Critical+Essay+Guide+2

Critical Essay Guide 2
Perhaps the most important thing about writing critical essays is getting your head around the question. If you do this, then your introduction will be clear, your arguments will be relevant, and your conclusion will be effective. If you are struggling with this aspect of English, try using the following approach:

First, break down the question into several parts:

Show how the [feelings of pity or sympathy] 3 [are brought into focus] 4 by the [use of poetic techniques.] 5 || From here, you can figure out what your success criteria for the essay will be:
 * [Choose a poem] 1 which [creates pity or sympathy in you] 2.

…show how various poetic techniques are used to bring the feelings of pity/sympathy into focus. || Once you have decided on your success criteria, you can form your introduction from the essay question itself. Remember to follow the 5-point plan:
 * ** A successful answer to this question will… **

The text explores the overwhelming emotional burden of the speaker as he visits a gravely ill loved one in hospital. The poet makes effective use of [techniques such as word choice, enjambment and metaphor] 5 [in order to bring this [sympathy] 3 into focus.] 4 || Now that you have your introduction, it is much easier to plan the rest of your essay. The most important thing to remember is to relate every single part of your essay to your success criteria and introduction – if you do this, then you can be sure of answering the question.
 * [‘Visiting Hour’ by Norman MacCaig] 1 is a poem which [evokes strong feelings of sympathy for the speaker each time it is read] 2.

Below is a rough outline of how you might plan your paragraphs using the SEEC structure:


 * * S: Poet evokes sympathy by showing how emotional the speaker is
 * E: “I will not…I have to”
 * E: Enjambment used to emphasise distress of speaker
 * C: Builds sympathy for the speaker by showing his failure to control his emotions, helping me understand his situation ||

You should aim to write 4-6 paragraphs, and each one should contribute towards your overall argument. It is also a good idea to deal with the poem chronologically, rather than go through each technique one at a time, as this will improve the flow of your essay.

Finally, you must write your conclusion (remember to stick to the 5-point plan):


 * In conclusion, [MacCaig’s ‘Visiting Hour’] 1 is a poem which skilfully [creates a feeling of sympathy for the speaker] 2 as he deals with the emotional turmoil of visiting a seriously ill loved one in hospital. [Through the use of techniques such as word choice, enjambment and metaphor] 5 the poet [effectively brings this [sympathy] 3 into focus for the reader] 4, and in doing so helped me to develop a personal connection to the text. This is a powerful, poignant and, ultimately, honest piece of work, and one which demands an emotional interaction with the universally human subject matter. ||

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