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The eNotes Blog
Books, study tips, new features, and more—from your favorite literature experts.
Discover the New eNotes Literary Criticism Collection
At eNotes, we're excited to announce the launch of our brand-new Literary Criticism Collection! This comprehensive resource is designed to deepen your understanding of classic and contemporary literature by providing detailed analyses and insights from leading critics, including many of …
Ranking Every Major Character in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Based on How Evil They Are
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is filled with moral complexity, driven by ambition, betrayal, and outright cruelty. But not all characters are equally steeped in evil. Here’s our ranking of Macbeth characters, starting from the least evil and working our way up to …
The 8 Greatest Ducks in Literature History
We've all seen ducks flying around, doing duck-like things in the park, and just being cool birds. But literary icons? Really? Ducks may seem like an unlikely source of literary greatness, but these web-footed characters have waddled, quacked, and flapped …
The Best Literary Adaptations You (Probably) Didn’t Know Were Adapations
We all know that big Hollywood hits like Pride and Prejudice or The Hunger Games are based on books, but what about those films you’ve enjoyed without realizing they’re actually literary adaptations? Many popular films have literary origins that go unnoticed, …
The 5 Best Dystopian Novels of the 20th Century
The 20th century was full of horrors. Two world wars, genocides in multiple parts of Europe, and rapid technological growth that was both destructive and frightening. A direct result of this terror and uncertainty are some of the most profound …
Exploring the Depths of Romantic Literary Theory: Insights from Patrick Parrinder’s 1991 Essay
In his influential 1991 essay, “The Romantic Criticism of Romantic Criticism,” Patrick Parrinder delves into the complexities of Romantic literary theory, offering readers a deep dive into the way Romantic critics have engaged with their own era’s literary works. This …
A Deep Dive into Ian H. Birchall’s Marxist Criticism: A Review of the 1977 Essay
In the realm of 20th-century literary criticism, few perspectives have been as controversial as Marxist criticism. Ian H. Birchall's landmark 1977 essay on Marxist criticism, available in the eNotes Marxist Literary Criticism section, offers a profound exploration into this critical lens, providing an …
Harold Bloom’s Meditations on Poetry and Death: An Analytical Overview
In the realm of literary criticism, Harold Bloom is one of the biggest names ever in the American scene. Here on eNotes, we have many examples of Bloom's criticism and even criticism of his criticism. His exploration of poetry’s relationship …
Top 5 Most Common Questions About Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet remains one of literature's most studied and beloved plays in the history of English Literature. Its themes of love, fate, and family conflict resonate across centuries, making it a perennial subject of discussion and analysis. …
“The Rising of the Moon” by Isabella Persse: Themes for Thespians
Theatre offers unique avenues into the meaning of a text—what might be only described in a novel or short story may be acted out and embodied in a play. It's a distinct mechanism of meaning-making and, as such, requires different …
Literary Critic of the Week: Helen Vendler
Helen Vendler is one of the most distinguished and influential literary critics of the modern era, renowned for her work on poetry. Over the course of her career, she has written extensively on some of the most important contemporary poets in the English language, including Alan Ginsburg, Audrey Lorde, Seamus Heaney, and many others. Vendler’s…
Read More "Literary Critic of the Week: Helen Vendler"
At eNotes, we're excited to announce the launch of our brand-new Literary Criticism Collection! This comprehensive resource is designed to deepen your understanding of classic and contemporary literature by providing detailed analyses and insights from leading critics, including many of the greatest critics to ever publish, across a range of genres, authors, and works. Whether…
Read More "Discover the New eNotes Literary Criticism Collection"
- Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is filled with moral complexity, driven by ambition, betrayal, and outright cruelty. But not all characters are equally steeped in evil. Here’s our ranking of Macbeth characters, starting from the least evil and working our way up to the most malicious. 9. Duncan The Innocent King Duncan, the benevolent king of Scotland, is…
Read More "Ranking Every Major Character in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Based on How Evil They Are"
We've all seen ducks flying around, doing duck-like things in the park, and just being cool birds. But literary icons? Really? Ducks may seem like an unlikely source of literary greatness, but these web-footed characters have waddled, quacked, and flapped their way into some of the most beloved stories ever. From children's classics to rude…
Read More "The 8 Greatest Ducks in Literature History"
We all know that big Hollywood hits like Pride and Prejudice or The Hunger Games are based on books, but what about those films you’ve enjoyed without realizing they’re actually literary adaptations? Many popular films have literary origins that go unnoticed, especially when they’re loosely adapted or based on obscure (or even unknown) works. Here are…
Read More "The Best Literary Adaptations You (Probably) Didn’t Know Were Adapations"
The 20th century was full of horrors. Two world wars, genocides in multiple parts of Europe, and rapid technological growth that was both destructive and frightening. A direct result of this terror and uncertainty are some of the most profound and unsettling visions of dystopia, exploring oppressive regimes, crumbling societies, and bleak futures. These novels…
Read More "The 5 Best Dystopian Novels of the 20th Century"
- for students
How to Write an In-Class Essay: 5 Practical Tips for Success
In-class essays can be intimidating. You might even say they're some of the hardest things you'll have to do in an English class. You’re given a prompt, a limited amount of time, and the pressure to produce a polished essay on the spot. Even if you are a good writer, this can be daunting because…
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How to Write an Engaging Essay on 1984 That Your Teacher Will Actually Enjoy Reading (And Grade You Accordingly!)
Writing an essay on George Orwell's 1984 can be hard, especially when you sit down the first time to actually get it done. After all, this dystopian novel is packed with complex ideas about surveillance, freedom, and power. But the key to writing a great essay isn’t just summarizing the plot or analyzing the apparent…
Read More "How to Write an Engaging Essay on 1984 That Your Teacher Will Actually Enjoy Reading (And Grade You Accordingly!)"
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Persuasive essays need a balance of ethos, logos, and pathos, and an organized structure. Here's how to write the perfect persuasive essay.
Persuasive writing is any written work that tries to convince the reader of the writer’s opinion. Aside from standard writing skills, a persuasive essay author can also draw on personal experience, logical arguments, an appeal to emotion, and compelling speech to influence readers.
Persuasive writing is utilized by writers to take a stance on an issue, convincing readers to agree with a certain opinion or idea. Persuasive writing appears across media in many different forms, such as op-eds, reviews, and advertisements.
The first step in writing a persuasive essay is choosing a topic and picking a side. If the topic is something you believe in, it will make the entire experience of researching, writing, and arguing your perspective more personal.
Learn more. What is persuasive writing? Persuasive writing is a style of writing that focuses on convincing the reader to agree with a specific opinion or point of view or take a particular action. This form of writing is common in advertising, essays, opinion pieces, and speeches. It enables the writer to take a clear stand on a given topic.
Here are 7 tips for writing persuasive essays: Choose an Intriguing Topic: Pick a subject that sparks interest and encourages conversation. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather credible evidence and examples to support your position. Craft an Interesting Thesis: Clearly express your viewpoint and main argument.
Persuasive writing begins with a writer forming their own opinion on a topic, which they then attempt to convince their reader of this opinion by walking them through a number of logical and ethical arguments.
Step One: Determine the Topic. The first step in writing a persuasive essay is to establish the topic. The best topic is one that interests you.
Unlike other types of essays, the primary goal here is not merely to inform or entertain but to persuade. In this guide, we'll explore what exactly a persuasive essay is, delve into its main components, and provide practical tips on how to write a persuasive essay that leaves a lasting impression.
1. Choose a debatable issue about which you have strong feelings and a definite position. A debatable issue is one that generates conflicting opinions and points of view; it also may...