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27 Writing Literary Analyses

Page
227
from
Write Ahead

Writing Literary Analyses Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Ask students what their favorite movie is. Make a list on the board. After listing about ten movies, take a poll to see which movies people like most. Point to a movie and ask students to raise their hands if they like it. (They can vote for more than one movie.) Afterward, focus on the most popular movie and ask the class to say what is so good about it. Gently guide them to talking about characters, plot, setting, and theme:

  • "Tell me about the characters in this movie."

  • "So, what are these characters doing, mainly?"

  • "Where and when did this take place?"

  • "So, what do you think this movie is saying about life?"

Let your students know they have just conducted a literary analysis (though, of course, the topic was a movie instead of a book). They will learn how to do the same thing in writing in this chapter.

In addition to the models in this chapter, share with students other responses to literature.

Think About It

“Every great film should seem new every time you see it.”

—Roger Ebert

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.F

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.RL.1.1

LAFS.910.RL.1.2

LAFS.910.RL.1.3

LAFS.910.RL.4.10

LAFS.910.RL.2.5

LAFS.910.RL.2.6

LAFS.910.W.1.2

LAFS.910.W.2.4

LAFS.910.W.2.5

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.4.F

110.36.c.6

110.37.c.4.F

110.37.c.6

110.36.c.6.A

110.37.c.6.A

110.36.c.6.B

110.36.c.7.A

110.37.c.6.B

110.37.c.7.A

110.36.c.3

110.36.c.4

110.36.c.7.B

110.36.c.7.C

110.37.c.3

110.37.c.4

110.37.c.7.B

110.37.c.7.C

110.36.c.6.C

110.36.c.8.B

110.37.c.6.C

110.37.c.8.B

110.36.c.9

110.36.c.10.B

110.36.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.10.B

110.36.c.10.C

110.36.c.9.B.ii

110.37.c.10.C

110.37.c.9.B.ii

110.36.c.5.H

110.37.c.5.H

110.36.c.9.A

110.37.c.9.A

110.36.c.9.C

110.36.c.9.D

110.37.c.9.C

110.37.c.9.D

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 228 from Write Ahead

Ideas for a Literary Analysis

Present the information on this page, helping students understand that any of the main four elements of literature can provide the focus for a literary analysis. Each of the bullets on this page gives students a starting point to focus their analyses.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 229 from Write Ahead

Sample Poem

Students often respond very well to Poe, in part because of his Gothic emotional expressiveness, in part because of his strong meter and rhyme—almost like those in a rap song. Have volunteers read this famous Poe poem. If your students have the inclination, challenge them to rap it instead of read it.

Afterward, lead a conversation about this piece:

  • Why does the writer care about Annabel Lee? (She loved him, and he loved her.)
  • Why were the writer and Annabel Lee separated? (She was chilled and killed by a wind and taken by a kinsman and laid in a sepulcher.)
  • What reason does the writer give for Annabel Lee's death? (The angels were jealous of their love.)
  • What power does the writer have to overcome his loss? (He says his love is stronger than death.)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 230 from Write Ahead

Sample Literary Analysis: Poem

Have volunteers read aloud each paragraph from the sample. Then lead a discussion about it.

  • How does the writer support the point "that human love is more powerful than death and that memory can help a person stand against great odds"? (The writer shows how the forces of nature and the supernatural are not as powerful as the writer's devotion to his lost beloved.")
  • What other evidence can you draw from the poem to support the writer's point?
  • Do you agree with this literary analysis? Why or why not? What evidence can you provide to support your reading of the poem?
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 231 from Write Ahead

Sample Literary Analysis: Novel

Have volunteers read each paragraph of this sample literary analysis. Afterward, lead a discussion about it, using questions like these:

  • How does the writer get the reader's attention? (By referring to the plight of the main character.)
  • How do the middle paragraphs support the thesis statement. (They tell the highlights of the story, without spoiling the novel for others.)
  • What does the final paragraph do? (It reinforces the thesis statement while focusing on a main theme of the book.)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 232 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

When your students are ready to write their own literary analyses, lead them through the material on this page. Help them select a short story or novel to analyze. Then direct them to the ideas on page 228 to find a focus for their essays. Let them know that they need to support their focus with evidence from the text. Send them back to it to gather at least four quotations that support their ideas. Then have them also record four or so paraphrases and inferences.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewriting

Page 233 from Write Ahead

Writing, Revising, and Editing

When students are ready to draft their literary analyses, lead them through the material on this page.

After they draft, provide them the Literary Analysis Revising Checklist to help them improve their work. Also, distribute the Response Sheet to encourage constructive peer response groups.

When students are ready to edit their work, provide the Editing and Proofreading Checklist to guide their work.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWritingRevisingEditing

Page 234 from Write Ahead

Evaluating Literary Writing

After students have finished their literary analyses, provide them the Literary Analysis Rubric to complete self-evaluation.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.B

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing for AssessmentResponse to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
Writing