I've compiled the information from your posters on the essential elements of an effective essay and added some of my own. Let this be your "rubric" as you shape your personal essay.
An effective personal essay...
- explores an idea or a question utilizing the author's personal experience or events, experiences that he/she has witnessed.
- explores the idea or question utilizing details, examples, etc. from outside sources.
- pertains to the author, but also to the world at large.
- evokes emotion and provokes thought.
- engages the reader in the author's exploration of an idea, event, etc.
- includes a combination of showing and telling, not only bringing the reader into the experiences relayed, but also commenting upon their significance.
- includes a variety of rhetorical schemes and tropes.
- illustrates purposeful diction that adds depth and meaning to the piece.
- is free of errors in grammar, usage and mechanics.
- relies on multiple modes of discourse to elaborate upon ideas.
- demonstrate examples of purposeful syntax.
- is organized in a manner that is best suited to the purpose and content of the essay.
- is typed in MLA format.
- is composed of "somewhere in the neighborhood" of 1,000 words.
- illustrates a writer voice that is appropriate to the audience, purpose and subject matter
- is focused and has a clear purpose. (Ultimately. Think The Brown Wasps)
- contains effective shifts and smooth transitions between ideas.
- establishes a tone through the use of imagery, diction, syntax, and figurative language that is appropriate to the subject matter.
