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Phoebe Lovelace

Period 3 English II

21 October 2015

Clearing up the Essay Blues

Revered American author F. Scott Fitzgerald once suggested, “You don't write because

you want to say something; you write because you have something to say.” A captivating

statement is absolutely necessary for the first sentence of a paragraph. For some essays statistics

make great attention-getters, but others need a humorous anecdote or story to get the reader

interested. Questions, definitions, historical context, of a famous saying are also great ideas.

Literary analysis essays, on the other hand, require a brief plot summary as well as title and

author reference. Above all, the prerequisite of a good essay is a relevant and understandable

thesis that makes a reader think or feel something.

Each body paragraph should have a clear topic that works to prove the thesis of the essay;

through specific examples, the author should attempt to illustrate his or her point. For example,

someone writing an essay about a good friend may have one paragraph devoted to that friend’s

generous nature. It isn’t enough to just mention it, however. The author must describe an act of

generosity: the friend went out of her way to buy a sandwich for a homeless gentleman. A

reader will be most influenced by very specific examples. When evidence comes in the form of

quotations or factual data from other sources, it must be cited accurately. Specifically, an essay

on homelessness could include data mentioning that in 2013 there were 610,042 homeless people

(US Department of Housing and Urban Development). When evidence comes in the form of

quotations or factual data from other sources, it must be cited accurately on a "Works Cited"

page with proper MLA formatting. The reader would not be able to rely on, or fact check,
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sources for information provided in an essay without this information.. There are many websites

to help with citing sources; one great site, [Link], has a form to fill in that will create

a citation writers can copy and paste into their works cited page. In any case, examples build the

foundation for proof in an essay that will influence a reader.

It is important to realize, however, that providing examples is only the first step. In a

body paragraph, the author must explain how each example given relates to the main idea of that

paragraph and ultimately how that paragraph proves the thesis of the entire essay. This step is

most-often neglected when writing about literature. Immediately after a quotation or recall of

given information, the author must explain further. For instance, an essay analyzing a poem may

provide an explanation of a metaphor as follows. Upon first reading, Robert Frost's poem "The

Armful" seems to be talking about collecting things that are falling out of the speaker's hands.

However, the speaker mentions he holds these things "with hand and mind/And heart" to help the

reader understand there is a deeper level to the poem (6-7). After explaining this metaphor, it is

important for the writer to then explain why it matters for the reader's appreciation. The reader

of the essay needs to understand how the original text influences its reader. Using analysis verbs

like “demonstrates, illustrates, exemplifies, or proves” will ensure the essay analyzes examples

rather than restating or retelling what happens. The essay needs to demonstrate why the examples

provided matter and how they prove the thesis. The final sentence of the body paragraph should

then relate the topic of that paragraph (explaining each example) to the overall thesis (writing

should make a reader think or feel something).

While examples and explanation are vital, style and presentation are also essential

components of an essay. Transition words and sentences help connect each paragraph together

and keep the reader on the right track. Following format guidelines for font, margins, and MLA
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is essential; this includes keeping the title in plain font without quotation marks. By focusing on

the reader, an author can determine what tone and overall language is best for the essay. While

some essays should be straight to the point and full of factual information, others will need more

figurative and descriptive language. When writing about literature, it is important to remember

to thoroughly explain quotations from the text and always keep the discussion in present tense.

Phrases like “I think” and “In my opinion” are unnecessary and weaken essays dramatically and

should, therefore, never be used. Since writing is limited to a specific number of words, it is

imperative that each one is used effectively. It goes without saying that grammar, punctuation,

and spelling are also vital to the reader's experience with an essay. Writers should not use a

comma unless they can explain its grammatical purpose. Errors in mechanics should be corrected

during the editing process so that readers are not distracted by mistakes. An essay with

unnecessary mistakes will not make a reader feel or think something.

Conclusions often stump newer writers but are actually quite easy to write. The purpose

of the final paragraph is to tie all of the ideas presented in the body paragraphs together, explain

how the thesis has been proven, and leave the reader with a lasting impression. Readers simply

need a quick breakdown to remember what they have read and then understand why it was

important to learn. The conclusion could make a recommendation, connect literary events to the

real world, relate the essay to the past or future, or return to the attention-grabber in the

introduction. No matter which method an author chooses, it is important for the reader to feel

the author, as Fitzgerald suggests, has something important to say.

Works Cited

Assadi, Jamal, and William Freedman. A Distant Drummer: Foreign Perspectives on F. Scott

Fitzgerald, Peter Lang, 2007. [Link].

Frost, Robert. “The Armful.” Selected Poems. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963.

US Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Continued Decline in U.S. Homelessness

since 2010.” HUD Reports. HUD, 2013. HUD No.13-173. [Link]. 21 Nov. 2013. Web.

11 Oct. 2014.

SAMPLE in-text citations adapted from Purdue University’s OWL Writing Lab:
AUTHOR’S LASTNAME should be cited if available: Romantic poetry is characterized by the
"spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
“ARTICLE TITLE” should be cited if no author is available: While Wordsworth called his own
poems “experimental,” critics disagreed (“Romantic Poets”)
WORKS CITED info can be removed from parenthetical citation if included in the blended
quotation: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings" (263).
PARAPHRASED ideas still need a citation: Wordsworth extensively explored the role of
emotion in the creative process (“Romantic Poets”).
BRACKETS indicate change from original quotation: Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on
urban legends, states, "some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning
every rumor or tale" (78).
ELLIPSES indicating omission should only be used in the middle of a quotation: In an essay on
urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of learning every
recent rumor or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (“Urban
Legends”).