Higher english essay help.

Hi guys!

So, It's only a few days until my English prelim and it's starting to get to me, as I really want to do well and pass! My close reading is fine, it's my essays. I haven't done badly in previous essays, it's just I'm not as good if I don't have notes in front of me or when I'm being timed! We done a practise timed essay and I never got finished in time and it's annoying me!

Anyway, we've been told to learn one of the poems that we've done in class and I'm probably going to do either 'Shooting Stars' or 'The Great Gatsby'. I'm sure some of you have done essays on these poems before, so if you had the choice..which of the two would you pick?

Another one of my problems is that I always spend too much time thinking of topic sentences and how I should 'order' my essay. For example, the essay we done on shooting stars the question was too describe how the main character is portrayed as a heroic character... but, anyone who has done this essay will know that she also goes through a lot of suffering that would make her out to be weak, but I'm never sure whether to involve this at the beginning and build my way to talking about her being heroic. Anyway, I'm rambling on. What I would like help with is...how should I do my topic sentences? And what should I talk about in each of my paragraphs? Since it's on her being heroic, should I start off with that?

Well, that's me. I've pretty much written an essay here! So, please give me some input.

Thanks! :smile:

Reply 1

Steven94

A little bump so you guys can help, don't go crazy please. :frown:

Reply 2

Ecosse_14

There's no need to bump when you only posted 42 minutes before.
Also, The Great Gatsby is a novel, not a poem? I did that so I could try and help if you needed specific help with that, but that was 2 years ago.

I have never read 'Shooting Stars' or heard of it tbh but if the character starts of as a weak person and then progress to be heroic throughout then you could start of your essay with outlining how she was weak, then in each new para how they are becoming more heroic or whatever.

Reply 3

Jarlsberg

I can give you some help with Gatsby if you want, but i'd have to do it tommorow because i'm a bit busy right now

Reply 4

Derry Rhumba

Start with the opening line of the poem.
For the topic sentence just introduce what you are going to speak about in your evaluation such as " In these lines Duffy uses a magnificent simile to compare the _________ to the _________" :

" Quote"

Evaluation