How to learn to write an essay on literature? The answer to this question is devoted to our article. Writing an essay is one of the most difficult and important tasks in learning. First of all, look at the word itself. Composition ... Its structure includes the root "chin". Its meaning is “hierarchy”, “order”. In other words, an essay is an ordering of thoughts that is dictated by the material of analysis and the chosen topic.
Why is presenting thoughts difficult for some students?
The question of how to learn to write an essay on literature is often asked not only by students who are not given this task, but also parents who cannot help their children, as well as teachers who are looking for new methods and ways to teach children to write this kind of work. For many schoolchildren, this is a real torment, and they do not understand classmates, whose eyes light up when they write an essay.
Why is this happening? We are all very different people. Someone likes to fantasize, speak, argue, reason. So, as a rule, like to write essays. Often they even neglect the advice and do the work of intuition. The question of how to learn to write an essay on literature is usually not for these lucky ones. But others are lost. Options for solving this problem are critical literature, the Internet, and friendship with fellow amateurs to express their thoughts in writing. In this article we will give our answer to the question of how to write the essay most competently.
Different types of work
At school, we get acquainted with various types of this work: an essay, essay, description, reasoning, miniature, essay on a literary work, etc. Each of them has its own structure and has its own requirements for writing, which should not be forgotten. For example, an essay brings closer to literary creation. It is worth paying special attention when working on it not only on the content of the text, but also on the beauty, imagery, ease of presentation. And in the essay-discussion there are necessarily three parts: this is the introduction (which includes theses), the main part (examples and evidence) and conclusions (expression of one’s own point of view on the topic of the work). Describing the miniature, we note that it consists of a thesis, as well as its explanation. In this type of essay, gifted children are often trained to participate in olympiads and subject competitions, because writing in a concise and concise way is often much more difficult than creating a standard work that takes several sheets in volume.
Problem topics
Themes are various. Problematic ones are those in which questions of an aesthetic, scientific or ethical nature are raised. Their wording often includes the term (“problem”) itself, which will tell you how to write an essay. Examples: "The problem of the past in the poem" Dead Souls "by N. Gogol," "Will the Tolstoy Heroes Happiness Happen to the Heroes of Dostoevsky?"
Comparative Topics
Comparatives involve the comparison of two or more objects according to certain formulation criteria. Usually included in the wording of such topics are several objects that are connected by the union "and". Example: "The son and father of Kirsanov in the novel" Fathers and Sons "by I. Turgenev."
Review Topics
Survey topics involve a wide coverage of the material, often its reproductive presentation (i.e. retelling) and description. Their content sometimes constitutes a consideration of the transformation of an object over time. The topic in some cases includes comparative elements, that is, a change in something over time. Similar formulations will tell you how to write an essay. Examples: "The image of war in the novel" War and Peace "by L. N. Tolstoy," Moscow and Muscovites in Bulgakov’s Works, etc.
Other kinds of topics
The revealing features of the mastery of the creator of a work of a theme require a good knowledge of the concepts of literary criticism. You need to be able to characterize the characters, see the features of the story, analyze the descriptions (interior, portrait, landscape), understand the composition of the text. The main thing is to see the ideological and aesthetic value of these elements. Example: "The mastery of Leo Tolstoy in depicting Russian history."
Compositions on the citation suggest the identification of the topic of this statement, the formulation of the problematic issue.
Most of the topics are mixed, which include elements of the above types. There are also free ones, which often rely on the author's everyday experience.
Schoolchildren are often interested in how to learn to write essay-reasoning. His goal is to convince the reader of something, to consolidate or change his opinion on the question. The basis of this type of work, its core is an understandable, clearly formulated and justified from various perspectives main idea, which should be unique. Answering the question of how to learn how to write essay-reasoning, as well as other types of work, it is worth mentioning some rules.
Rules to help you create an essay
They may not seem so important to someone, but the problem in this case is unlikely to budge. The main setbacks lie precisely in the inattention to the main rules.
