Writing literary analysis can feel daunting, but at its core it’s about joining a conversation with a text, asking why an author writes a certain way, and how meaning emerges. To polish your analysis, focus on three key areas: clarity, depth, and structure.

1. Start with a focused thesis.
A polished analysis is driven by an argument, not just observations. Instead of saying “Shakespeare uses imagery,” ask: Why does he use this imagery? What does it reveal about power, identity, or desire? Your thesis should make a claim that could be debated, giving your essay purpose and direction.

2. Close reading matters.
Evidence is everything. Select short, significant quotations and unpack them. Don’t just paraphrase—analyse diction, form, and symbolism, and link these choices to larger ideas. For example, explaining how Virginia Woolf’s fragmented syntax mirrors Clarissa’s fractured identity is far stronger than simply pointing out the fragmentation.

3. Balance theory with your own voice.
Engage with critical perspectives, but don’t let them overshadow your insights. Literary theory—feminism, psychoanalysis, postmodernism, can deepen analysis, but polished writing shows you steering the argument, weaving critics in as support.

4. Organise with flow.
Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence that builds on your thesis. Think of paragraphs as steps in an argument, each one should extend, complicate, or challenge what came before. Transitions like “Similarly,” “However,” or “This suggests” keep your analysis cohesive.

5. Revise for precision.
Polish comes in editing. Eliminate vague words (“thing,” “shows”) and replace them with precise verbs (“constructs,” “undermines,” “foregrounds”). Read your work aloud to spot clunky phrasing.

Allegra Pezzullo