Critical Essay

1
Critical Essay

• Things to remember for the exam!

2
Choosing the question

• One answer only
• 45 minutes to do it
• Out of 25
• Read the questions in the prose and poetry
  sections only
• Decide which of the four questions best suits
  the short story or poem I have studied
• Make a quick plan

3
Introductory paragraph

• Genre poem / short story
• Title capitals and quotation marks
• Author/Poet
• Reference to the question eg. A poem which made
  me sad is Revelation by Liz Lochhead
• Try to say a little bit more about the demands
  of the question. Mention the theme and link it to
  the question
• If the paragraph is very short add the summary
  to the introduction. If the introduction is of
  reasonable length put the summary in a separate
  paragraph

4
The main body of the essay

• Begin a new paragraph using a topic sentence. The
  topic sentence should link to the question eg. At
  the beginning of the poem the little girl is
  presented with a situation that I find sad.
• Select a pee chain for analysis
• Select another pee chain for analysis
• Select a third pee chain for analysis
• Remember to include literary terms eg.
  onomatopoeia, alliteration, metaphor, simile
• Make a personal response which links to the
  question

5
The main body of the essay cont.

• Repeat the previous paragraph structure for as
  many paragraphs as I require to complete my
  answer.
• Topic Sentence
• Pee chains literary terms
• Finish it off with evaluation

6
Conclusion

• Refer to the question and make an evaluative
  response, remembering to include the theme
• Proof read to ensure I have written in
• Paragraphs
• Proper sentences
• Spelling
• Quotation marks
• Layout of quotations colon and a separate line