Literature Essay Examples and Topics

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8,288 samples

Essays on literature and languages usually follow stricter structural requirements than their equivalents in other disciplines. You have to show that you are a capable writer that knows the English language well and can create engaging passages.

At the very least, your essay should consist of three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Each of these blocks has to follow exact requirements with regards to contents.

For example, the conclusion cannot add new information to the essay. You should learn and understand the basic structural guidelines if you want to submit an excellent paper.

The introduction is where you describe the topic to the reader to provide some context. As was mentioned above, you should establish the position you are going to promote.

This part ends in a thesis statement, which explicitly describes the specific idea you are going to discuss. All of your arguments should be contained in the next part, the body. In the conclusion, you will sum up your ideas and make a closing statement that finishes your thought.

Here are some tips for writing literary essays:

  • You should be brief in your writing without leaving information out.
  • Nobody likes to read text that does not add anything of value!
  • The introduction and conclusion should both be one paragraph long. The body’s length may vary according to your needs.
  • You should begin your writing process by formulating a thesis. Each point you make has to connect to it directly.
  • Do not be afraid to write a lot in a literary analysis! The investigations of characters, ideas, plot, themes, and other essential components of a work can be long.

You can find language and literature extended essay topics, English literature introduction examples, literature essay examples, and other valuable samples for your essay at IvyPanda.

8288 Best Essay Examples on Literature

Doctor Faustus as a Tragic Hero Essay

Therefore, the tragic hero character is manifested at the end of the play where Faustus pleads with God to forgive him and liberate him from the hand of the devil.
  • 4.4
  • Subjects: Dramatic Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1468

The Story of an Hour Critical Analysis Essay

Instead, she knew that though the husband was important to her, marriage had made her a subject to him. Mallard was not able to handle the swings in her emotions and this cost her life.Mr.
  • 4.2
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1467

The Relationship Between Eliezer and His Father Essay

Their experience at the concentration camp changes the relationship between son and father, and the despicable treatment by the Nazis helps Eliezer and his father develop a strong connection.
  • 4.6
  • Subjects: Dramatic Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 842

Mark Twain’s “The Lowest Animal” Analysis

His work is full of irony in that man is the Supreme Being who has the ultimate authority to shape nature in the way he deems best. However, by a measure of his acts compared [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 982

The Cinderella Essay

After reaching the palace, the prince invited her to the next ball in which Cinderella lost her glass slipper. The story begins with the birth of Cinderella which is followed by the death of her [...]
  • 3.3
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 706

Beach Description Essay

These include; the plantation along the beach and inside the sea, the animals, the waters and the people found in the beach.
  • 4.3
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 826

“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou

It is evident that the author, as well as the heroine of her poem, is a strong, or phenomenal, woman herself and this allows her to say what she says in her poem not from [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1136

Tennyson’s Ulysses Poem Essay

Most of the lines end midway in what Shapiro calls "enjambment"."Once the structure of this epic is revealed, the meaning of the episodes become intelligible as part of the narrative structure".
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1144

W.B. Yeats: Writing Style & Poetry

The specific characteristics of his type of poetry originality come from the spontaneous nature of the poem, and the use of alteration and substitution.
  • 3.5
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 815

Comparing Two Poems

The poem was written in 1921 by the young Hughes who was just adding his voice to the plight of the African Americans at the time."We Wear the Mask" is a poem by the famous [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1124

“Half a Day” by Naguib Mahfouz

The period of the story is unrealistic because the narrator enters school as a young boy and leaves as an old man but the brief period captures the changes that occur in a person's life.
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 560

Moral of “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

The main character of the story, Mathilde Loisel, and her husband had no financial possessions; she lacked clothing and jewelry. Once, Mathilde and her husband have decided to go to a ball to enjoy the [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 397

Henry Wardsworth Longfellow and His Romantic Poems

Henry Longfellow composed poems, the themes of which echoed with the principles and cornerstones of that time. These ideas are depicted in the works of Longfellow of the 1830s throughout the interaction of man and [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 893

Imperialism in Joseph Conrad’s “The Heart of Darkness”

Heart of Darkness reflects the paradoxes of imperialism in the late 19th century through exposing the exploitation of foreign lands and people, Africa and the Africans in particular; the novel uses its characters and their [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 873

“The Fate of a Cockroach” by Tawfiq Al-Hakim

Still, it is difficult to decide whether the author wants to satirize all the vices of the people and Egyptian people in particular or it is the bright example of the introduction of absurd in [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 853

Dust of Snow: Analysis & Critical Appreciation

However, in the poem, the very bird we hate shakes up the poisonous tree causing snow to fall on the poet. The setting of the poem is in a snowy landscape with a tree and [...]
  • 3.6
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 909

