How to Write a Good Analysis Paper

1. How to Write a Good Analysis Paper A Nuts and Bolts Approach

2. Comparison and Contrast Structure 1 Structure 2 Topic one Piece 1 Piece 2 Piece 3 Topic two Piece 1 Piece 2 Piece 3 Etc. • Piece one • Topic A • Topic B • Topic C • Piece two • Topic A • Topic B • Topic C Etc.

3. Thesis Statements • Your paper MUST lead off with a strong thesis statement. • Good Thesis Statements: • Will be argumentative • Have an element of risk involved • NOT: “Tintoretto’s The Last Supper, Caspar David Friedrich’s Cross in the Mountains and Donne’s Holy Sonnet XIV may seem to be different but they are all about religion.” • BUT: “Tintoretto’s The Last Supper, Caspar David Friedrich’s Cross in the Mountains and Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam all use emotion as a vehicle for accessing religion, but the similarities end there. The approach to emotion in each piece is shaped by the philosophy each artist held about God, art and feeling. • Will talk about similarities OR differences, but not both. • NOT: “Tintoretto’s The Last Supper, Caspar David Friedrich’s Cross in the Mountains and Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam all have extreme differences, but there are also a lot of similarities between them, especially when compared to religion.”

4. Thesis Statements, cont’d • Will foreground the structure of the paper. • “…each piece is shaped by the philosophy each artist held about God, art and feeling.” • Will be specific • NOT: “…they are all about religion.” • But, what do they say about religion? (Know the difference between a topic and a theme). • Topic: Religion • Theme: Religion is devastating to the masses

5. Themes?

6. Themes?

7. Thesis Statements May… • Be about technique: • “Notre Dame de Paris, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling, and John Donne’s “Meditation XVII” all illustrate the usefulness of symbols in religious art.” • Be about art or artists: • “While some artists conformed and worked within the bounds of their religion, the great artists broke the rules, both within their art and within their religion. This can be seen in the Caspar David Friedrich’s Cross in the Mountains, Rheims Cathedral in France and Dante’s Inferno.” • Be about human nature: • “While these three works of art serve the purposes of their different religious creeds, they demonstrate strikingly the human need to believe in something.” • Be about time periods, a specific theme, etc.

8. Example: Bernd Krysmanski’s Article 1. Shows how Credulity, Superstition and Fanaticism satirizes Methodism. 2. Introduces Enthusiasm Delineated as a previous draft of the final version everyone knows. 3. Illustrates some of the differences between the two. 4. Argues: “Although Enthusiasm Delineated, like Credulity, Superstition and Fanaticism, appears to be a biting satire of Methodist enthusiasm, the real target of the attack is, in my opinion, not religious fanaticism but enthusiasm in general and, in particular, the zealous predilection of zealous connoisseurs for traditional, “sublime,” religious art.” 5. Proves his argument through close reading Enthusiasm Delineated (and comparing it to the works of art he mimics). 6. Explains the implications of his argument, why it matters that the purpose of Enthusiasm Delineated is different than CSF (Hogarth doesn’t hate Methodists).

9. Assignment • . HUM 1010 Comprehensive Paper Assignment • Directions: The purpose of this assignment is for you to perform a more in-depth analysis of some of the artworks we’ve discussed in class. With this in mind, your paper will center on three works of art that you feel can be used to highlight the issues surrounding the broader themes outlined below. Please note that your three works must be drawn from at least two different artistic genres (visual art, literature, music, theater, etc) and at least two different time periods. The artworks should not merely be analyzed independently, but you should instead draw specific comparisons between the artworks to support your larger arguments. Your paper should be 4-5 pages in length, double-spaced with 12 pt. font. Remember that the focus of the paper is not research; rather it is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to assimilate the ideas presented in class with your own critical analysis. • Please choose only ONE of the following questions to address: • Discuss some of the intersections we’ve seen between politics and art. In what ways has art been used in the service of politics? What are some examples of artists using their work to challenge those in authority? • OR • Throughout the history of Western Civilization, religion has served as a primary subject matter for art. However, there have been differing ideas about the proper methods for creating religious art. Discuss some of these religious artworks, paying particular attention to the competing ideas each represents. • OR • While art has often been used as a tool in the service of politics and/or religion, there are also artists who believe art should not be required to serve outside interests, but should find its meaning within itself, a trend often referred to as “art for art’s sake.” Discuss some of these artworks, highlighting some of the differing motivations behind their creation

10. The Rest of the Paper • Should follow the map laid out by the thesis. • Each paragraph is a miniature paper. Give me a topic sentence that forecasts and then make the paragraph do what your topic sentence says it will. • Should utilize close reading or detail-oriented analysis to make your arguments (use specifics from the pieces themselves—not outside research). • Should demonstrate your understanding of the pieces, their time periods and their creators. • When introducing a work of art, it’s never “The Creation of Adam.” It’s always “Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.” • Should achieve the purpose of the paper (that argument is your guide and focus). • Should explain the implications of the argument you are making: the “so what?”

11. Questions?

12. Common Errors to Avoid • Poem titles go in quotations: John Donne’s “The Flea.” • Titles of plays and books are italicized: St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Senses. • Titles of paintings and sculptures are italicized: Bernini’s The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and Caravaggio’s The Crucifixion of Saint Peter. • Titles of specific buildings are capitalized: Versailles. • Short references to authors and artists always employ their last name, not their first (it’s always Donne’s “The Flea,” not John’s).