How to Write an Essay on Literary Response
- 1). Write the introduction for your response essay. Your introduction should include your thesis statement or a summary of the main points you plan to cover in the essay. Give at least one sentence of information for each point you plan to cover.
- 2). Write the body paragraphs of your response essay. Each point you cover about the literary work should have its own paragraph, and each paragraph should contain two or three pieces of evidence or examples from the text that back up your point. For example, if you felt the author of the literary work misused metaphors, find a few examples from the text where you feel this is especially obvious, and include an example of the proper way to use a metaphor. This won't necessarily prove your point since it's a matter of opinion, but it will help give your point validity.
- 3). Conclude your response essay. Your conclusion should briefly reiterate your main points and the key evidence or examples you used to back up those points. Your conclusion is the final chance you have to persuade your reader that your points are valid.
- 4). Edit your literary response essay. Be sure your grammar and word usage are all correct, and reword any confusing or awkward sentence structures. You want to make sure your reader is paying attention to your argument, not your word choices. Also, check to make sure the evidence and examples you chose are described clearly and are the best choice for your argument.
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