ENG‌‌3U9‌‌‌–‌‌A‌‌Guide‌‌to‌‌Essay‌‌Analysis‌ ‌

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Purpose:‌‌ Why‌‌‌has‌‌the‌‌author‌‌written‌‌the‌‌essay?‌‌The‌‌more‌‌concrete‌‌the‌‌writing,‌‌the‌‌more‌‌specific‌‌the‌‌ ‌
purpose;‌‌the‌‌more‌‌abstract‌‌the‌‌writing,‌‌the‌‌more‌‌tentative‌‌the‌‌purpose.‌‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌to‌‌inform,‌‌explain,‌‌persuade,‌‌entertain,‌‌reflect,‌‌communicate‌‌a‌‌personal‌‌
experience,‌‌motivate,‌‌move,‌‌inspire,‌‌reveal‌‌self,‌‌confess,‌‌warn,‌‌mock‌‌or‌‌parody,‌‌ridicule‌‌or‌‌
satirize,‌‌criticize‌ ‌
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Audience:‌ For‌‌whom‌‌‌is‌‌the‌‌essay‌‌written?‌‌The‌‌audience‌‌can‌‌range‌‌from‌‌a‌‌very‌‌general‌‌one‌‌to‌‌a‌‌very‌‌ ‌
specialized‌‌group.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌peers,‌‌like-minded‌‌individuals,‌‌educated,‌‌academic,‌‌professional,‌‌ ‌
specialized‌ ‌
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Tone:‌ What‌‌is‌‌the‌‌writer’s‌a
‌ ttitude‌‌‌toward‌‌the‌‌subject?‌‌toward‌‌the‌‌reader?‌‌toward‌‌herself/himself?‌‌ ‌
The‌‌attitude‌‌may‌‌range‌‌from‌‌one‌‌of‌‌no‌‌expressed‌‌emotions‌‌to‌‌one‌‌that‌‌is‌‌very‌‌emotional.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌serious,‌‌objective,‌‌scholarly,‌‌businesslike,‌‌detached,‌‌persuasive,‌‌assertive,‌‌ ‌
dogmatic,‌‌ironic,‌‌mocking,‌‌reverential,‌‌deferential,‌‌friendly,‌‌witty,‌‌angry,‌‌ironic,‌‌questioning,‌‌ ‌
reflective,‌‌tentative,‌‌impassioned,‌‌belligerent‌ ‌
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Voice:‌ Is‌‌the‌‌writer’s‌‌own‌p ‌ ersonality‌‌‌evident?‌‌This‌‌may‌‌range‌‌from‌‌a‌‌writer’s‌‌personality‌‌that‌‌is‌‌not‌‌ ‌
perceived‌‌at‌‌all‌‌to‌‌a‌‌personality‌‌that‌‌is‌‌strongly‌‌felt.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌neutral,‌‌silent,‌‌minimal,‌‌expressive,‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌occasion‌ ‌
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Response:‌ What‌‌intellectual‌‌and/or‌‌emotional‌a ‌ udience‌‌response‌‌‌is‌‌expected?‌‌The‌‌intended‌‌response‌‌may‌‌ ‌
range‌‌from‌‌strictly‌‌intellectual‌‌to‌‌highly‌‌emotional.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌intellectual‌‌curiosity,‌‌serious,‌‌informed,‌‌entertained,‌‌moved,‌‌mental‌‌and‌‌ ‌
emotional‌‌kinship,‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌intimacy‌‌or‌‌shared‌‌experience,‌‌anger‌ ‌
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Language:‌‌ What‌‌is‌‌the‌l‌evel‌‌‌of‌‌the‌‌language?‌‌The‌‌level‌‌may‌‌range‌‌from‌‌formal‌‌to‌‌colloquial.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌concrete,‌‌abstract,‌‌colloquial,‌‌innovative,‌‌poetic,‌‌sensory‌ ‌
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What‌‌are‌‌the‌c‌ haracteristics‌‌‌of‌‌the‌‌language?‌‌Characteristics‌‌may‌‌range‌‌from‌‌denotative‌‌to‌‌
connotative.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌specific,‌‌precise,‌‌technical,‌‌emotional‌‌undertones,‌‌positive‌‌shading‌‌ ‌
(undertones/overtones)‌ ‌
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What‌r‌ hetorical‌‌devices‌‌‌are‌‌used‌‌to‌‌intensify‌‌the‌‌impact‌‌of‌‌the‌‌ideas?‌‌The‌‌writing‌‌may‌‌be‌‌ ‌
straightforward‌‌or‌‌range‌‌right‌‌through‌‌to‌‌densely‌‌rhetorical.‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌simile,‌‌metaphor,‌‌personification,‌‌repetition,‌‌rhetorical‌‌question,‌‌allusion,‌‌ ‌
hyperbole,‌‌juxtaposition,‌‌alliteration,‌‌euphemism,‌‌analogy,‌‌understatement,‌‌oxymoron‌ ‌
