When working through a paper outline, one might first be instructed to do a little research. Everyone who is given a rubric should make an effort to find out about the author and what critics have to say about their work. Some authors have actually published literary criticisms of their own texts, or have at least further explained their intent in writing it. This additional information is often important to those reflecting on something.
How Would You Start Writing Reflectively
That being said, a personal reflective paper outline for smaller works usually won’t require this. These works are simply too small to require any research. Nevertheless, reflecting on other text might require a bit of historical context to fully understand what’s going on. An individual outline should illustrate this fact. Some instructors might not want this level of detail, however. It all depends on what’s deemed appropriate for class, though that sometimes means that one might want to ask their teacher for some advice before they start writing their own paper.
Develop a Strong Thesis Statement
The majority of the outline sheets will require students to develop a thesis. A thesis statement isn’t really a question. On the other hand, it’s not merely an observation either. Thesis statements are supposed to analyze the text and introduce the main idea of the text that comes after it. If the thesis statement is too much of a simple observation, readers of the content might get turned off too quickly. It’s not the best for gaining points when you are is scored on a rubric either. Once again, authors need to be completely sure that they’re familiar with all of the requirements they’re faced with.
A statement such as “The narrative aspects of Beowulf are composed as a work of epic poetry” is entirely accurate, but it doesn’t make for a particularly good thesis statement. Thesis statements should be developed with a sense of action. For instance, one might instead write, “The poetic narrative structure of Beowulf mirrors the elegant way in which the characters carry themselves.”
Add Evidence to Your Outline
As authors write to fill out their reflective essay outline, they’ll need to find several direct quotes that support their thesis. Generally, people present a topic and then provide evidence from the reading before they analyze it. For example, one might want to find three quotes that use poetic language to illustrate the title character’s civility in the face of the ferocity of the dragon. Likewise, one might also want to find areas where Beowulf himself shows a sort of beast-like viciousness. These quotes and the appropriate analysis can take a lackluster reflective outline and produce a very successful piece of writing from it.
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