Help me develop a text-grounded literary analysis. Do not invent quotations, page numbers, author intentions, historical facts, or scholarly sources. If the text or an external source is not supplied, say what needs verification. Text and edition details: [TEXT AND EDITION] Assignment or question: [ASSIGNMENT] Passage, notes, or quotations I may use: [TEXTUAL EVIDENCE] Critical lens or course concepts: [LENS OR CONCEPTS] Required citation style and length: [FORMAT REQUIREMENTS] My tentative idea, if any: [STARTING IDEA] First, identify the central interpretive tension in the assignment and propose one arguable thesis, not a fact claim or plot summary. Then write an analysis plan and a draft with the following structure: 1. Thesis paragraph: make a specific, contestable claim about how the text creates meaning. 2. Two or three body sections: each begins with a claim, closely reads particular diction, imagery, syntax, narration, form, or structure, and explains how that evidence supports the thesis. 3. Counterreading: name one plausible alternative interpretation and explain why the evidence better supports the main reading or where the ambiguity remains. 4. Conclusion: state what is at stake in the interpretation without repeating the introduction. Use short quotations only from [TEXTUAL EVIDENCE]. Integrate each quote grammatically, identify its location only when the supplied edition supports it, and spend more words analyzing than quoting. If I supplied secondary sources, distinguish their claims from mine and format citations using [FORMAT REQUIREMENTS]. Before answering, run two checks: flag any assertion not supported by the supplied text or source notes, and confirm each body section advances the thesis rather than retelling events. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [TEXT AND EDITION] | Name the work, author, translator if relevant, and edition or link details. | Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” 1892; course PDF, pages 1–12. |
| [ASSIGNMENT] | Paste the teacher’s question, rubric, or the analysis task you need to complete. | Analyze how setting shapes the narrator’s reliability in a 900-word essay. |
| [TEXTUAL EVIDENCE] | Paste the passage and any exact quotations or page references you are allowed to use. | “The color is repellant, almost revolting”; “There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me.” |
| [LENS OR CONCEPTS] | Enter the assigned lens or terms, such as unreliable narration, gender, form, or postcolonialism. | Unreliable narration and Gothic domestic space. |
| [FORMAT REQUIREMENTS] | State the target length and citation style, such as 900 words in MLA 9. | 850–950 words, MLA 9, with page numbers only when supported by the PDF. |
| [STARTING IDEA] | Share a possible claim or uncertainty you want the analysis to test. | The room makes the narrator appear less reliable while also revealing how isolated she is. |
How to use
- Paste the assigned passage or your permitted quotations, along with the precise assignment wording.
- Replace every bracketed field and ask for the thesis and outline before requesting a full draft.
- Verify every quotation and locator against your edition, especially if the text was copied from notes.
- Follow up with: “Give me three revision choices that make the counterreading more substantial without adding unsupported claims.”
Variations
Close reading outline
Use this before drafting when you need a focused argument from a short passage.
Create a close-reading outline for [PASSAGE] from [WORK AND EDITION] answering [QUESTION]. Identify one central tension, propose two arguable thesis options, and map three body paragraphs. For each paragraph, provide a claim, two exact phrases from the passage, the formal feature to analyze, and the interpretive payoff. Do not invent context or quotations. Flag wording whose meaning depends on lines outside the supplied passage.
Comparative analysis
Use this when comparing two texts, characters, or passages.
Plan a comparative literary analysis of [TEXT A] and [TEXT B] for [ASSIGNMENT]. Use only [EVIDENCE FROM BOTH TEXTS]. Produce one thesis that makes a relationship claim, then three paired body sections organized by analytical point rather than by text. Each section must closely read one detail from each text and explain a meaningful difference or convergence. Include a counterreading and flag any missing edition details or unsupported historical context.
Source integration
Use this after finding scholarship and before incorporating it into an essay.
Help me integrate [SCHOLARLY SOURCE NOTES] into an analysis of [PRIMARY TEXT] addressing [THESIS]. Create a paragraph plan that distinguishes my claim, the scholar’s claim, the quoted or paraphrased evidence, and my response. Provide MLA-style signal phrases and in-text citation placeholders based only on [CITATION DETAILS]. Do not treat a scholar’s interpretation as fact or invent page numbers. Flag sources that I should read directly before citing.
Tips
- A literary claim becomes arguable when it explains how a formal choice produces meaning, not when it labels a theme.
- Quote the smallest useful unit: one charged word or a short phrase often gives you more room for analysis than a long sentence.
- Use a counterreading to address real textual ambiguity, not a weak objection that the next sentence dismisses.
- Check page numbers against the edition you actually read; online versions often differ from classroom editions.
FAQ
Can AI write a literary analysis from a title alone?
It can suggest questions, but a credible analysis needs the assigned text or verified quotations. Do not use generated quotations or page numbers.
How much plot summary belongs in the essay?
Use only enough context for a reader to understand the passage or claim. Each paragraph should spend most of its space interpreting textual choices.
Can I use AI-generated secondary sources?
No. Locate and read real scholarship through your library or assigned sources, then use AI to help organize or compare notes.