The 4 Most Important Essay Types in Literary Analysis

The essay prompt will present a quote or statement about an author, work, or literary period. Your task is to analyze and substantiate your viewpoint, clarifying your stance.

For instance: Assess the contribution of Nguyễn Minh Châu to modern literature. Nguyễn Ngọc, the writer, says: "He is the most brilliant and talented pioneer." Explore this through his work 'The Distant Boat.'

Example: Tố Hữu’s poetry is deeply rooted in epic and romantic themes. How is this reflected in his poem 'Việt Bắc'?

For this type of essay, you must guide your response in the right direction. Before starting, it’s crucial to understand the prompt’s requirements and how to shape your response. This initial orientation is key to crafting a solid argumentative essay in literary analysis. A clear direction prevents mistakes like straying off-topic or misidentifying the genre. So, read the prompt carefully, understand what it asks, and then explain key terms, justify the statements, and support them by analyzing the literary work.

The analytical analysis combined with commentary is one of the most crucial essay types, appearing consistently in the National High School Exam over the years. Many recent mock tests have also featured this format. This type of question provides a range of difficulties, catering to students of varying levels.

Example: How do you perceive the image of the Perfume River in the excerpt above? From this, provide a commentary on Hoàng Phủ Ngọc Tường’s unique perspective on the river.

Example: Analyze the above stanza from 'Sóng' and reflect on the feminine beauty depicted in Xuân Quỳnh’s poetry.

To approach this type of question, students must first identify the main theme, content, and artistic features of the excerpt. They should then break these down into arguments for analysis and interpretation. If the prompt includes a secondary clause (a follow-up), after the general analysis and evaluation, students must offer a commentary or critique that directly answers the second part of the question.

The comparison question can be quite varied, often requiring you to contrast two stanzas, two characters, or different elements within the same work or across multiple works.

Example: Analyze the contrast between the serene image of the distant boat and the violent family scene in 'The Distant Boat' by Nguyễn Minh Châu. Then, connect this to the opposition between the quiet streets at night and the image of the train in 'Two Children' by Thạch Lam. Provide a commentary on how the two authors view reality.

When approaching this type of essay, students must recognize it as a question involving comparison rather than parallel analysis. The body of the essay should first focus on the primary subject—such as analyzing the contrast between the distant boat and the violent family scene—before moving to the second subject, such as the contrast between the town at night and the train. After the analysis, students should provide a final commentary or evaluation on the authors' perspectives.

This essay type often begins with a topic from a literary work and asks students to connect it to real-world issues, drawing lessons and life messages from these connections.

Example: Analyze the beauty of the stanza from 'The Land' by Nguyễn Khoa Điềm and relate it to the role and responsibility of youth in building and protecting the country.

Example: Reflect on the powerful vitality of the character Mị in the excerpt, and consider the importance of willpower in overcoming adversity.

For this type of essay, students must first thoroughly understand the content of the work and explain the key concepts mentioned in the prompt. Afterward, they should offer a general interpretation. Once this is done, they must build their arguments and provide evidence from the text to analyze and relate the lessons or messages to real-life situations.