Guide to spelling, punctuation and grammar

Closing paragraph
In a comparatively short poem, then, Nicholas
Murray has managed to create a picture, through
simile, metaphor and striking imagery, of a person’s
life and some of the relationships in it. The details
he has chosen to represent the life of the ‘tall girl’
manage to build up an overall sense of loss and
disappointment. He also manages to suggest the
poet’s own sense of regret about a ‘lost love’ or the
possibility of love. The concentration and resonance
of the diction leave the reader with an
understanding of the life of ‘the tall girl from
Kildare’.
•
Does the first paragraph function as an effective opening paragraph
to the essay? Does it address the topic and say something specific,
avoiding waffle?
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9 – S
AMPLE ESSAY
4:
ANOTHER ESSAY ON A POEM

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What do the second and third paragraphs attempt to do? 
•
Which specific poetic characteristics does the essay deal with in the
next four paragraphs?
•
How does the closing paragraph bring the essay back to the
assignment as a whole and provides an effective ending?
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H
OW TO WRITE ESSAYS

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10
SAMPLE ESSAY 5: 
A MEDIA STUDIES ESSAY
A media studies essay involves you in analysing
aspects of the mass media such as the press,
films, television, the internet and other
means of mass communication. One of the
keys to writing successful essays on this
subject area is detailed analysis. That
means it is very important to back up
general assertions about the media with
relevant, specific examples. Media studies
is often accused of encouraging superficial and ‘waffly’ writing, so
indulge in some close detailed analysis to ward off that criticism.
Below is another sample essay written in response to this media or film
studies assignment:
‘The western film with its use of the myths and legends associated
with the settlement of the American West has helped to shape
America’s view of itself.’ Discuss.
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