HOW TO EFFECTI VELY STRUCTURE A

COMPARI SON BETWEEN TWO SEPARATE

TEXTS
Comparative analysis:
Organization
Dissect the Writing Prompt
Highlight the different
actions in the prompt (this
tells you what you must do)
The highlighting should
look something like Write
a multi-paragraph essay
analysis comparing &
contrasting the purpose of
both Sonrisas and Search
for My Tongue
1. Analyze
2. Identify comparison/
contrast
3. Identify content (concrete
details) to discuss
Parallel Structure
Compare & Contrast?
Consider both
similarities and
differences
Content to defend?
2 Literary devices
Once you determine
what you are
analyzing, you can set
up your argument.

1
st
body paragraph should
use the analysis of one
literary device to develop
the point you make about
purpose
2
nd
body paragraph should
do the same with a
different literary device
SAME PURPOSE BY USING THE
SAME LITERARY DEVICES

DIFFERENT PURPOSE BY USING
SAME DEVICES

SAME PURPOSE BY USING
LITERARY DEVICES
DIFFERENTLY

You have options:
Thesis Template Examples:
Comparison
The purpose of both
Sujata Bhatts Search
for My Tongue and
Pat Moras Sonrisas
share the similarity of
_______, as shown
by ____ and _____.

Contrast
Pat Mora and Sujata
Bhatt both use ____
and ____ to develop
the ideas of their
poems, but the
purpose of Sonrisas
is__________, while
the purpose of Search
for my Tongue is
______.
Parallel Structure Continued
Paragraph #1 Lit Device 1
TS How the Literary
device develops the
purpose
CD#1 Sonrisas quote
CM reasoning
CM reasoning
CD#2 Search for my
Tongue quote
CM reasoning
CM reasoning
CL conclude, but also
transition to second device

Paragraph #2 Lit Device 2
TS How the Literary
device develops the
purpose
CD#1 Sonrisas quote
CM reasoning
CM reasoning
CD#2 Search for my
Tongue quote
CM reasoning
CM reasoning
CL summarize the
similarities/differences
between both texts

Practice
Now that you have
an idea of how to
structure a
comparison,
structure an
outline for your
Multi-paragraph
analysis
Hint: If you arent sure what your
thesis should be, try building an
argument (body paragraphs) for a
few ideas review your examples
and try to come up with an
insight.
Another Hint: Whatever you do
for 1 text, you MUST do for the
other. For example, if you analyze
extended metaphor in one text,
you MUST analyze the extended
metaphor of the 2
nd
.