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Are‌‌there‌‌strong‌i‌mages‌?‌ ‌
The‌‌images‌‌could‌‌appear‌‌as‌‌objective‌‌descriptions‌‌or‌‌range‌‌through‌‌to‌‌striking‌‌and‌‌unusual.‌ ‌
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What‌‌kind‌‌of‌s‌ entence‌‌structure‌‌‌is‌‌used?‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌loose,‌‌periodic,‌‌balanced,‌‌parallel‌‌structure,‌‌contrasting‌‌length,‌‌emphatic,‌‌ ‌
musical,‌‌short,‌‌dramatic,‌‌varied,‌‌simple,‌‌complex‌ ‌
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Thesis:‌ Where‌‌is‌‌the‌‌thesis‌‌statement?‌‌What‌‌is‌‌the‌‌purpose‌‌of‌‌the‌‌information‌‌leading‌‌up‌‌to‌‌the‌‌thesis‌‌ ‌
statement?‌‌(Be‌‌sure‌‌to‌‌check‌‌that‌‌the‌‌thesis‌‌statement‌‌is‌‌the‌‌“umbrella”).‌ ‌
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Units‌o
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Organization:‌ What‌‌larger‌‌units‌‌can‌‌the‌‌essay‌‌be‌‌broken‌‌down‌‌into?‌‌(Look‌‌for‌‌clear‌‌introduction,‌‌body,‌‌ ‌
conclusion).‌‌What‌‌contribution‌‌does‌‌each‌‌of‌‌these‌‌units‌‌make‌‌in‌‌developing‌‌the‌‌writer’s‌‌ ‌
argument?‌ ‌
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What‌g ‌ eneral‌‌pattern‌‌of‌‌organization‌‌‌is‌‌the‌‌writer‌‌using‌‌in‌‌the‌‌whole‌‌work,‌‌or‌‌in‌‌any‌‌particular‌‌ ‌
paragraph?‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌chronological,‌‌comparison,‌‌contrast,‌‌spatial,‌‌cause/effect,‌‌order‌‌of‌‌ascending‌‌ ‌
importance,‌‌from‌‌least‌‌complex‌‌to‌‌most‌‌complex,‌‌analysis‌‌(breaking‌‌down‌‌a‌‌complex‌‌idea‌‌into‌‌ ‌
its‌‌parts),‌‌description‌‌of‌‌a‌‌process,‌‌definition‌‌(classification‌‌and‌‌division)‌ ‌
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Details:‌‌ What‌‌kinds‌‌of‌p ‌ roof‌‌‌does‌‌the‌‌writer‌‌offer‌‌to‌‌support‌‌his/her‌‌ideas?‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌historical‌‌references,‌‌examples,‌‌facts,‌‌statement‌‌of‌‌opinion‌‌and‌‌personal‌‌ ‌
belief,‌‌literary‌‌references,‌‌appeals‌‌to‌‌authority,‌‌statistics,‌‌anecdotes,‌‌allusions‌ ‌
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Connectors:‌‌ What‌t‌ ransitional‌‌signals‌‌‌indicate‌‌the‌‌direction‌‌of‌‌the‌‌thought?‌ ‌
Descriptive‌‌terms:‌‌add‌‌or‌‌extend‌‌thought;‌‌add‌‌an‌‌example‌‌or‌‌explanation;‌‌indicate‌‌similarity‌‌or‌‌ ‌
difference;‌‌arrange‌‌ideas‌‌in‌‌order,‌‌time,‌‌or‌‌space;‌‌sum‌‌up‌‌several‌‌ideas;‌‌emphasize‌‌an‌‌idea;‌‌show‌‌ ‌
cause‌‌or‌‌effect.‌ ‌
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Methods‌o
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‌ evelopment‌ Stylistic‌T‌ echniques/Devices‌ ‌
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The‌‌manner‌‌and‌‌organizational‌‌patterns‌ Literary‌‌devices‌‌and‌‌tricks‌‌an‌‌author‌‌ ‌
through‌‌which‌‌an‌‌author‌‌presents‌ can‌‌use‌‌to‌‌keep‌‌the‌‌reader‌‌interested‌ ‌
information‌‌and‌‌develops‌‌a‌‌convincing‌ and‌‌to‌‌give‌‌credence‌‌to‌‌an‌‌argument.‌ ‌
argument.‌ ‌
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-‌‌chronological‌‌ordering‌ -‌‌humour‌ ‌
-‌‌definition‌ -‌‌name‌‌dropping‌ ‌
-‌‌comparison/contrast‌ -‌‌foreign‌‌phrases‌ ‌
-‌‌examples/illustration‌ -‌‌repetition‌ ‌
-‌‌problem/solution‌ -‌‌shock/surprise‌ ‌
-‌‌cause/effect‌ -‌‌understatement/exaggeration‌ ‌
-‌‌spatial‌‌organization‌ -‌‌allusions‌ ‌
-‌‌statistics‌ -‌‌historical‌‌references‌ ‌
-‌‌ranking‌‌>‌‌importance‌ -‌‌printing‌‌techniques‌‌>‌‌italics‌ ‌
‌ ‌>‌‌complexity‌ ‌>‌‌bold‌‌print‌ ‌