instance: “ Othello by William Shakespeare uses a variety of structures to symbolise the theme of betrayal. For instance, Iago often speaks in prose when his plan is beginning to unravel. Prose, in comparison to the poetic speech that characters usually speaks in, is used to represent the unstoppable thoughts and ideas that a character may have.”

• Context: It is explicitly important to use contextual information to back up your ideas.
• The Prose Exam:The most important piece of context for this exam is about the science of the time and how it is used in your texts. This is because the section of the exam is ‘Science and Society’. This also means you have to have a substantial knowledge of the society at the time of the novels as well.
• Other exams:It is just as important to use author-personal context as well as societal This includes the author’s family, associates, events that happened to them etc.You should use a balance of societal and personal context to show your varied knowledge. In fact, you can often use a piece of context as your point e.g. “Keats wrote in the second generation of the Romantic poets, so he had influence from the work of Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, for instance. The Romantics have many different conventions, but to represent the theme of physical sensations in The Eve of St Agnes , Keats has employed the Romantic connection to nature.”
• Critics and Different Interpretations:The Drama exam is the only exam that you get marked on for critical analysis and using different interpretations, but it does not hurt to use them in each exam.

“In Othello , Shakespeare represents Desdemona as being associated with everyone, or having an impact on each character for a different reason.”

This can be supported by Anna Jameson , a critic of the play. You do not need to remember every detail of her critical evaluation, but you need to remember the general idea or snippets of quotes:

“To support this point, Anna Jameson said that Desdemona is the ‘source of the pathos’ of the play. This links to the idea that she is associated with everyone because she emits the ‘pathos’ and diffuses it to each character, and this is what creates the tragedy in the play.” What is important to mention , however, is that you should back up the critical reading with a quotation from the play, rather than just your “point”:

“This is seen just before Desdemona’s death when she says ‘I never did / Offend you in my life; never loved Cassio’, then Othello says ‘Honest Iago hath tane order for’t.’ This represents Desdemona’s impact on multiple characters through the possessive pronoun ‘you’ and the mention of ‘Cassio’ and ‘Iago’, and the bitter tone of these declarative sentences portrays pathos, therefore showing where Jameson got her idea from.”

To make another point, you could challenge the critic. Another point could be:

“Desdemona is seen as ‘fair’, and innocent, and Shakespeare represents this by repeatedly having Othello call her the epithet ‘gentle Desdemona’.”

Therefore, you could use Jameson’s idea to challenge this point:

“To challenge this point, Anna Jameson said that Desdemona is the ‘source pathos of the play’. If Desdemona is the ‘source pathos’, it can be analysed that she is not truly ‘gentle’, but is actually sorrowful.”

You could disagree with the critic as well, but do not use first person . Say it as though you are disagreeing on behalf of the audience:

I hope that this is all helpful for the exam, the exams start tomorrow so good luck!

Bibliography

Atwood, M. (1985). The Handmaid’s Tale. London: Vintage Random House.

Keats, J. (2007). Selected Poems. London: Penguin Classics.

Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry. (2011). London: Forward Ltd.

Shakespeare, W. (1622). Othello. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Shelley, M. (1818). Frankenstein (3 ed.). London: Penguin Group.

Williams, T. (1947). A Streetcar Named Desire. London: Penguin Group.

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• 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.

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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.

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See an example

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!

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• Appeal to authority fallacy
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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.

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How to write great English literature essays at university

Essential advice on how to craft a great english literature essay at university – and how to avoid rookie mistakes..

If you’ve just begun to study English literature at university, the prospect of writing that first essay can be daunting. Tutors will likely offer little in the way of assistance in the process of planning and writing, as it’s assumed that students know how to do this already. At A-level, teachers are usually very clear with students about the Assessment Objectives for examination components and centre-assessed work, but it can feel like there’s far less clarity around how essays are marked at university. Furthermore, the process of learning how to properly reference an essay can be a steep learning curve.

