Close reading of literary works, not summary
Paper 1 (guided literary analysis of unseen literary extracts) and Paper 2 (a comparative essay across studied literary works) both reward sustained close reading — analysing how a writer constructs meaning through form, structure and language — rather than plot summary or unsupported personal response.
Paper 1 — unseen literary analysis
Because the extracts are unseen, the transferable skill of applying close-reading technique to unfamiliar literary text matters more than memorised content. Practise on a wide range of genres and periods, not just the ones most emphasised in class, and always ground your analysis in specific, quoted textual detail.
Paper 2 — genuinely comparative essays
The comparative essay rewards integrating discussion of your studied works throughout, organised around a shared theme, technique or question — not writing about one work fully and then the other with a thin comparison at the end. Plan around points of comparison, not around each text in sequence.
The HL Essay (HL only)
The HL Essay is independent literary coursework assessed on the strength and originality of your own line of inquiry. A focused, specific question sustained in real depth across the word limit consistently outperforms an ambitious-sounding but unmanageably broad one.
Building a strong literary essay
- State your interpretive argument clearly from the opening.
- Quote precisely and analyse the effect, not just identify a technique by name.
- Sustain your central argument across the whole essay, rather than drifting into disconnected observations.
Common content traps
- Plot summary instead of analysis on Paper 1's unseen extracts.
- Sequential rather than integrated comparison on Paper 2.
- An overly broad HL Essay question that can't be explored in genuine depth.
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