How to write an essay on literature: structure and plan

The word "essay" in Russian came from French. It goes back historically to one Latin concept, which means in translation "weighing". The French term is translated with the words "sketch", "sketch", "attempt", "test", "experience". In this article, we will tell you how to write an essay on literature. You will find out what are the characteristic features of this genre, what is its structure and composition. Also in this article you will find useful tips, after reading that, you will understand how to write essays on literature beautifully and interestingly. Let's start with the definition of the term itself.

What is an essay?

The essay is a prose composition with a free composition of a small volume that expresses individual considerations and impressions on a specific question or occasion and does not pretend to exhaustive or definitive interpretation of the given subject.

In the explanatory dictionary compiled by L. P. Krysin, it is defined as follows: it is an essay that treats some problems in free form, and not in a scientific, systematic form.

Turning to the Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary, we learn that the essay is a genre of literary critical, philosophical, journalistic, historical and biographical prose that combines an individual author's position, emphasized in the text, with a casual, often paradoxical statement, close to colloquial speech.

In the Short Literary Encyclopedia it is said that the essay is a small prose composition with a free composition, which treats a certain topic and is an attempt to convey the author's individual considerations or impressions connected with it.

Symptoms of an essay

- The presence of a specific question or topic. Dedicated to the analysis of a large range of problems, a work can not, by definition, be performed in a genre such as an essay.

- It expresses necessarily individual considerations and impressions on a certain question or occasion, does not pretend to be exhaustive and defining the interpretation of a certain subject. For more information on how to write an essay on literature, see below.

- The essay, as a rule, presupposes the presence of a new, colored subjective word about something. The work can have a history-biographical, philosophical, literary-critical, publicistic, scientific-popular or fictional character.

- First of all, the author's personality, his feelings and thoughts, his outlook are evaluated in the content of the text.

Creator of the essay genre

This genre has become very popular in recent years. Its creator is Michel de Montaigne (author of the book "Experiments", released in 1580). It is in it that we first find examples of how to write an essay on literature. Although it should be clarified that this author wrote a philosophical essay. The book presents such chapters as, for example, "On conceit", "On conscience". However, the text structure itself , the author's idea will help you in creating works of this genre both in literature and in other subjects.

The writing skills of the essay are very relevant now. Currently, this kind of work as a task is offered quite often. For example, includes an essay on the USE literature. When enrolling in various educational institutions or, for example, with employment, this genre is given great importance. The competition of works allows you to choose the best of the best.

Why do we write essays?

The goal that the essay sets itself is to develop the creative thinking of the individual, as well as the ability to write down thoughts in writing. This experience is very useful, as it helps the author to learn to correctly and clearly formulate his thoughts, use the most important concepts, structure information, highlight the links between cause and effect, illustrate examples of the theses, and substantiate the conclusions.

Lack of plot

The first feature of writing an essay on literature is the lack of a classic story in this genre. Of course, you can give different examples from life, but this will all be just an illustration to the main idea of the text.

Uncertainty of shape

Another feature is the uncertainty of form. In other words, you can, as they say, spread the thought of the tree, and for this no one will tell you a bad word. Everything that comes to mind can be stated on paper, analyzed, and then sum up the aforesaid.

Volume of essay

Keep in mind that the volume of the essay is rather small, but it does not have clear boundaries. It is about three to seven pages written in computer text. At the Harvard Business School, for example, essays are often written on only two sheets. In the domestic universities, the volume of up to ten pages of typewritten text is allowed.

Specific problem or issue

Another feature is that in the center of the author's thinking there must necessarily be a specific problem (some unsolvable question). The topic should be clearly defined. An essay can not simultaneously consider a variety of topics, including a large number of ideas (thoughts). It only reflects one thought, one variant, and develops them. That is, it's just an answer to some question.

Own opinion

In this case, you need to express only your own opinion. The essay does not claim to be the only true point of view, even if many arguments and evidence are given. This, most likely, is only one of the faces of this issue. Writing an essay on literature is not a scientific work.

Simulating conversation with the reader

The next thing that I would like to mention is that when creating an essay, there is an imitation of a live conversation with the reader, which should be lead, call on various questions, thus raising the burning issues, as if you are in front of him here and now. The author's monologue should be out of space and time, filled with live speech. Writing an essay on literature includes a significant creative element. With the reader should establish a confidential, friendly style of communication. To do this, the author must deliberately avoid unclear, complex, overly stringent constructions. At the same time, it is necessary to exclude from use pattern phrases, slang, abbreviated words, and also to avoid an excessively frivolous tone. As the researchers note, a good essay can be created only by someone who owns the topic freely, is able to see it from various angles, and is also ready to present the reader with a multidimensional but not exhaustive view of the phenomenon.

