Literary Analysis ThesisClaim TAGSAT TITLE AUTHOR GENRE SUBJECT

Literary Analysis Thesis/Claim = TAG+SAT • TITLE + AUTHOR + GENRE • SUBJECT + ASSERTION + THEME WHY (Theme) WHAT (Subject) HOW (Assertion)

Step 1: Read the prompt Example: Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and family as well as how this relationship contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole.

NOT a thesis • In ANY way, shape, or form!!!! • “The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver perfectly conveys the interesting relationship between the tree and family using many figurative language devices and poetic techniques.

Step 2: Identify the subject/topic of the prompt Prompt: Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and family as well as how this relationship contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Subject: Tree/Family

Step 3: Identify the “hidden question” for your assertion Prompt: Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and family as well as how this relationship contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Assertion: What is the complex relationship between the tree and the family? (NOTE: Always add the word complex)

Step 4: What theme is revealed through ____? Prompt: Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and family as well as how this relationship contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Theme: What insight into human nature is revealed through the relationship between the tree and the family?

Tips for getting to theme. . . 1. What is the text about? Focus on ABSTRACT ideas, NOT plot details. a. Possible abstract ideas for “The Black Walnut Tree”: • Family *Duty *Time/Memory • Duty *Guilt *Heart vs. reason b. NOTE: These are only SUBJECTS of theme, NOT a final theme statement. 2. What is the author trying to get the reader to perceive about the abstract idea you’ve identified? How does this issue relate to ALL of human nature? Move beyond the text! =

Step 5: Put it all together to write a defensible literary analysis thesis statement _____ conveys _____ + ____. asserts that illustrates because portrays effort to demonstrates depicts in order to show Subject Purpose/Theme Assertion so in an

Breaking down the “The Black Walnut Tree” prompt • Subject: complicated relationship between the tree and family (Step 2) • Assertion: depicts a mother-daughter painfully conflicted between want of money and the need to honor their heritage (Step 3) • Theme: one will sacrifice personal needs for a greater purpose – the family legacy (Step 4)

Sample Thesis Statements (TAG+SAT) • In Mary Oliver’s poem “The Black Walnut Tree, ” the mother and daughter’s angst regarding not using the tree as aid for their financial predicament stems from the conflict between practicality versus sentimentality, showing how the harsh truths of reality cause people to question and evaluate their values. • Mrs. Bassing’s: In Mary Oliver’s poem “The Black Walnut Tree, ” the conflict a mother and daughter face over whether to cut down a generations old tree for monetary gain is ultimately resolved due to the age-old human desire to remember and be remembered.

Samples of correct thesis statements (Subject + Assertion + Theme) • In Mary Oliver’s poem “The Black Walnut Tree, ” the mother and daughter’s angst regarding not using the tree as aid for their financial predicament stems from the conflict between practicality versus sentimentality, showing how the harsh truths of reality cause people to question and evaluate their values. • Mrs. Bassing’s: In Mary Oliver’s poem “The Black Walnut Tree, ” the familial conflict a mother and daughter face over whether to cut down a generations old tree for monetary gain is ultimately resolved due to the age-old human desire to remember and be remembered.

THESIS WRITING • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=45 m. Mio. J 5 szc • Do not be discouraged. Practice!