GENERATING YOUR ANALYSIS
Step one: Read the prompt carefully.
Understand exactly what you are expected to do. This will give you a purpose for reading.
If the prompt asks you, for example, to analyze the effect of an event on a character, then
be looking exactly for that as you read. The prompt may or may not provide a short list of
possible literary elements or devices that you can consider in analyzing how the writer
achieves his or her purpose. When you read the passage or poem (step two), mark those
devices and simultaneously be thinking how they help the author convey the effect of
experience on the character.Step two: Read the poem or prose passage carefully.
If you skim, you are not going to have a good understanding of what you’ve read and will,
therefore, have nothing intelligent to say. The essay section counts for 55% of your
cumulative score, so it seems logical that you’d want to give the three essays your best
effort.Don’t think that skimming the reading will save you time. In the long run, you’ll be at a
huge disadvantage. Instead, use the tips in Chapter 10 on engaged and active reading to
help you read both quickly and deeply. As you read, annotate the text, marking significant
aspects of the text as they relate to the task laid out in the prompt.Step three: Create a mini outline.
In the margin of your test page (the one with the prompt on it), draft a quick thesis and
outline several main claims in support of your thesis. Use symbols to connect those
prompts to corresponding evidence in the text. For example, give claim #1 a star and put
stars by everything in the text that relates. You may not use it all in your essay, but
identifying it is an important step in creating a well-organized and detailed analysis.Step four: Write your essay.
Begin writing your essay. Be sure to minimize the effect of biases, be mindful of your
word choices, and be sure your points are well argued. (See Chapter 15 for more on
essay writing.) Be sure to use the outline you created to keep you focused. However, if
you discover something you didn’t see before as you write, and you are sure that the new