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Introduces strategies for reading literature. Because good writing about literature depends on good reading of it, chapter 2 discusses and demonstrates active critical reading.
Explains the writing process and common writing assignments. Chapter 3 takes students through the stages of writing about literature, from invention to final editing, with examples of how to quote literature effectively in their papers. Chapter 4 discusses a range of typical writing assignments, including response, explication, analysis, comparison, and essay exams.
Offers specific instruction in writing about fiction, poetry, and drama. Students learn to write about these three major genres in Chapters 5, 6 and 7. Sample student papers illustrate the instruction and model for students how to proceed with their own assignments.
Covers the literary research paper and a variety of critical approaches to literature. These especially challenging assignments are covered in Chapter 8 (which presents detailed coverage of finding, evaluating, and documenting sources) and Chapter 9 (which includes concise descriptions of critical approaches students may use in their analytical writing, and suggests possible applications of each approach using familiar works of literature).