Elements in a Written Response to Literature

Sometimes after reading a piece of text, someone can come up with what’s called a written response to literature. This is one’s response or reaction to a certain piece of text. This is when someone gives constructive criticism to the author of the piece of text.

They’re giving feedback to the author, so this can be a very good thing. There are several elements that are very key to include. There are some things that I need to include and there are a couple of connections I need to make. First, they need to include their background knowledge.

Their background knowledge on the subject at hand. This gives them credibility, because it shows they know what they’re talking about. A couple of connections they need to make is they need to make connections to things that have happened in their own life and connections to other texts that they may have read.

This also helps establish credibility by showing they know what they’re talking about. They must really understand a piece of text if they experience the same types of things in their own life or if they read other pieces of text talking about the same thing. That all establishes credibility.

The really important part of this is that you need to talk about what the piece of text makes them think and feel. They talk about what it makes them think and feel. That’s really the key part of this written response, because a written response includes one’s response or reaction.

Basically their reaction to this text, what they thought about it. Now, there are a couple of other things they can include, which can be very helpful. It can be ways they agree or disagree with the author, and also any questions. Any questions they have for the author.

Now, it’s important that when the writer of this written response talks about what it makes them think and feel, ways they agree or disagree, and questions they have, it’s important that they use textual evidence. They use specific evidence for the text. Usually, this is going to come in the form of direct quotes.

When they use this direct evidence, these direct quotes from the text, they can support and then strengthen their response. If they never actually quote the article, then their arguments are going to seem somewhat vague, but if they can include exactly what the author said and build a strong argument, people are more likely to believe them.

If they have strong credentials, like lots of background knowledge, lots of connections to their own life, if they make a strong case about other texts they have read that are similar to this piece of text, they have that strong credibility, then people are more likely to believe what they say. Even more so if they’re able to build a strong argument.