In the form of an essay, modern students are invited to write essays within the framework of the USE in the Russian language and literature, and often companies offer a competition of similar works to recruit new employees. It should be noted that the requirements for student work are somewhat contrary to the framework of the genre. But be that as it may, an exam must be passed, and one more material on this subject will not be superfluous.
Something and Thoughts
No less, but 435 years ago Montaigne introduced the concept of the essay genre. The Latin ancestor of this word is translated as “weighing”, and the French term that came into the Russian language has several meanings: it is used when it comes to sketch, sketch, attempt, some experience and even sample. Apparently, the latter determined that a new type of written work appeared in the school: an essay essay on literature or the Russian language.
In Russia, the exact interpretation of this genre is given in a parody tradition - “look and something”. The irony in this case is more than appropriate, since it is impossible to better name a small prose work without composition, based only on personal opinion and experience, not having a claim to an exhaustive image of the subject.
Complete freedom in presenting material and the possibility of self-expression made the essay a popular genre not only for testing students' knowledge and skills, but also one of the determining criteria for selecting personnel for various organizations. The results of such testing help employers who want to see people who are creatively thinking and having their own opinions in their team. Therefore, everyone should learn to write essays on literature. Examples of successful work will always come in handy in the future.
Plenty of room for expression
Writing an essay develops creative thinking and writing skills to express thoughts with illustrating experience and reasoning conclusions. Features of this genre:
- consideration throughout the work of one issue or a specific topic; there cannot be an analysis of vast problems;
- the text is based on personal experiences and impressions, therefore, an exhaustive interpretation of the topic is impossible; conclusions can be called individual considerations;
- an essay on literature suggests a new word for any reason, and, despite the subjective coloring, the nature of such a work can be varied (historical, biographical, philosophical, fiction, literary, critical, journalistic, popular science);
- the most valuable thing in the work of this genre is the personality of the author; content should be based on his thoughts, feelings, worldview.
Genre Features
Of course, a school essay cannot be required to strictly observe all the signs of the genre, but knowing them will not hurt.
1. Conditionally small volume. In literary work, it can be from a book page to several dozen. In most Russian universities, up to 10 A4 pages of computer typing are permissible, and, for example, at Harvard, you can not exceed two. 300 words are enough to work when passing the exam.
2. Concreteness. It is enough to consider one problem in the work in order to write an essay on literature. Examples should confirm the idea that will create internal unity.
3. Conversation with a friend. That is what the author of his reader should consider, and then it will be easier to avoid a strict or mentor tone, complicated, confusing understanding of the essence of structures. If you believe the researchers of the genre, then a good essay can only be written by someone who owns the topic, and provided that it is important for the author.
4. The paradox. The combination of mutually exclusive statements, the aphorism of statements and definitions, the characteristic of the phenomenon from an unexpected perspective is inherent in the works of the masters, which every time surprise readers and make them think.
5. Lack of formal framework. This genre does not obey logic, everything here is based on associations. But the principle “all the way around” needs to be studied, so school essays on literature, examples of which, if desired, can be found and read, are still somewhat regulated.
6. Conversational journalism. Introducing the reader as a friend, you need to speak simply, but be wary of frivolous tone. Also unacceptable phrases, slang, abbreviated words. It should be the language of an ardent desire to share your thoughts.
School essay structure
Before starting work, it is important to decide on a topic that is close to the internal state of the author. And also set a goal for writing: what will be said new in order to complete the task of the essay is to attract attention. It is better to immediately estimate the desired volume.
As already mentioned above, the works of this genre do not have a strict or obligatory composition - freedom and flight of thought are assumed. But, speaking of student work, it is necessary to make an adjustment for the small life and literary experience of young people. Of course, they need support, a sample essay essay on literature, so for students it is preferable to give the structure of the expected text:
- Theses (personal thoughts), as a rule, are put forward at the beginning.
- Arguments (evidence) confirm the opinion of the author. As arguments, one can use known facts, events, phenomena of public life; to rely on personal experience or authoritative opinions of scientists and statistics; refer to works of fiction. The optimal number of arguments is two.
- Introduction is a focus on the issue that will be discussed.
- Conclusion - the author’s personal opinion on this subject.
To comply with the structure, paragraphs must be correctly selected. Do not forget that the genre of essays in literature is impossible without expressiveness (emotionality) and artistry (the use of visual means). To do this, it is better to choose simple, short sentences, statements that are different in intonation and purpose. A dash in unionless and incomplete sentences will help avoid verbosity.
