The FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY: Literary Analysis

INTRODUCTION

CREATIVE TITLE
HOOK
This is an attention-grabber; an opening sentence that lures the reader in.
CONTEXT
Identifies: Topic, text, title, author, theme, etc.
Provides: Quick summary or background information (5 Ws)
THESIS STATEMENT
If you had to boil your entire essay down into 1-2 sentences, this would be it. Your thesis is the
MAIN IDEA; the BIG CLAIM that you will have to prove.
PREVIEW
Give the reader a preview of your paper using the RULE OF THREE.

CONTEXT
Youve already provided context in the introduction, so youll want to do it on a smaller scale
here by identifying the part of the text youre referring to, or saying where in the action you are
talking about.

In the beginning of the novel // In the 3rd stanza of the poem // When Skywalker travels to Dagobah

Body

CLAIM
Your claim is synonymous with topic sentence. In other words, your claim is the main idea of
the body paragraph and relates directly to the thesis statement.
EVIDENCE
This is usually in the form of a direct quote that supports (backs up) your claim, and is set up for
the reader (who is doing the speaking/action?)
Darth Vader tells Luke, ___, revealing a big family secret. // Tupac exclaimed, ___ before he dropped the mic.

CONCLUSION

EXPLANATION
Dont let textual evidence speak for itself!!! You MUST explain how your evidence supports your
claim. Pretend your quote is written in an alien language, and you must explain its meaning to your
audience in detail.
TRANSITION SENTENCE
Transition statements are a sort of signal; sentences that connect one topic or idea to another in a paper
or essay in a smooth, coherent way. They essentially let your reader know you about to change
directions.
RESTATE YOUR THESIS
DO NOT use the same language you used in your introduction.
SUMMARIZE and SYNTHESIZE
Youve just covered some important points in detailnow bring them all together.
What do they have in common? How do they support one another?
EXPLAIN WHY THE TOPIC MATTERSSO WHAT???
Explain the importance of your topic. Why does it matter? How does it connect literature to the real
world? (HINT: Literature is about us. It expresses universal human truths.)
FAMOUS CLOSING SENTENCE
If _____, then_____.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Read your work aloud.

Dont Do not use contractions.
When discussing literature, always use the present tense.
NEVER use the pronoun I in an academic paper. Keep the tone formal.
Format properly: double-space and start Works Cited on a new page.
Every time you make a lazy error, a teacher spontaneously combusts.