But essentially, there are five things you’re being asked to do: show your understanding of the text and its key themes, explore the writer’s methods, consider the influence of contextual factors that might influence the writing and reading of the text, read published critical work about the text and incorporate this discourse into your essay, and finally, write a coherent argument in response to the task.

With advice from English teachers, HE tutors and other people who’ve been there and done it, here are the most crucial things to remember when planning and writing an essay.

Read around the subject and let your argument evolve.

‘One of the big step-ups from A-level, where students might only have had to deal with critical material as part of their coursework, is the move toward engaging with the critical debate around a text.’

Reading around the task and making notes is all important. Get familiar with the reading list. Become adept at searching for critical material in books and articles that’s not on the reading list. Talk with the librarian. Make sure you can find your way around the stacks. Get log-ins for the various databases of online criticism, such as the MLA International Bibliography .

‘Tutors are looking for flair… for students to be nuanced and creative with their ideas as opposed to reproducing the same criticism that others already have.’

When reading, keep notes, make summaries and write down useful quotations. Make sure you keep track of what you’ve read as you go. Note the publication details (author, publisher, year and place of publication). If you write down a quotation, note the page number. This will make dealing with citations and writing your bibliography much easier later on, as there’s nothing more annoying than getting to the end of the first draft of your essay and realising you’ve no idea which book or article a quote came from or which page it was on.

‘The more I read, the sharper my own writing style became because I developed an opinion of the writing style I liked and I had a clear sense of the subject matter that I was discussing.’

‘Don’t wing the reading. Or the thinking. Crap writing emerges from style over substance.’

Get to grips with the question and plan a response.

‘Brain dump at the start in the form of a mind map. This will help you focus and relax. You can add to it as go along and can shape it into a brief plan.’

Before writing a single word, brainstorm. Do some free-thinking. Get your ideas down on paper or sticky notes. Cross things out; refine. Allow your planning to be led by ideas that support your argument.

Use different colour-coded sticky notes for your planning. In the example below, the student has used yellow sticky notes for ideas, blue for language, structure and methods, purple for context and green for literary criticism, which makes planning the sequence of the essay much easier.

Structure and sequence your ideas

‘Make your argument clear in your opening paragraph, and then ensure that every subsequent paragraph is clearly addressing your thesis.’

Plan the essay by working out a sequence of your ideas that you believe to be the most compelling. Allow your ideas to serve as structural signposts. Augment these with relevant criticism, context and focus on language and style.

‘Read wide and look at different pieces of criticism of a particular work and weave that in with your own interpretation of said work.’

Write a great introduction.

‘By the end of the first paragraph, make sure you have established a very clear thesis statement that outlines the main thrust of the essay.’

Your introduction should make your argument very clear. It’s also a chance to establish working definitions of any problematic terms and to engage with key aspects of the wider critical debate.

Get to grips with academic style and draft the essay

‘[Write with] an ‘exploratory’ tone rather than ‘dogmatic’ one.’

Academic writing is characterised by argument, analysis and evaluation. In an earlier post , I explored how students in high school might improve their analytical writing by adopting three maxims. These maxims are just as helpful for undergraduates. Firstly, aim for precise, cogent expression. Secondly, deliver an individual response supported by your reading – and citing – of published literary criticism. Thirdly, work on your personal voice. In formal analytical writing such as the university essay, your personal voice might be constrained rather more than it would be in a blog or a review, but it must nonetheless be exploratory in tone. Tentativity can be an asset as it suggests appreciation of nuances and alternative ways of thinking.

‘I got to grips with what was being asked of me by reading lots of literary criticism and becoming more familiar with academic writing conventions.’

Avoid unnecessary or clunky sign-post phrases such as ‘in this essay, I am going to…’ or ‘a further thing…’ A transition devices that can work really well is the explicit paragraph link, in which a motif or phrase in the last sentence of a paragraph is repeated in the first sentence of the next paragraph.

Write a killer conclusion

‘There is more emphasis on finding your own voice at university, something which in many ways is inhibited by Assessment Objectives at A-Level. I don’t think ‘good’ academic writing is necessarily taught very well in schools — at least from my experience.’