“Hell Heaven” Summary & Analysis Essay

The narrator's family is not socially stable and her mother, Boudi, falls in love with Pranab, a stranger that the family has taken in as a friend. The major characters in the story are the [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 888

Imperialism in Shooting an Elephant: Symbolism & Themes

The story captures the violent reality of colonialism as the narrator unfolds the events of the actual shooting and the description of the slow and painful death of the elephant that seemed peaceful in hands [...]
  • 2.6
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2481

The Necklace Literary Analysis Essay

This is because she compares her poor life with that of her rich friend and she is filled with envy and jealousy because she can not afford to live like her friend and yet that [...]
  • 4.8
  • Subjects: World Philosophy Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2185

“Am I Blue” by Alice Walker: Analysis & Summary

In particular, the tale introduces a vivid comparison between the emotions of animals and those of humans. In the story, Walker pays attention to the eyes of the animal, noting, "...
  • 3.5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 608

Guy de Maupassant: “The Necklace” Essay

The writer takes the reader through the life of these characters and in particular, the poor family of Loisel and the rich family of Forestier.
  • 3.6
  • Subjects: Dramatic Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 909

The Yellow Wallpaper

Throughout the story, the narrator, together with the rest of the women trapped in the wallpaper, is desperately trying to break loose from the function that the society has assigned for them.
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1720

“On the Subway” Poem by Sharon Olds

It should be stressed that the author strived to disclose the atmosphere of fear and silence not through the characters, but through the title; the subway is not described in the poem, but all its [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 834

Dramatic Irony in Macbeth Essay

Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to amuse the audience and to show the level of deception developed by the main character. The porter gives a clear picture of what is about to happen.
  • 5
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2013

Main Themes in the “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

In Girl, Jamaica Kincaid seeks to highlight the themes of the traditional mother-daughter relationship, the dangers of being a woman, and the transformative power of domesticity using the symbols of food, cloth, and folksongs as [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1957

Marxist Criticism on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay

Moreover, the location of the lottery at the town square between two buildings- the post office and the bank represents the political and economic power of the government and those in power such as Mr. [...]
  • 3.2
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 657

Betrayal in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

The betrayer, Macbeth betrays the King, friend and other subjects in the kingdom. However when Macbeth is told he has just been chosen as the Thane of Cawdor, scenes of the possibilities of him as [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 887

A Doll’s House Stage Design: Set & Costumes Analysis

One of the foremost characteristics of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House is that its plot appears linearly defined, which, in turn, explains the semantic realism of play's overall sounding.
  • Subjects: World Philosophy Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1880

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This essay contains the analysis of the novel, including the summary, description of the main characters and themes, personal opinion about the narrative, and conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay.
  • 3
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1204

“Woman as Other” by Simone de Beauvoir

This article was able to prove the main argument that a woman is an "other"; however de Beauvoir was unable to win a decisive victory because in order for this statement to be accepted as [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2054

Robert Frost’s Writing Style Essay

The leading theme of the poem is the non-conformist ideas of the author, the problem of life choice, and the dilemma in making the right decision.
  • 3
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1216

King Lear Themes, Characters, & Analysis Essay

As explained by Al Zoubi and Al Khamaiseh, during the ceremony, Goneril and Regan, the oldest and the middle daughters, use flatter and insincere speech to prove their love to the father.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1124

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Literary Critical Analysis Essay

The short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" stands as the American Southern Gothic writer Flannery O'Connor's most disturbing work of fiction."A Good Man Is Hard to Find" is the title work of [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1263

“Goodbye to All That” by Joan Didion

Didion was experiencing the emptiness and meaninglessness of her life in New York, the city that kept disappointing her, not because it was a bad place to live but because it was not the place [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 478

“Tuesdays With Morrie”, M. Albom’s True Narrative

The certainty of the mystery of this life is properly fathomed in one realizing that this life is short-lived. Tuesday's with Morrie is a lesson for us all that illustrates the beauty of living a [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 566

William Shakespeare and the Renaissance Period

These people noticed that the few people of the upper class were using the law and religion to their advantage, which led them to benefit more from the available resources as compared to the other [...]
  • 3.6
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1140

Percival Everett’s “The Appropriation of Cultures”

It means that Daniel knew the racist connotation of the song since he grew up in the South; still, he decided that he would utilize all these symbols to represent the pride in his origin. [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 678

Dinner Guest: Me by Langston Hughes

In the second line of the poem, he says that "The Negro Problem", thus attempting to bring out some of the challenges that the Negros had to face in their endeavors to fit into the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

Tom and Gatsby: Compare and Contrast Essay

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald pays attention to the relationships between both Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan and Daisy Buchanan. Scott Fitzgerald's book is mainly focused on the relationship of Daisy with Gatsby and Tom, [...]
  • 3.5
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 828