Classification by nature
There probably is no topic on which it would be impossible to write an essay. The breadth of directions requires a meaningful approach. So, reasoning can be:
- spiritual and religious;
- artistic and journalistic;
- literary critical;
- philosophical;
- artistic, historical.
Thoughts in the form
Any thought can be clothed in a literary envelope. This will give interest and novelty to an essay on literature. Examples, in the form of which such an essay can be written, can lead to an unusual solution:
- the epistolary genre (letter);
- diary entries (an event in the chronology);
- lyrical miniature (description);
- review (competent opinion);
- note (article in the media).
Choice by way of presentation
By type of essay can be:
- analytical (based on analysis);
- critical;
- reflective (personal response to something);
- narrative;
- descriptive.
Distinguish two approaches
You need to especially carefully prepare for writing an essay on literature, the topics of which have an ambiguous solution. What is it? For example, to give a reasoned assessment of universal moral phenomena means to write a subjective work. In this composition, the sides of the personality of the author are revealed. And if the topic requires consideration of the scientific problem inherent in some kind of professional activity, then this should already be an objective essay, where the subject of the research or description is primary, the author submits to it. As a rule, at school, such essays are written on linguistic or literary topics.
Essay for a given text
It is worth dwelling on the features of writing the final work as part of the exam in the Russian language. Here you can use the cliche for the essay. According to literature, it is better to avoid stencil in essays. So, in the Unified State Examination in Russian it is required to write a small opus on the given text. And if you recall the structure of the essay, then an additional point appears: it is necessary to reflect the position of the author (a famous writer, scientist or publicist) and express his attitude to it.
Expressions can serve as a support:
- give an assessment (what);
- identify the essence (of what);
- set out your approach;
- proceed from the fact that;
- based on one’s own understanding;
- differentiate between concepts;
- considered legitimate;
- pay attention to;
- convincingly prove;
- Define entity
- emphasize relevance.
How to avoid mistakes
The one who is warned is armed. It is worth re-reading well-known essays on literature, examples of which will be role models. Freedom of the genre implies unlimited creativity, but flaws in speech will reduce the flight of thought to naught.
1. We check everything. And not only spelling. You need to read aloud in order to better understand. If the speech stumbled, it means that there was a bad turn, and it needs to be replaced. There should not be any ambiguous expressions.
2. We prove skillfully. The idea of the essay should be vivid, and illustrations supporting it should be no less interesting. It is dullness and inconclusiveness of arguments that reduce the level of work.
3. We remove excess. A typical mistake is a very long introduction or a detailed retelling of a work taken as an argument. Verbosity dilutes thought. An essay should be concentrated around one idea. And extra details and distractions impoverish her.
4. We speak briefly. Preparation for an essay on literature also consists in learning to write in short sentences (this does not mean that only simple and monosyllabic in thought). The long syntactic construction does not give the effect of emotionality, it prevents paragraph division. It is worth taking advantage of unionless and incomplete offers.
5. We write clearly. It is not necessary to show your scientific erudition in an essay. The text is intended for the reader-friend, therefore, it should not contain any incomprehensible words requiring reference to dictionaries or encyclopedias.
Opus for the chief
If the result of a school essay is an assessment, then a competitive essay for getting a job can change your whole life, so you need to write it as a last attempt.
All thoughts must be polished, the argument is based on the principles of logic, and the style of presentation is impeccable. And you need to remember that this is not an essay on literature - examples from literary texts are of little relevance here.
Important points that interest the employer:
- your purely individual assessment;
- the ability to express thoughts on paper;
- Literacy Rate;
- sincerity and honesty;
- the ability to ironize and joke;
- a positive perception of life.
Essay on War Literature
Examples of other people's works can be used only for the purpose of familiarization. Plagiarism is a thankless task. If someone can write an essay, then why don't you learn how to do it? At least start like this.
“The story of Vasil Bykov“ Sotnikov ”is considered a work not so much about the war, but about the moral choice of man. What does he depend on? Well, it couldn’t be like this: in a critical situation, before deciding, someone argues: “I have to do as my parents taught me, as my teachers raised, otherwise everyone will consider me a bad person.” Agree that this is implausible. I dare to suggest that
moral choice is being prepared by the whole previous life. It is as natural for humans as making a preference between two apples.
Here it is - a gallows with five loops. Five are sentenced to death: the girl Basya, the elderly Peter, the mother of three children, Demchikha and the partisans: Rybak and Sotnikov. Did they have a choice to stay alive? Yes. After the execution, one loop will remain empty. ”
Entry is. Thesis put forward. The first argument has begun. Then you can rely on facts from life and end up with a conclusion.
An essay is easy to write if you have something to say and something to share.