For years I have had students come through (public, private, and homeschool), having been taught how to spell, and having gone through tons of writing training. Neither of these things in and of themselves are bad! Students should generally know how to spell without spell check, and should know how to structure an essay and write well!
The hole- what to write about. I have found that students could quote verbatim to you how to outline or structure an essay: intro, thesis, body paragraphs with your main points and support, closing paragraph that doesn’t end with, “In conclusion….”
The problem is filling IN those outlines. You have to do more than teach your students to write and structure an essay- you need to teach them to critically think: analyze, infer, and decipher. This is why literature classes that incorporate composition are SO important to include in your students’ courses.
If I were to ask a student to write an essay on Romeo & Juliet, they may give me an intro paragraph about Shakespeare: context is great. They’ll go on to give me a summary of the play. Maybe they’ll give a paragraph about the theme of love or revenge. If I’m lucky, I might get a paragraph about some of the literary devices Shakespeare uses. They’ll come up with some kind of conclusion paragraph and turn it in. Is that terrible? Maybe not. But it also doesn’t necessarily show any real depth of thinking or understanding.
Here is what essays could look like when you teach and encourage deeper literary analysis:
Romeo & Juliet Character Analysis:
+Intro- Maybe a touch on Shakespeare, and a few sentences introducing the play and that character to give a bit of context. A strong thesis statement describing the character, their part in the play, and their importance.
+ 3 body paragraphs- How the character is described by those around them, and how the character behaves using textual evidence, motivations and behavior of the character and what it tells us about them, how the actions of the character formulate the outcomes of the play.
+A conclusion paragraph emphasizing their importance (or unimportance), and reiterating the character as a whole.
Romeo & Juliet Theme Analysis
+Intro- A bit of Shakespeare, and a few sentences introducing the play and the theme for context. A strong thesis statement clearly stating the theme (them is more than a word!), and examples of how that is shown.
+ 3 body paragraphs (we’re going to use love is a powerful motivator as an example)- a paragraph on Juliet’s parents’ love for her and how they show it by trying to find her a good match, a paragraph on the romances and their willingness to fight and die for each other, and a paragraph on the greatest love of all: Romeo & Juliet.
+Solid conclusion paragraph explaining how not all love in Romeo & Juliet is romantic love, and how all of the characters in their own way allow love to motivate them, ending the play with the love of Romeo & Juliet motivating them all to make peace.
Romeo & Juliet: Literary Criticism
+Intro- The story of Romeo & Juliet changes depending on what sense it is read through…. A strong thesis: Reading Romeo & Juliet through the lenses of historical, feminism, and moral/philosophical criticisms changes the message delivered by each to the audience and reader.
+3 body paragraphs- a body paragraph explaining each of the 3 literary criticisms, using the same textual evidence at least once for all 3 to compare directly, and a few individual quotes for each criticism, to show how they differ.
+Conclusion paragraph about the importance of literary criticism, being cognizant of the criticism you are reading with, and how fascinating it is how much the story can change with each different lens.
Can you see how much DEPTH the 3 analytical essays have compared to the generically written one!?
💡 1. They Have a Clear, Focused Purpose
Each outlined essay is built around a specific literary goal—not just summarizing the play:
- Literary Criticism Essay explores how perspective changes meaning.
- Theme Analysis Essay dives into how love motivates characters.
- Character Analysis Essay examines how a specific character drives the plot.
🔁 In contrast, the generic essay lacks a clear purpose beyond “talking about the play.” It might touch on theme or context, but it often lacks depth or focus.
🔍 2. They Use Strong, Argumentative Thesis Statements
Each of your essay outlines includes a strong thesis that:
- Takes a clear stance
- Can be supported with evidence
- Guides the entire paper
By contrast, a generic essay might offer a vague statement like “Romeo & Juliet is about love and tragedy,” which doesn’t argue anything or invite analysis.
📚 3. They Integrate Evidence with Purpose
Each structured outline uses textual evidence intentionally:
- The literary criticism essay uses the same quote in different lenses to show how meaning shifts depending on the perspective.
- The theme and character essays connect quotes directly to character traits, motivations, or plot consequences.
📝 Generic essays often drop in quotes or summarize plot without clear analytical purpose, missing out on rich interpretation.
🧠 4. They Demonstrate Critical Thinking
Each outline demands the writer interpret, compare, or analyze, rather than just describe. For example:
- The criticism essay asks, how does the same scene read differently depending on the lens?
- The theme essay challenges the student to see love as more than romantic.
- The character essay moves past behavior to motivation and consequence.
🌊 Generic essays often stay surface-level, summarizing rather than analyzing.
🧵 5. They Are Cohesive and Purpose-Driven
These outlines build toward a purposeful conclusion:
- The criticism essay ends by encouraging reader awareness of literary lenses.
- The theme essay shows how different forms of love affect the plot.
- The character essay concludes with the character’s impact on the story.
🧩 Each paragraph contributes to the overall argument—nothing is thrown in just to “have a paragraph.”
Compare that with generic essays, where the conclusion might simply restate earlier points or drift into summary.
Teaching students how to analyze literature doesn’t just ask students to write about the play—it pushes them to think with the play. Adding these types of components to your students’ courses will elevate their writing well beyond generic to out of this world.
Feeling overwhelmed by teaching your students literature?
Check out any of my Lit & Comp classes with True North, where we not only read, but go beyond to delve into analysis, criticism, critical thinking, and more!
The Nurtured Bee 
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