How to Write an Analytical Essay on Lyric Poetry of Paul Celan

Writing guide
Posted on January 22, 2016

If you are tasked with writing an analytical essay on the lyric poetry of Paul Celan, it is important to first understand the purpose of the analysis you are to completing, after which it is incumbent upon you to find a sufficient topic and write all of the key elements. If you are not good at making up topics, we have done it for you: 20 topics on lyric poetry of Paul Celan are waiting to be applied in your writing.

A literary analysis is a careful examination and, in some cases, an evaluation of a work of literature or one aspect of that work.

In order to craft such an analysis you must break down the subject or topic you have selected into its components and examine each element in order to better appreciate and understand the entirety of the work.

Analyzing a poem might focus on the different images used in the poem or the relationship which has formed between the form of the poem and the content therein.

So what must be contained in this work?

  1. Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is what you use to tell your reader what they can expect out of your writing. This particular piece of writing must be precisely worded so as to make the point clear and concise in as few words as possible.

  1. Introduction

The introduction is where you capture the interest of your reader by bringing your subject into focus immediately. The reader does not want to guess what it is you are trying to explore. They want to know, and they want to know quickly. So, open with a provocative question, a startling fact, a quotation, or a brief anecdote which better explains the position you are going to take. It is also here that you must introduce the author or poet and the title of the work you are going to analyze.

  1. Topic Sentences

The body of your work is where you develop or flesh out your central idea. It is here that you provide paragraphs in support of your thesis statement. You want to offer your idea and evidence you have in the form of direct quotes, specific facts or details, or paraphrasing from the source. Each of your paragraphs require a topic sentence which is the first sentence of the paragraph. Here you state the way in which the details of this paragraph relate back to your thesis statement.

  1. Developmental Paragraphs

The body of your text is better referred to as the development paragraphs of your writing. It is here that you offer explanations, summaries, quotes, and specific details to your reader in order to support the general statements you have made in your topic sentences. You want to write strong paragraphs that relate the content back to your thesis statement.

  1. Conclusion

The concluding paragraph is what provides a sense of completion to your essay, the area which signals to your reader that the end of your paper is near. The concluding paragraph may include a restatement of your thesis, and a summary of your main points, but it should do so from a different perspective. Never introduce a new topic at this point.

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