Chapter 24 Writing about literature and the arts

Summary
Your goal is to experience an artwork or performance, understand its elements, and then write an essay analysing the work and perhaps evaluting it.
Read the poem, view the film or painting, or listening to concert more than once, if necessary on tape. Be sure you understand what the artist/writer is trying to do, noting specific choices and their effacts.
In works of fiction, for example, consider issue of point of view, plot, character, setting, and theme.If this work of art reminds you of some other piece, review the second work and note similarities and differences.If others have written about this work of art, do not read what they wrote until you have experienced the work yourself and developed your own insights and opinions.