Composing is a genre that denies rewriting. Choosing “juicy” phrases and sentences from ready-made essays on critical literature, we do not enrich it at all, we only deal with typical plagiarism. By doing this, we will never know how to write an essay on the subject of a work. Of course, students should turn to criticism, but only in order to direct their own thoughts in the right direction, to make sure that the main idea is understood correctly, the essence of the problem is captured.
The philosophy of the work, revealed by other authors, can help for a deep understanding of the topic, for internal work. However, statements, conclusions, impressions and thoughts should belong only to one person - directly to the creator of the composition. "And yet, how to learn to write an essay on literature in this case?" - you ask.
If you need to write a work on a specific work of literature (which is the most common option for students), you should first read the work. Only a brief summary is not suitable for this. A genuine interest in literature can only be aroused by reading the original. Brief contents reflect only the surface layer, on the basis of which deep work with the text is impossible. In order to create a good composition, one should independently see in the story, poem or novel an unusual plot, deep meaning, relevance and a talented word.
It is very useful to read good works created by other authors. Samples of them can now be found in many sources. They will be useful when we write an essay on literature. Examples of where they can be found are special manuals, collections, magazines. After reading several of these samples, you will appreciate the features of the style, language of the author, structure.
And finally, the last rule: never sit down on a blank sheet. You must already have a certain plan in your head, an image of the future text. It is difficult to imagine what and how to write while sitting at the desk. But, for example, when you walk a dog, go to the store, wash the dishes, you can come up with a future composition. This method is worth a try - the result will pleasantly surprise you.
Plan
In order to write a good work, you need to have at hand a plan for an essay on literature. What is it?
The plan of an essay on literature invariably includes the following three parts: this is the introduction, the main part, and the conclusion.
Introduction
The purpose of the introduction is to anticipate what will be discussed in the main part. The beginning of the composition is a place where you can express your feelings and thoughts. The introduction “advertises” the further text, captivates the readers. It will be appropriate to use interesting statements, epigraphs, and also indicate the general mood of your work. As you know, the most difficult thing is to start. In order for this part to turn out successful, you need to formulate key problematic questions in it - those that can be answered within the framework of the topic proposed to you, and then, choosing one or two of them that you will reveal in your essay, justify this choice. We also recommend that you give the terms that you will use in the answer, define them, which will show their understanding by the author. No need to be afraid of question marks. Formulate boldly interrogative sentences. The beginning of an essay (introductory part) sometimes briefly characterizes either the work itself or the era of its creation, if the topic proposed to the author involves an analysis of a particular aspect.
Main part
The main part is the disclosure of the theme of the composition. For example, if this is an image of a hero, you should consider it holistically, while not leaving important details “overboard” - because for some reason the creator of the work nevertheless noted them. You should not write if the topic of the work is not fully understood by you, if the plot line is lost somewhere. Perhaps you need to reread the work in this case. Do not be afraid to ask the teacher questions - he will only approve your inquisitiveness and interest. The main part should be an evidence-based and detailed answer to the questions that you formulated in the introduction. In it, you must convince the reader that you correctly put them and decide correctly. This is the largest in volume. Particular attention should be paid to it, reflecting on how to write an essay.
A sample of thought presented by a critic can be developed if you really liked his idea: submit your own observations, explain it in your own words. Evaluate later whether it is somehow connected with the main theme of your work, with the general text. But still it is preferable to resort to quotes, which emphasizes your preparedness and awareness, will look ethical.
Conclusion
And finally, the conclusion. The main task of this part is to take stock of your reasoning presented in the second part, as well as the problematic issues that you formulated in the introduction. The conclusions should be summarized, while using terms and keywords that are included in the wording of a given topic: often it contains such words as “landscape”, “image”, “composition”, “problem” and others. In the final conclusions, repeat them. Remember that the introduction and conclusion on the content largely repeat each other. Only the form changes from interrogative to affirmative.
It should be noted that not in all cases it is necessary to apply the template we proposed. How to write an essay, decide individually. The choice of points depends on the vigilance of the reader, the degree of preparation, the ability to determine the main thing. However, it is recommended to adhere to the plan that we have drawn up, then there will be no difficulty in understanding how to learn to write essays. The exam, for example, evaluates the presence of three elements - the introduction, the main part and conclusion.