Different types of literary essays can be assigned to students, from expository essays to critical analysis papers and literary reviews. It’s important to encourage critical thinking skills early on, with reports becoming less expository and more critical as students progress. College-level literary essays require multiple sources to back up a thesis statement. Some people choose to have these essays published in books or magazines.
There are different types of literary essays that can be assigned to students. Younger students may simply be assigned expository literary essays, in which the student will report on the plot and content of the book, primarily to ensure that they have read and understood the material. More advanced students can write critical literary analysis papers, where students will focus on one aspect of the text, such as theme or symbolism, and deconstruct it. These often involve further research. A literary review is another possible type of literary essay, where students will offer more advanced critical views of the text without the benefit of further research.
It is important for teachers to start early with students, encouraging them to read and think critically about what they are learning. While few people would consider elementary school book reviews to be literary essays, they are often the first time students read something and then talk about it. As students progress through school, the reports they produce should be less expository and more critical. In high school, students are often expected to write literary essays composed of analyses.
Similar to literary reviews, these critical analysis papers are often written without the benefit of a great deal of additional scholarly research, if any. Instead, students should cast a critical eye on the piece they have read and write a response to it. Some teachers will want students to focus on a specific aspect of literary technique, such as theme or symbolism, to help students develop skills in identifying these techniques; others will try to persuade the reader to see her point of view. Students who are talented at this may find they enjoy writing literary reviews for a school newspaper or website.
Literary essays written in college or outside will be much more complex. These will almost all require the use of multiple sources to back up a thesis statement. Students will try to answer a question or prove a point based on their opinion of a text. It is important for students to develop this advanced skill as well, using the research of others to help prove their points without plagiarizing. These are some of the more common literary essays; keep in mind that some people choose to have these essays published in books or magazines whether they are students in school or not.
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