Free composition

An important feature of this genre is a free composition. The outline of the essay on literature is not strict. Various researchers note that by its nature this genre is arranged in such a way that it does not tolerate a formal framework. Often it is built contrary to the basic laws of logic, according to the principle of arbitrary associations. The plan for an essay on literature therefore you can develop yourself. We give some basic compositional features below.

Inclination to paradoxes

There is a penchant for paradoxes. This genre is designed to surprise, puzzle the reader - this quality is mandatory. The starting point for the reflections embodied in the essay often is a vivid aphoristic statement or some paradoxical definition that confronts indisputable at first sight, but mutually exclusive theses, characteristics, statements.

Semantic unity

One of the paradoxes of this genre is the inner semantic unity. Oriented primarily to subjectivity, but free compositionally, the essay also has a semantic unity within the text, that is, the consistency of basic statements and theses, as well as the internal harmony of associations and arguments, the consistency of judgments that reflect the personal position of its creator.

Structure and plan of the essay

1. Introduction. "How to start an essay on literature?" - you ask. As you know, it's hardest to write the first lines. You do not need to immediately start something to someone to prove by creating samples of essays on literature. To begin with, you should prepare the ground, that is, create the right atmosphere and immerse the reader of the text in a state of thought that will help him later to penetrate the author's ideas as much as possible.

2. The main part, which consists of abstracts. Remember that the main idea should be formulated briefly and clearly. She should be simple and understandable. Nobody likes unfounded statements. The task of the author, creating samples of the essay on literature, is not only to state it, but also to prove it. For example, you state that fate determines the name of a person. Then prove this by giving concrete examples from life or based on some well-known theories. On this principle, you should write an essay on literature. Lermontov, Pushkin, Gogol, Nekrasov, Saltykov-Shchedrin ... Use the knowledge of Russian classics, but be sure to present a fresh look.

The thesis, therefore, answers the question: "What?" After this, it is necessary to answer the question: "Why?", That is, to prove it.

3. The plan for writing an essay on literature also includes the conclusion, the final part, the summing up of what has been said. You can talk about the subject of the essay for a long time, go into the jungle of reflections, but in the end it is necessary to gather into the bundle all the mental wealth. Only this way one can qualitatively complete a statement, and also show the value of a written text. If its volume is too small, you can do without this part. The main thing is that the basic idea sounded in the conclusion.

This is the plan for writing an essay on literature, which you can change a little, because it's quite a loose form.

What will help you write an essay better

1. Reflect on the theme, its meaning. Analyze how well you understand what you want to write about. Are you able to offer something fresh and new on this topic? The essay is famous, first of all, for its originality. It is necessary to present necessarily unbanal view even to the most banal things, if they are the subject of its content. Do not forget about the freshness of the tongue.

2. Materials. Choose what you will use when writing a work. Is it enough to read and experience? Do not forget that collage of wording, variety of thoughts always bribes. Get to know different points of view on this issue and join some authors in the discussion. The work should create the impression of persistent and long work, to surprise readers with erudition and to put them at a dead end with fresh thinking.

3. Using ideas. Do not try to talk about everything at once. You can please the readers with unexpected facts and sparkling expressions. Make it so that you are interested, pleasant and also cognitively read.

4. Three whales. Write down on the paper the main thoughts and directions. From them, choose the three most successful theses. Take them as a basis. If you get more ramifications, you risk that the text will seem incomprehensible and superficial, and if less - conservative and obsessed. Long since the number "3" is recognized as magical. Do not therefore ignore it.

5. First - the skeleton. And only then - the skin. The point here is that first we should only outline the train of thought. They can be written down with one or two sentences in each of the paragraphs, then slowly reread, and then sculpt a snowball consisting of your own thoughts. You can add the necessary details and examples, as well as wind up information using a variety of artistic tools.

Now you know how to write an essay on literature. The information presented in this article can be used when creating an essay on other subjects. The main points do not differ in different forms of this genre. The structure of the essay on literature, presented by us, can be used, for example, when writing a work on philosophy, when applying for a job, etc.