Critical Analysis of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The main subject of the novel is the family relations and problem of a person's worthiness in the society. The author explores and analyses such social problems as a person's worthiness and the ills of [...]
  • 4.8
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1754

A Doll’s House Modernism Theme

In A Doll's House, one of the outstanding depictions of this way of thinking was seen at the end of the play; in other words, the overall plot of the story has been used to [...]
  • 3.8
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1729

The Cask of Amontillado

The use of irony Poe uses three types of irony in the story as a literary tool that facilitates the readers' understanding of the friendship that exists between Montresor and Fortunato.
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1693

“The Swamp Dwellers” by Wole Soyinka

The swamp dweller "talks about the urban and remote society, the confrontations between the older and younger people, the battles between the old and the new in the society, love for modernism, the existence of [...]
  • 1
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1123

This is what it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

The title of the story itself hints at the fact that the journey undertaken by Victor and Thomas is not one that elaborates on the decline of the Native American culture but is rather indicative [...]
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1129

“Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver Review

In the case of the story, the sacrifice was the baby, the most precious individual in both parents' lives. In other words, the author uses the description of the external environment in order to set [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 573

Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” Short Story: Literary Analysis

As a result, the conflict reflects both the misunderstanding between the daughter and the mother and the failure of the model of upbringing based on coercion and the suppression of children's will.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 843

“Does It Matter?” by Siegfried Sassoon

These are the results of warfare and ignorance and indifference of the society and even the immediate families of veterans. The use of "Does it matter" is ironic since the veterans are essential people, and [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1478

“Fiesta” a Short Story by Junot Diaz

The author tries to show that deceit is abhorrent to a person and that only socialization makes him/her more tolerant to this kind of behavior.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1171

Analysis of “Jelly-Fish” by Marianne Moore

The poet creates a peculiar rhythmic pattern vividly imitating the natural jellyfish's movements by using the epithet "fluctuating" and the repetition of "it opens and it closes".
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 378

Psychoanalytic Perspective on Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”

The analysis of Kafka's Metamorphosis based on Psychoanalysis highlights the main themes of the Superego-Id changes in the main character's psyche, the repressed desires mirrored in the character's behaviors, and the Oedipal complex present in [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1697

The Clock as a Symbol in “The Great Gatsby”

By incorporating metaphorical elements that allude to the fleeting nature of time, "the Great Gatsby" emphasizes the idea of the futility of life and the inescapability of the past and its mistakes.
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1187

Unreliable Narrator in Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper

In addition, the narration talks about a "yellow wallpaper," yet the narrator takes long before making an introduction to the subject of the story, hence bringing an element of confusion on what the subject is [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 840

Class Inequality in “The Hunger Games”

The beliefs and norms of the people in Panem are centred on the self-interest; they are obsessed to acquire the comfort and lifestyle of the affluent people.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1409

The Couter by Salman Rushdie

Another unforeseen event in the story, a somehow sad one, is the quick transition of the story of Certainly-Mary in her young days and her relations with the Couter to the one of her in [...]
  • Subjects: Dramatic Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 815

Rich Dad Poor Dad Essay

The author tries to bring to the attention of the users how basic knowledge of finances is very vital in any business undertaking and how corporations can contribute to the rich becoming even richer.
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1277

Symbolism in “The Tin Drum” by Gunter Grass

Overall, the analysis of The Tin Drum novel suggests a conclusion that the symbols of the red and white drum, Oscar's ability to control growing, and his strange life course reflect the events of German [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 827

“The Merchant of Venice” as a Comedy

It is quite comical that one of the conditions in the case of a default of the loan taken from the Jewish Shylock by Antonio is the repayment of the loan in form of one [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 862

Silver & Gold: Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

Although the color palette presented in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is rich, the problem of differing social status is most vividly described in the novel through the use of golden and silver colors that stand [...]
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 880

“Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe

The play Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe can be referred to the genre of the Morality Play because it uncovers the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 540

The Handmaid’s Tale Literary Analysis

The complex nature of the setting, therefore, influences the direction of the story in that it helps the author to sufficiently blend historical and futuristic ideal in a way seen as still relevant to the [...]
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2158

“How to Talk to Girls at Parties” by Neil Gaiman

The present paper shows that the theme of coming of age is developed in the short story through the parallelization of girls to aliens and through the growth of the main characters' understanding that the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 740

Gilgamesh and Enkidu Friendship Essay

The role of friendship in the Epic of Gilgamesh is vital. This essay unfolds the theme of friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu that develops in the course of the story.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1151

“Man of the People” by Chinua Achebe

The story begins with the excitement surrounding Nanga, a leader, and teacher who has become a man of the people and achieved unprecedented heights.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 839

William Shakespeare

He then "started in the dubious business of money lending": reminiscent of the Merchant; Jewish moneylender and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2136
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