Literary Devices

A few common literary devices used in writing essays are suspense, episodes, tonal shifts, and descriptive imagery. Each device adds flavor to the writing. They keep the reader interested and entertained. The devices contribute to the style of the author.

Suspense is used to create a tension in the reader. This device gets the audience more involved in the storyline and emotionally attached. As they continue to read, they are eager to read more to see what happens next. When writing, suspense should not make up the whole paper.

Episodes are the switching of story to story. To start a new episode or story, the reader's attention must be grabbed. Episodes must be written with proper grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation (History Engine). Usually in episodes, dates, locations, and characters are introduced immediately.

 

Tonal shifts go hand in hand with suspense. When tones shift, the tone could switch back and forth, or just once, depending on the author's style. This device makes the paper exciting, taking the reader through a range of emotions (eHow). Some common tonal shifts are happy to sad, serious to humorous, and chaotic to peaceful.

Imagery is the use of vivid and descriptive diction to describe something in the essay. This device appeals to the reader's senses and deepens the reader's understanding of the work. It describes the looks, smells, sounds, and feelings of items, such as a character or place, in the essay. It makes it seem that the reader is actually there with whatever is being described.

Stuck on Style Analysis?

Are you stuck on style analysis essays? Well today is your day, because here are some solutions for you! When you write this type of essay you need to understand the basic style and components of literature. Some things to take into consideration are diction, syntax, treatment of subject matter, figurative language, imagery, selection of detail, point of view, attitude, tone, and organization. (AP Study Notes). These are some of the major parts of an authors style that need to be evaluated. Once you have an understanding of these few devices, writing a style analysis essay will come with ease. In the intro, be sure to state the devices that you are going to discuss. Follow through in your paper discussing how each devices and types of styles are effective in getting the author's main point across.

Over thinking the Open Prompt Argumentative Essay?

 Writing a open prompt argumentative essay may be a little intimidating at first. Once a good understanding is established, it is not as scary anymore. That is the first step. When writing this type of essay, you should take time to fully understand what is expected of you (education.org). By taking a moment to sit back and think, it allows your mind to be cleared to be able to write an amazing essay. A significant part of writing an open prompt argumentative essay is using previous knowledge. The knowledge can be personal experience, previous readings, studies, and more. The knowledge makes your essay more credible and backs up your point. In a open prompt argumentative essay, the argument should defend, challenge, or qualify a topic or opinion. Be sure to not contradict yourself. During when you actually began to write, be sure to time yourself. By doing this, you will ensure that you complete your essay in the limit of time given. The introduction should refer to the prompt and clearly stated your position. This clarifies any questions the readers may have right at the beginning. The body should consist of paragraphs describing points that support your position. Finally, the conclusion should restate your position and views. Don't over think the open prompt argumentative essay!

Crucial Corrections

Two common mistakes we made were not enough commentary and the usage of long quotes. In composing essays, this is a mistake that should be avoided. When you use too long of quotes, it takes away from the writers idea and makes it sound more like the author of the quote wrote it. When using a quote from a novel that is extremely long, it is best to paraphrase that quote. Not only do you need to list the quote, you also need to make a point about it. By using commentary it makes you sound more intellectual about the subject being discussed. Only one third of your paper should be quotes, the rest need to be your own ideas and commentary.

What DID We Do Good?

In our paper, we both had strong organization. We listed our three main points in the introduction and wrote one paragraph for each in the body. We ended with a strong conclusion which restated what we discussed. That is an example of proper essay organization. This type of organization ensures that the essay will flow. The introduction should catch the reader's attention, persuading them to read more.  It also introduces the idea. The type of organization used was chronological, meaning one point came after the other. Other examples of organization methods are spacial, persuasive, and comparison and contrast (Wiki.utep.edu). Other than our good organization, we gave good points, although we made a mistake in not further discussing the points by adding commentary.

Terrible Test Anxiety, Unwelcoming Writers Block, Petrifying Perfectionism

Test morning; sweaty palms, racing heartbeats, unlawful gas, butterflies, and blank minds. Does this ring a bell? These are the common symptoms of test anxiety. Sixty one percent of students suffer from test anxiety everyday. The first thing you need to do when suffering from test anxiety is calm down and breathe. When you get stressed, that is when you will mess up. You always need to be optimistic. When you have a bad attitude, it will reflect on your work. For these conditions, one solution is brainstorming. Brainstorming is listing your ideas in some type of organization on paper previous to writing your essay. Some examples of brainstorming are breaking down into levels, listing/bulleting, looking in different perspectives, mapping, webbing, and clustering (The Writing Center). This organizes points to discuss for your paper. It gets rid of “bunny trails” and writers block. For perfectionism, you need to understand that nothing is perfect. You learn from the mistakes you commit, which makes you a better writer. Get rid of the anxiety, writers block, and perfectionism!

Works Cited

"Writing the Argumentative Essay for AP English Language ." Education.com. 2006. Web. 1 Jan. www.education.com/study-help/article/working-prompt1. "Brainstorming." The Writing Center. UNC - Chapel Hill , 2010. Web. 1 Jan. http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/brainstorming/. "Writing." History Engine. University of Richmond, 2008. Web. 1 Jan. http://historyengine.richmond.edu/pages/students/writing. "What Are Tone Shifts in Literature." eHow. Demand Media, Inc, 1999. Web. 1 Jan. http://www.ehow.com/info_8442356_tone-shifts-literature.html. "Style Analysis ." AP Study Notes . 2002. Web. 1 Jan. http://www.apstudynotes.org/...essays/style-analysis-tone-of-voice-words/. "How to Organize a Paper." Wiki.utep.edu. University of Texas at El Paso, 2004. Web. 1 Jan. http://wiki.utep.edu/display/UTEPDEVENG/Thirteen+Possible+Ways+to+Organize+a+College+Paper.
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