The conclusion is a really important part of your essay. It’s a chance to restate your thesis and to draw conclusions. You might achieve closure or instead, allude to interesting questions or ideas the essay has perhaps raised but not answered. You might synthesise your argument by exploring the key issue. You could zoom-out and explore the issue as part of a bigger picture.

Be meticulous in your referencing.

Having supported your argument with quotations from published critics, it’s important to be meticulous about how you reference these, otherwise you could be accused of plagiarism – passing someone else’s work off as your own. There are three broad ways of referencing: author-date, footnote and endnote. However, within each of these three approaches, there are specific named protocols. Most English literature faculties use either the MLA (Modern Languages Association of America) style or the Harvard style (variants of the author-date approach). It’s important to check what your faculty or department uses, learn how to use it (faculties invariably publish guidance, but ask if you’re unsure) and apply the rules meticulously.

‘Read your work aloud, slowly, sentence by sentence. It’s the best way to spot typos, and it allows you to hear what is awkward and/or ungrammatical. Then read the essay aloud again.’

Write with precision. Use a thesaurus to help you find the right word, but make sure you use it properly and in the right context. Read sentences back and prune unnecessary phrases or redundant words. Similarly, avoid words or phrases which might sound self-important or pompous.

Like those structural signposts that don’t really add anything, some phrases need to be omited, such as ‘many people have argued that…’ or ‘futher to the previous paragraph…’.

Finally, make sure the essay is formatted correctly. University departments are usually clear about their expectations, but font, size, and line spacing are usually stipulated along with any other information you’re expected to include in the essay’s header or footer. And don’t expect the proofing tool to pick up every mistake.

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Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge international as & a level english - literature (9695).

• Syllabus overview

Learners following the Cambridge International AS and A Level English syllabus will study a range of texts in the three main forms: prose, poetry and drama. Set texts are offered from a wide range of different periods and cultures.

Learners will develop skills of reading and analysis of texts, and are encouraged to undertake wider reading to aid understanding of the texts studied. They will learn skills of effective and appropriate communication including the ability to discuss the critical context of texts.

Changes have been made to this syllabus for examination from 2021 onwards. Please see the 2021-2023 syllabus for detailed information.

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

• -->2021 - 2023 Syllabus update (PDF, 179KB)
• -->2024 - 2026 Syllabus (PDF, 523KB)

Syllabus support

• -->2023 - 2026 Grade Description A Level (PDF, 156KB)
• -->2023 - 2026 Grade Description AS Level (PDF, 149KB)
• -->Support for Literature in English (PDF, 3MB)

Syllabus updates

We worked with teachers, subject expert panels and universities around the world to update our Cambridge International AS & A Level English subject group as part of our on-going review process. Following the review, we have made some changes to Cambridge International AS & A Level Literature in English for examination in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Many teachers told us that they offer more than one English subject from this group, so we have made some changes so that the syllabuses work together regardless of whether a student is studying one or more subject from this group. To make it clearer for teachers, we have separated this syllabus (Cambridge International AS and A Level English – Literature 9695) from our other Cambridge International AS & A Level English syllabuses.

How has the syllabus changed?

Cambridge International AS & A Level Literature in English is available for examination in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

• We have updated the aims in the syllabus, but the emphasis remains the same - to encourage learners to enjoy reading a wide range of international texts and to develop their skills in Literature.
• Interpretation.
• We have updated the list of set texts in the 'Subject content' section of the syllabus.
• A list of command words has been added to the syllabus to help teaching and learning and exam preparation.

How has the assessment changed?

• We have removed optional routes through the syllabus. There are now compulsory examination components: Paper 1 and Paper 2 at AS Level, with the addition of Paper 3 and Paper 4 at A Level.
• Paper 2: The assessment of an Unseen text has been introduced to the AS level and this provides good progression from Cambridge IGCSE.
• Coursework has been removed from the syllabus. All components are now externally assessed.
• All learners will study all three forms: poetry, prose and drama at both AS and A Level. This allows students to gain a good knowledge and understanding of Literature in all forms.
• The question paper structure has changed, as have the paper titles due to the changes made to the assessment model. However, the style of questions and presentation of the questions remains consistent with the current syllabus.
• The rubrics in all of the question papers have changed. Please see the specimen papers for further information.
• The levels-based marking criteria have been updated to maintain validity and reliability of assessment.

