ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Online Technology to Explore Characterization and Style
Students use social networking sites to trace the development of characters by assuming the persona of a character on the class Ning and sending a set number of tweets, or status updates.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: 6.1 Writing About Literature: Analyzing Prose
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Learn to analyze prose by understanding connotation and denotation, identifying metaphors and similes, looking for repetition, and finding imagery in a text.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Animal Farm Analysis: Literary Devices in Animal Farm
This site provides a literary analysis of Animal Farm by George Orwell using the literary devices in the novel including symbolism, imagery, allegory, setting, point of view, genre, tone, writing style, plot analysis and more.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Julius Caesar Analysis: Literary Devices in Julius Caesar
A discussion of the literary devices used by Shakespeare in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Each device is linked to additional pages with more detailed information and examples.
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing
Aimed particularly towards writing about non-fiction, this site describes ways to think about what you read so you can write more clearly. Focuses on analyzing the "ways of thinking" that an author uses so you can evaluate the validity...
Other
Unc: James Fenimore Cooper, 1789 1851
This useful and detailed page includes both biographical and literary analysis of Cooper and his work.
Other
Univ. De Valencia: Lord of the Flies Essay
This site offers an essay written on The Lord of The Flies. A good example of a literary analysis essay including the use of embedded quotations. W.11-12.9a Amer Lit 18th,19th, 20th cen/Analy
TES Global
Tes: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson plan base on William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, students will write a literary analysis of the one of the book's favorite quotes.
Other
Oakland Writes: Student Exemplars: Tenth Grade: Response to Literature [Pdf]
An literary response essay written by a tenth-grader with notes calling attention to important writing concepts evident in the essay including a well-written title and introduction, a strong thesis, supporting details including quotes...
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Introduction to Writing About Literature
This is an introduction to writing about literature; it includes a list of learning objectives for writing about literature including finding and using historical sources to discuss the historical context, finding and using literary...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass and American Non Fiction
This lesson plan serves as an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing and focuses primarily on teaching some basic approaches to recognizing rhetorical strategies adopted for persuasive effect in essays and non-fiction. The...
Other
Middle school.net: Shakespeare Analysis & Slide Show
Check out this informative site featuring an analysis of Shakespeare. The objective of this activity is for students to analyze a sonnet and present their findings via slide show. This lesson integrates technology into the curriculum.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Power of a Great Introduction
Never underestimate the power of an intriguing start. When analyzing the literary greats like Charles Dickens and Kurt Vonnegut, be inspired by their craft and learn how to write a tantalizing introduction and strong thesis. Free...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Mining Literature for Deeper Meanings
Writing a great English paper can be tough because literature doesn't always reveal its deeper meanings immediately. Amy E. Harter offers a few tips on how to read and write more critically and thoughtfully. [4:12]
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Reader Response in Hypertext: Making Personal Connections
Students write a narrative of place, a character sketch, an extended metaphor poem and a persuasive essay then link all four texts to quotations they have selected from a novel.
TES Global
Tes: The Dark Beneath by Alan Gibbons
[Free Registration/Login Required] This PowerPoint presentation includes incremental steps that will help students write a language analysis essay of Alan Gibbons' The Dark Beneath.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Modeling Academic Writing
Students prepare an already published scholarly article for presentation, with an emphasis on identification of the author's thesis and argument structure.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Research Essay for the Turn of the Screw
This PDF lesson plan is for students to write a 5-7 page essay which uses research to support their stance on a topic. For this essay, the students will argue whether they believe the character of the Governess, from Henry James' The...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Animal Farm: Allegory and the Art of Persuasion
This lesson plan will introduce students to the concept of allegory by using George Orwell's widely read novella, Animal Farm. Through this novel, students will learn what an allegory is, the rhetorical components of an allegory, and...
Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University (Dr. Mc Clennen): How to Do a Close Reading
This guide is written for college students, but should be very useful for upper level high school students as well. The writer first describes fourteen steps to take in doing a close reading, then provides six pieces of advice on how to...
Department of Defense
Do Dea: Story, Identity, Unity
Delve into the art of storytelling in this self-guided unit. Multiple topics are covered such as literary genres, the 7 elements of fiction, figurative language, theme, characterization, etc. At the end of the unit, write your own flash...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Ninth Literature and Composition
This is an introduction to a unit on writing in various genre including Nonfiction, Narrative, Literary Writing, Short Stories, and Poetry. Analysis of "The Odyssey", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Romeo and Juliet". Click on the View links...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Robert Frost (1874 1963)
Critical analysis of numerous Frost poems by foremost literary critics like William Pritchard. This is a great resource for students learning how to analyze Frost's poetry.
Curated OER
Study Guide for the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare [Pdf]
A well-written study guide for The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Includes a profile of William Shakespeare and background information about the play and its historical context. There are synopses of each act, discussions of literary devices,...