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Literary Response Essay Practice
Directions: Please feel free to use this template for your essay practice experience.
When you format your essay, please:
● form the finished product to reflect a formal essay format ( see:
https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Reading-Response-Essay)
● run the product through www.grammarly.com to check for grammar issues
Introduction
Hook/Broad Sentence ( introduce the theme/focus of essay): Many authors employ their texts to
provide social commentary for what they feel is an important message for their contemporary
audience, such as _________( issue discussed in text)
Summary of text ( include author, summary of literature): This holds true for ___________ ( title)
by _________________________( author), in which the author discusses
____________________________(plot).
Thesis: Indeed, _________________ ( author) employs such persuasive devices as
__________________ ( device for paragraph 1) and ______________________( device for
paragraph 2) to cleverly communicate his/her message to his audience regarding
______________________________________________________( author’s message—your
interpretation).
Body Paragraph #1 ( focus on ONE subject)
Topic Sentence: __________( author) utilizes ___________ ( device) to effectively
communicate his/her message to their audience.
WHAT ( Textual Support) Within the text, (_________) describes “__________________” in order
to illustrate his/her social commentary.
HOW ( Analysis—specific word/phrase, identify, define): The fact that the author employs the
word “__________,” which in the context of the story means _______________, emphasizes the message
of _______________. In addition….
WHY ( Author’s Purpose): Therefore, this use of _____________ (specific device) solidifies the
author’s communication to his/her contemporary audience of ________________________ (message).
WHAT ( Textual Support): Another example of an the persuasive use of _______(concept
of literature) occurs within the text, when the author states,
“________________________________________________________.”
HOW ( Analysis—specific word/phrase, identify, define): Consider that the author’s
intent to use _”_________________” ( Diction choice), or __________________
(connotation), is to use (concept of literature here) for __________________(purpose).
https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Reading-Response-Essay
http://www.grammarly.com
WHY ( Author’s Purpose): The use of this particular (concept of literature) reflects the
overall message of ______________________( what message) that the author wants to
convey about ___________________________( topic).
Anchor ( rephrase Topic Sentence): Therefore,
Body Paragraph #2 ( focus on ONE subject)
Feel free to morph the previous body paragraph sentence stems for this paragraph’s use!
Topic Sentence: Within the text, the author conveys the subtle message regarding
____________________( author’s message) via the device of _________________.
WHAT ( Textual Support)
HOW ( Analysis—specific word/phrase, identify, define)
WHY ( Author’s Purpose)
WHAT ( Textual Support)
HOW ( Analysis—specific word/phrase, identify, define)
WHY ( Author’s Purpose)
Anchor ( rephrase Topic Sentence)
Conclusion
Rephrase Thesis: In this manner, __________________ ( author) creates a persuasive
argument regarding ________________( message) via the use of _____________( device
#1) and ____________( device #2).
Summary of YOUR argument ( 1-3 sentences): In exploring the author’s use of these
devices, one can see_____________________________________.
Final Thoughts:
What the intro should look like:
Many authors employ their texts to provide social commentary for what they feel is
an important message for their contemporary audience, such as _________( issue
discussed in text). This holds true for ___________ ( title) by ____________( author), in
which the author discusses ____________________________(plot). Indeed,
_________________ ( author) employs such persuasive devices as
__________________ ( device for paragraph 1) and ______________________( device
for paragraph 2) to cleverly communicate his/her message to his audience regarding
____________________________________________________( author’s
message—your interpretation).
__________( author) utilizes ___________ ( device #1) to effectively communicate
his/her message to their audience. Within the text, (_________) describes
“__________________” in order to illustrate his/her social commentary. The fact that
the author employs the word “__________,” which in the context of the story means
_______________, emphasizes the message of _______________. In addition….
Therefore, this use of _____________ (specific device) solidifies the author’s
communication to his/her contemporary audience of ________________________
(message). Another example of an the persuasive use of _______(concept of literature)
occurs within the text, when the author states, “____________________________.”
Consider that the author’s intent to use _”_________________” ( Diction choice), or
__________________ (connotation), is to use (concept of literature here) for
__________________(purpose). The use of this particular (concept of literature) reflects
the overall message of ______________________( what message) that the author wants
to convey about ___________________________( topic). Therefore,
Within the text, the author conveys the subtle message regarding
____________________( author’s message) via the device of _____________( author)
utilizes ___________ ( device #1) to effectively communicate his/her message to their
audience. Within the text, (_________) describes “__________________” in order to
illustrate his/her social commentary. The fact that the author employs the word
“__________,” which in the context of the story means _______________, emphasizes
the message of _______________. In addition…. Therefore, this use of _____________
(specific device) solidifies the author’s communication to his/her contemporary audience
of ________________________ (message). Another example of an the persuasive use of
_______(concept of literature) occurs within the text, when the author states,
“_____________________________________________.”
Consider that the author’s intent to use _”_________________” ( Diction choice), or
__________________ (connotation), is to use (concept of literature here) for
__________________(purpose). The use of this particular (concept of literature) reflects
the overall message of ______________________( what message) that the author wants
to convey about ___________________________( topic). Therefore
In this manner, __________________ ( author) creates a persuasive argument
regarding ________________( message) via the use of _____________( device #1) and
____________( device #2). In exploring the author’s use of these devices, one can
see_____________________________________.
Final Thoughts:
