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iRubric: Literary Analysis Rubric

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Literary Analysis Rubric Literary Analysis Rubric Rubric Code: P68XC5 By emm1076 Draft Public Rubric Subject: English Type: Writing Grade Levels: (none)

Literary Analysis Essay 100 %
	Excellent: The A Essay The essay is superior. It demonstrates thoughtful and eloquent analysis through close reading. The writer has made a sincere effort to analyze the text and has included any other relevant points beyond those prompted by the assignment, and the document is properly formatted (MLA format, Works Cited, etc.). The grammatical mechanics are correct. 20 pts	Good: The B Essay The essay is good. The writer has made an effort to analyze the text but may need to elaborate on some points. The document may also contain minor grammatical errors. 17 pts	Fair: The C Essay The essay is satisfactory. It may be formally correct but superficial in its analysis. The writer has not effectively analyzed the text, thus, omits useful information. The document may require significant improvement in organization, style, and grammar. Also, the student may have summarized the text instead of analyzing it. 15 pts	Poor: The D Essay The essay is inadequate. The writer has not developed his or her analysis enough, and the paper displays numerous or major errors in organization, style, and grammar. The student may summarize the text instead of analyze it. 13 pts	Unacceptable: The F Essay The essay is unsatisfactory. It omits critical information and/or relates something other than what the assignment required. The paper lacks any analysis and displays major or excessive errors in organization, style, and grammar. 10 pts
Intro Paragraph/Thesis	Excellent: The A Essay Engaging opening introduces the essay’s general topic and inspires thinking about that topic; logically proceeds to thesis; thesis is an easily identifiable, well-phrased argument that assesses the text and addresses a specific idea to be analyzed and proven in the essay; the idea offered in the thesis reflects sound critical, analytical thinking; title and author of work are appropriately referenced	Good: The B Essay Generally engaging opening; areas to be strengthened may include: presentation of general topic; development of transition between general opening and specific thesis statement; thesis statement is phrased as an argument but may be strengthened through clarification of the main idea being offered	Fair: The C Essay Opening is functional but too brief and/or simplistic, essay’s topic is apparent but needs to be developed to engage the reader; abrupt transition from first sentences to thesis statement; paragraph may be incoherent, jumping from one point to the next without developing a smooth progression of ideas; thesis may be too general, vague, or imprecisely phrased; thesis may not directly address the prompt (though still an argument that assesses the text)	Poor: The D Essay Opening is ineffective, poorly organized, and undeveloped (inappropriately brief); thesis may summarize plot point rather than present argument about text; thesis may not address the prompt at all; author and/or title of text may not be referenced properly (i.e. only author's last name, title incorrectly formatted)	Unacceptable: The F Essay Fails to fulfill requirements of the assignment
Body Paragraphs / Organization	Excellent: The A Essay Each topic sentence clearly connects to the thesis and offers an identifiable, well-phrased idea to be proven in the paragraph; concrete details are well-chosen and incorporated; paragraphs are well-organized to create a coherent, carefully developed and supported argument; transitions between ideas are logical and each idea builds on the preceding; writer maintains focus and control of argument so that the point of each paragraph is always clear	Good: The B Essay Each paragraph generally connects to the thesis the main idea may need to be clarified; concrete details are generally well-chosen though some may be irrelevant or insufficient as evidence to effectively support the thesis; paragraphs are generally well-organized, although some transitions may be awkward and there may be gaps in the development of ideas; the point of a paragraph may not always be clear	Fair: The C Essay More than one paragraph is weak in the following areas: main idea not discernible; unclear connection to thesis. Concrete details are present but weak because they provide insufficient evidence and/or do not support an insightful inference. Lack of organization of ideas within individual paragraphs or from one paragraph to the next; abrupt transitions impede smooth flow of ideas; lacks consistent focus; content of paragraphs does not consistently support or connect with thesis	Poor: The D Essay Topic sentences absent or consistently lack focused ideas, either offering general, irrelevant comments or stating facts about the text; there is no discernible argument or point guiding essay; concrete details are absent or ineffective/ insufficient; consistent lack of coherent organization of ideas within paragraphs and from one paragraph to the next; points of paragraphs are unclear	Unacceptable: The F Essay Fails to fulfill requirements of the assignment
Literary Analysis	Excellent: The A Essay Writing reflects a critical, analytical understanding of the text; clear reasoning; sophisticated, insightful inferences from concrete details support the connected ideas of thesis; inferences are developed so that all claims and points made are well-supported and persuasive; appropriate balance of quotes & writer's analysis; writer is clearly engaged with his/her thinking process	Good: The B Essay Writing generally reflects a critical, analytical understanding of the text but is uneven; inferences demonstrate interpretive ability but could be developed further to better explain significance of detail and support thesis and/or TS; some claims may be vague, generalized, or lacking in support; analysis could be stronger through focus on stylistic elements that create thematic meaning; some imbalance of quotes and writer's analysis	Fair: The C Essay Writing demonstrates basic comprehension of the text but not a critical, analytical understanding of it, as reflected by one or more of the following: lack of focused, developed idea guiding essay; interpretive analysis inconsistent or unsubstantiated; frequent summary of plot details that retell the story; writer restates the content of cited concrete details rather than draws significant inferences. Writing weakened by generalizations, unsupported claims, assumptions, vague statements.	Poor: The D Essay Writing demonstrates some awareness of text details but not a critical, analytical understanding of the text; points made are vague and unsubstantiated; essay lacks focus; no literary analysis present	Unacceptable: The F Essay Fails to fulfill requirements of the assignment
Language Style / Voice	Excellent: The A Essay Writing is academic in tone, demonstrating a clear sense of purpose and audience; writer's voice is evident -- confident and sophisticated; vocabulary and phrasing are academically appropriate, persuasive, and sophisticated without being pretentious	Good: The B Essay Writing is generally academic in tone; writer’s voice may not be consistently persuasive but is discernible; writing demonstrates an awareness of the purpose to persuade; vocabulary in some places may be simplistic or ineffective	Fair: The C Essay Writing tends to be mechanical in tone; writer’s voice is not discernible in the essay; writing demonstrates inconsistent awareness of the purpose to persuade; vocabulary tends to be simplistic, marked by instances of informal or imprecise diction	Poor: The D Essay Writing is mechanical in tone; writer’s voice is not discernible in essay; writing demonstrates no awareness of purpose to persuade; vocabulary is simplistic and/or inappropriate	Unacceptable: The F Essay Fails to fulfill requirements of the assignment
Mechanics	Excellent: The A Essay Essay includes a variety of sentences marked by varying opening words and structure; effective syntax and grammar demonstrate a mastery of writing conventions and serve the author’s purpose; consistent adherence to MLA guidelines; accurate Work Cited page; absence of misspellings, punctuation errors	Good: The B Essay Essay’s sentences generally effective but may lack appropriate variety (some repeated opening words and structure); syntax and grammar may be awkward in places (but not distracting); a few misspellings (but not distracting); consistent adherence to MLA guidelines; accurate Work Cited page	Fair: The C Essay Essay sentences lack variety (frequently repeated opening words and sentence structure); awkward syntax and grammar confuse writer’s point and distract reader; misspellings, contractions, fragments, referring to “you” diminish academic nature of the writing and distract reader; inconsistent adherence to MLA guidelines (but does not compromise integrity of essay); Work Cited page may contain inaccuracies (but does not compromise the integrity of essay)	Poor: The D Essay Frequent syntax, grammar, misspelling errors that distract the reader; lack of adherence to MLA guidelines undermines integrity of essay; inaccurate Work Cited page compromises integrity of essay	Unacceptable: The F Essay Fails to fulfill requirements of the assignment
TOTAL	Excellent: The A Essay	Good: The B Essay	Fair: The C Essay	Poor: The D Essay	Unacceptable: The F Essay

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English

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Writing

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