Intro. to Literary Analysis Essays (9th-12th grades)
Live online: Wednesdays 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. MST Spring semester: January 13, 2021 - May 19, 2021
Instructor: Renee Metcalf
Course Description: This course is the ideal companion to the Intro. to Essay Writing class, combining both literature and writing. The ability to read a text, look at it from different angles, make astute observations and to articulate it in coherent writing is what is called literary analysis. It is more than surface reading. A thoughtful analysis of a piece of literature enhances the reader's understanding and deepens his appreciation. In this class, students learn to annotate their reading as an aid to writing their literary analysis papers. Students practice and refine their skill in writing a clear and strong thesis statement. We'll also look at how authors use various tools such as allusions, euphemisms, parallelisms, and irony. Learn how authors create characters and what they achieve by using various points of view. If you find symbolism and theme a bit nebulous, it won't be after you take this class! We'll also explore the effect of relativism, post-modernism, and worldview on a reader's perception of a selection of literature. This class prepares students to successfully wrestle with any writing calling for literary analysis.
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of my Intro. to Essay Writing class or an equivalent class. It is expected that students already know how to write a thesis statement and organize a 5-paragraph essay. I regard this class as a sequel to Intro. to Essay Writing as we expand on what was learned previously.