Core Conventions for Writing About Literature

In literary analysis, writers follow a few core conventions that make their ideas sound formal, clear, and consistent. According to A Few Rules for Writing about Literature, the basic expectations include using present tense, avoiding first person in formal analysis, using third person appropriately, and formatting authors’ names and literary titles correctly.

Use Present Tense for Literary Analysis

When writing about literature, use present tense because the text continues to exist for readers. A Few Rules for Writing about Literature states, “Always use present tense, except in describing events that happened in the past within the story.” This means a literary analysis should say that a character reveals, struggles, or changes, not that the character revealed or struggled, unless the sentence refers to a past event inside the plot.

• Correct: The speaker expresses grief through imagery.
• Correct: The narrator remembers an event that happened earlier in the character’s life.
• Incorrect for analysis: The speaker expressed grief through imagery.

Avoid First Person in Formal Literary Analysis

Formal literary analysis should usually avoid first person pronouns such as I, me, my, and we. In A Few Rules for Writing about Literature, the guidance is direct: “Don’t use first person (I, me, my, we) unless you are writing an informal, personal response.” This convention keeps the focus on the text and the argument rather than on the writer’s personal reactions.

• Less formal: I think the poem is about loneliness.
• More formal: The poem presents loneliness through repetition and imagery.

Use Third Person Appropriately

Instead of first person, literary analysis should rely on third person. A Few Rules for Writing about Literature explains that writers should “use third person (he, she, it, they) and become ‘the reader’ or ‘the audience.’” Third person helps create an objective tone and keeps the discussion centered on the author, speaker, narrator, characters, and readers.

• Use third person pronouns such as he, she, it, and they.
• Refer to interpretation in formal ways, such as “the reader sees” or “the audience understands.”
• Keep references clear so pronouns do not become vague or confusing.

Format Authors’ Names Correctly

Writers should introduce authors in a consistent way. According to A Few Rules for Writing about Literature, “Use the first and last name of the author the first time you use it in the essay; each subsequent time use the last name only.” This helps establish the author clearly at first mention and keeps later references concise.

• First mention: Kate Chopin
• Later mentions: Chopin

The same source also notes an exception for major figures such as Shakespeare, whose surname alone is used.

Format Literary Titles Correctly

Literary titles follow specific formatting rules. A Few Rules for Writing about Literature explains that “Titles of poems and short stories are placed in quotation marks. Titles of novels and plays are italicized.” These distinctions help readers immediately recognize the type of work being discussed.

• Poems and short stories: use quotation marks
• Novels and plays: use italics

Examples of correct formatting based on the rule:

• “The Story of an Hour”
• Hamlet

Why These Conventions Matter

These conventions make literary analysis sound academic and precise. Using present tense keeps discussion focused on the text as a living work. Avoiding first person creates a more formal tone. Using third person helps maintain objectivity. Correctly formatting names and titles shows attention to academic writing standards. Together, these habits support the kind of focused analytical writing described in A Few Rules for Writing about Literature.

Quick Checklist

• Use present tense when discussing literature.
• Avoid first person in formal analysis.
• Use third person and refer appropriately to the reader or audience.
• Give the author’s first and last name at first mention; use the last name after that.
• Put poems and short stories in quotation marks.
• Italicize novels and plays.

By following these core conventions from A Few Rules for Writing about Literature, writers can produce literary analysis that is clearer, more formal, and more effective.