When do these changes take place?

The updated syllabus is for examination in June and November 2021, 2022 and 2023. It is also available in March 2021, 2022 and 2023 (India only). Please see the 2021-2023 syllabus above for full details.

Coming soon

We are developing a wide range of support to help you plan and teach the 2021-2023 syllabus.

Look out for a comprehensive range of materials to help you teach the updated syllabus including a scheme of work, Example candidate responses, Learner and Teacher Guides as well as specimen paper answers. These resources will be available from April 2019 onwards (before first teaching) through our School Support Hub .

Endorsed resources

Introduce key concepts and skills for advanced level literary study and focus on developing effective writing from the start. Give students a toolkit for responding to unseen texts and exploring the set texts in depth.

Read more on the Collins website

Through exploring wide ranging texts, students will find they are building essential skills – such as the ability to write clearly and effectively, construct an argument, manage information and analyse complex pieces.

Read more on the Cambridge University Press website

Important notices

We are withdrawing Cambridge International AS & A Level Literature in English (9695) from the March exam series. The last March series for this syllabus will be March 2026. 

From 2027, we will only offer this syllabus in the June and November exam series.

We communicated this change to schools in September 2022.

Find out more about our range of English syllabuses to suit every level and ambition.

For some subjects, we publish grade descriptions to help understand the level of performance candidates’ grades represent.

We paused the publication of grade descriptions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary changes to the awarding standard in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

As the awarding standard has now returned to the pre-pandemic standard, we are working to produce up-to-date grade descriptions for most of our general qualifications. These will be based on the awarding standards in place from June 2023 onwards.

School Support Hub

Teachers at registered Cambridge schools can unlock over 30 000 teaching and learning resources to help plan and deliver Cambridge programmes and qualifications, including Schemes of work, Example candidate responses, Past papers, Specimen paper answers, as well as digital and multimedia resources.

Schemes of work

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Structuring the Shakespeare Essay ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Senior Content Creator

Structuring the Essay

Answering just one essay question can seem daunting. However, examiners just want to see your ideas and opinions on the Shakespeare play you have studied. The guide below will enable you to best express these ideas and opinions in a way that will gain the highest marks. It includes guides on:

Answering the question

Planning your essay, writing your essay.

Regardless of which Shakespeare play you study, the type of question you’ll need to write an essay for will be the same. You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of the play. Your answer will need to address both an extract from the play that you will be given and the play as a whole.

It is tempting to jump straight in and start analysing the extract immediately. However, completing the steps below first will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for.

6 key steps to answer the Shakespeare exam question effectively:

1. The very first thing you should do once you open your exam paper is to look at the question:

This sounds obvious, but it’s really crucial to read through the question a few times 

Why is this important? Regardless of what subject you’re being examined in, the single biggest mistake most students make in their exams is not reading the question through carefully enough that they answer the question they think they’re being asked, rather than the question they’ve actually been asked 

It’s especially important to get this right in your GCSE English Literature exams, because you only have five essay questions to answer across two papers, so if you misread a question, you’re potentially costing yourself a large number of marks

2. Identify the keywords of the question

The keywords are the focus of the question: the specific themes, ideas or characters the examiners want you to focus on

For the above question, the keywords of the question are “the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families” 

This is the theme the examiners want you to explore in your essay

Do not be tempted to write a question on a related theme, even if you have revised more for it: this will affect your overall mark badly, as you won’t be directly answering the question! 

In the example above, the theme is conflict, so make sure you plan and write an essay about conflict, rather than, for example, the relationship between the two families

Although this is a related theme, your answer won’t be focused on the question and will lose you marks

3. Critically evaluate the idea or theme of the question in terms of the play as a whole

Think: what is this question asking, and what is it not asking?

