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Whether you are writing a critique on a book, painting, film, or short story, it is important to structure your writing in a way that will effectively get your point across. Here are some tips on writing a critique that is concise and well thought out:
Study the piece you are about to critique. Write down the immediate impressions you get, good or bad. Leave the piece and study it again with fresh eyes to see if you get another impression. Try to get an over-arching theme or idea that the piece is expressing. Also make a note if the particular piece reminds you of the work of anyone else or has clear influences.
Look up some secondary sources on the piece. See what other critics saw in the piece. This doesn’t mean that you should be somehow influenced by their impressions, but it is good to use different sources in your critique to show how other’s impressions aligned or differed with your view of the piece. It is also good to look up sources that you found may have influenced the particular piece (film, artwork, music, etc.)
Make a rough outline of your critique based on the points you plan to make and the general impression you got. Outline your thoughts following a 5-paragrah format: first the introduction, the next three your main argument, and the last your conclusion. Allow some room to change the order of your argument and feel free to add paragraphs in the middle if you need to. Also note where you plan to cite other sources in your analysis.
Now that you have your thoughts organized you are ready to write. Start the introductory paragraph with a compelling hook that will engage the reader to continue. State the subject, author/artist, and overall theme of the piece. Present your thesis and give briefly explain your overall argument for critiquing the piece.
Lay out your argument in the “meat” paragraphs of the essay following your outline. Make sure to explain your argument rather than simply summarizing the piece. Support your argument with the sources you found while researching the subject. Be very specific when explaining your analysis whether it is negative or positive towards the piece. This will keep your argument from appearing groundless and bias.
Bring your argument to a concise conclusion in the last paragraph. Conclude your arguments and justify your reason for critiquing the piece. This will wrap up the argument and allow you to give your final word. Go back through the essay to edit and add information you may have neglected to mention the first time around.
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