Overview Key Moves Examples Practice

14. Designing Effective Literary Analysis Paragraphs

Build paragraphs that balance evidence and close reading.

Course Hub
Overview

This chapter is scaffolded in the ENG 1020 edition. We’ll fill in examples using fiction, poetry, and drama.

Goal: By the end, you should be able to use this skill in your next literature paper with confidence (and fewer “I don’t know what to say” moments).

Key Moves
  • Do: Identify a specific feature (word choice, pattern, shift, stage direction, line break).
  • Say: What it suggests (interpretation), not just what it is (description).
  • Prove: Use a short quote or a precise reference.
  • Connect: Explain how it supports your claim or complicates it.
Examples

Placeholder: We’ll add short examples from your course texts (one for fiction, poetry, and drama where relevant).

Practice

Placeholder: We’ll add a quick 10–15 minute practice task and a checklist students can use to self-check.