It is asking you to explore conflict – an ongoing fight or struggle – between the two families

The question is not asking you to explore any other conflict, for example, conflict among families (Juliet’s conflict with her own family)

Again, writing about related ideas will actually lose you marks as you aren’t answering the exact question you have been set. The examiner isn’t going to reward you extra marks for information that is factually correct or demonstrates a great understanding of the play if the information is not relevant to the question being asked

4. Now you have identified and evaluated the key idea or theme of the question, read the contextual information above the extract:

This contextual information will help you understand where the extract comes in the play (Act I, Scene I), and give you a headline about what is happening in the extract 

At this point in the play, the Prince has arrived…

This information, alongside your knowledge of what the theme the examiners are asking you to explore in the question, are vital clues that help you decode the extract

5. Contextualise the extract further yourself, before reading it

Understanding where the extract comes in the play will also give you clues to understand the extract more completely

Think: what else happens before and after this point in the play?

Which characters are involved?

How does it link to other parts of the text?

Examiners repeatedly state that the very best answers are those that move beyond the extract and consider the question in the context of the play as a whole

Therefore, even at this stage, it is good to think about how the theme of the question develops before and after this point in the play

6. Read the extract with all of the above information (the keywords from the question; the context) in mind

This will enable you to pick out quotations and analyse only the most relevant parts of the extract in the context of the play as a whole, and the question you have been set

Planning your essay is absolutely vital to achieving the highest marks. Examiners always stress that the best responses are those that have a logical, well-structured argument that comes with spending time planning an answer. This, in turn, will enable you to achieve the highest marks for each assessment objective. The main assessment objectives are:

Your plan should include all aspects of your response, covering all of the assessment objectives, but mainly focusing on AO1:

Your overall argument, or thesis (AO1)

Your topic sentences  for all your paragraphs (AO1)

The quotations you will be using and analysing from the extract (AO1)

The quotations you will be using and analysing from elsewhere in the play (AO1)

A sense of why Shakespeare makes the choices he does (AO2)

A sense of what contextual factors give further insight into the ideas and theme presented in the question (AO3)

Therefore, a plan may look like the following:

Some other tips:

You do not need to include a counter-argument (disagreeing with the question/including paragraphs which begin “On the other hand”):

The questions have been designed to enable as many students as possible to write essays 

Examiners say that the inclusion of a counter-argument is often unnecessary and unhelpful

It can affect your AO1 mark negatively

Include evidence and analysis of the extract in the same paragraph as evidence and analysis of the rest of the play:

Think of the extract as a stepping stone to the whole text

Examiners prefer an “integrated approach”:  paragraphs which include related analysis of both extract and the whole play 

Examiners dislike essays which treat the extract and the rest of the play as “separate entities”: when students analyse the extract in the first half of their essays, and then the rest of the play in the second half of their response – this would mean your answer doesn’t cover the full scope of the question, and your AO1 mark would be affected 

Once you have read and evaluated the question, read and analysed the extract and created a clear plan, you are ready to begin writing. Below is a guide detailing what to include.

Your essay should include:

An introduction with a thesis statement

A number of paragraphs (three is ideal!), each covering a separate point. It’s a great idea to start each paragraph with a topic sentence  

A conclusion

Introduction

Your introduction should aim to answer the question – clearly and briefly

The best way to do this is to include a thesis statement

A thesis statement is a short statement (one or two sentences) that summarises the main point or claim your argument is making:

You should include the exact words from the question in your thesis statement

Examiners want to see your own opinion : your interpretation of what Shakespeare is trying to show

Your thesis statement should also attempt to explain why you think Shakespeare has presented his characters in the way he has: what is he trying to say overall? What is his message?:

A good way to think about this is to ask: what is Shakespeare’s one big idea in terms of the characters or themes addressed in the question?

Include contextual ideas and perspectives to help explain Shakespeare’s intentions

Including Shakespeare’s message or one big idea helps create a “conceptualised response”, for which examiners award the highest marks

An example of a thesis statement:

Thesis statement:

“Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as destructive and ultimately self-defeating. He does this to challenge contemporary ideas on family ties and honour, suggesting that conflicts such as these only end in an inescapable cycle of violence.”

Introductions should not be too long or include all the details of what each paragraph will include:

You will not be rewarded for including the same information twice, so don’t waste time repeating yourself

Write your thesis in the third person, not the first person (don’t use “I”):

“I believe that Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict…” ❌

“Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as … in order to show …” ✅

Try to include three separate paragraphs that cover three separate points:

This will ensure your response is to what examiners call the “full task”

Start each paragraph with a topic sentence:

A topic sentence is an opening sentence which details the focus of its paragraph

It should include the words of the question

All topic sentences must relate to your thesis

They should be seen as sub-points that provide a more specific and narrower focus than your thesis statement

Everything that follows a topic sentence in a paragraph must support the point it makes

Example of a topic sentence:

“Shakespeare presents the effects of conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues as fatal, even for those characters who do not wish to fight.”

Paragraphs ideally include an analysis of both the extract and the whole play:

This is what examiners call an “integrated approach”

Don’t separate your analysis of the rest of the play into different paragraphs

The examiners stated that the best students “dip in and out of both the extract and the whole text to select details which support their argument as appropriate”

Beware of writing an overly structured paragraph which follows a set pattern:

You may have learned PEE, PEAL, PEED or other structures for your paragraphs

However, examiners often say that although these are excellent for learning what to include in essays, they can be limiting in an exam

Instead, be led by the ideas in the text, and prove your own argument (both the overall thesis, and your topic sentences)

It is always a good idea to include a conclusion to your essay so that your essay reads coherent and focused on answering the question throughout:

This can result in improved marks for AO1

However, there is no need to spend a long time writing your conclusion:

A conclusion for a Shakespeare essay should only summarise the proof you have provided for your thesis

It only needs to be two or three sentences long

It should include the words of the question and your thesis

Remember, you do not get rewarded for including the same information twice

An example of a conclusion:

“In summary, Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as disastrous, not just for those directly involved in the struggle, but even for those characters who wished to escape the conflict. Romeo and Juliet’s deaths – as well as the untimely murders of Mercutio and Tybalt – show how irrational family ties and ideas about honour bring about only endless violence and destroy even the youngest and most innocent bound up in these conflicts.”

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Author: Nick Redgrove

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

How to Write a Level 5 Poetry Essay (A-level English lit)

The rhythm and rhyme scheme – how does the use of a certain meter or the positioning of a certain word contribute to the tone of the poem or emphasis on an ide

The structure and punctuation – what does enjambment, caesura, the use of repeated questions or direct speech or even the lack of punctuation tell you?

The use of rhetorical devices – how do similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole etc. create a certain image?

Word choice – do the words chosen by the poet have certain sounds or connotations in common? Are they often used in similar or in contrasting situations?

Grammatical features – how does the poet play with tenses, pronouns and voices (active/passive)?

The association of violence with pleasure in “The Gun”, shown by the simile invoking sexual pleasure and use of words with positive connotations.

The association of violence with excitement in “The Gun”, shown by the repetition of s and f sounds to give the impression of an excited rush.

The idea of pace adding excitement in “The Notorious Case”, similar to the excitement of “The Gun” and shown by the implications of the verb “caught.”

The positive connotations of there being an art to violence in “The Notorious Case”, similar to the positivity implied by sexual pleasure in “The Gun” and shown by the context in which the phrase “caught the public imagination” is often used.

The link between violence and (positive) community in “The Gun”, shown by the use of a personal pronoun combined with verbs implying communal activity.

The similar use of a first-person pronoun and modifier in “The Notorious Case”, showing that both poems refer to the personal aspect of violence.

The link between violence, its personal nature and destruction in “The Notorious Case”, shown by the connotations of the word “ashes”, and its contrast to the general positivity of “The Gun.”

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A LEVEL ENGLISH: Teacher Resource: a bank of essay questions "Top Girls"

Subject: English

Age range: 16+

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Last updated

21 August 2024

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A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE

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