Evaluating Literary Merit

LEQ: How can I evaluate the literary merit of a text?

Mrs. West

What is “Merit”? Synonyms: value, credit,

worth that entitles recognition, greatness.

Merit is usually the excellence of something that makes people realize how great it is: a person of great merit.

Basically, “merit” describes the greatness of something.

Try it! Name a person of great merit. Name a place of great merit in

the United States. Name a sport of great merit. Name a food of great merit. Name an animal of great merit.

The President

Washington, D.C.Football

Expensive SteakBald Eagle

Literary Merit When we talk about great

writing like stories, articles, and poems, we say that they have

This just means that they are really well-known great works that have been popular for a long time!

Literary Merit

Art

Let’s view example of art that has great merit.

See if you recognize it!

Mona LisaPainted: 1500’sBy: Leonardo da Vinci

Artistic Merit?Absolutely

!

Your Turn! Let’s recap… If a painting has artistic

merit, what does this mean?It means the painting is an example

of great art. It means the painting is really well-known

and has been popular for a long time.

Your Turn! Let’s recap… If a book has literary

merit, what does this mean?It means the book is an example

of great writing. It means the book is really well-known and

has been popular for a long time.

Evaluating literary merit

in a text. So how do you know when writing has literary merit?

“Theme” to thank. We already know that when

stories last a long time, they have their theme to thank.

Many times, authors use themes again and again because they relate to the human experience.

Themes that last a LONG time and that travel across time and culture are called reoccurring themes.

“Reoccurring” just means that it happens over and over – like a reoccurring dream.

When a text is a famous work, has stayed popular for a long time, and has a reoccurring theme, we can say that it has literary merit.

Literary Merit Checklist

Is it a famous work?

Has it stayed popular for a long time? Does it have a reoccurring theme?

If you can answer “yes” to these

questions, the text has literary

merit.

Your turn! Turn to page 261 in the textbook. “Annabel Lee” is a famous love

poem, written after the poet’s young wife died of Tuberculosis.

She was laid to rest in New York, near the Hudson River, in a sepulcher – or a burial vault that stands above the ground.

Your turn! Across time, poets, storytellers,

and songwriters have written about the many faces of love.

As you read Edgar Allan Poe’s tribute to his wife, look closely for the theme .

Then, you can answer the three questions on your graphic organizer to determine whether or not the poem has literary merit.

“Annabel Lee”Is it a famous work?

Has it stayed popular for a long time? Does it have a reoccurring theme?

Does the poem have literary

merit?Yes!

Evaluating Texts for Literary Merit

Get out graphic organizers about theme from past lessons to use as resources.

You will be assigned a text and will evaluate the text for literary merit.

Assignment Make a Frayer-foldable for evaluating

your text:

Count off by 6’s and pair with someone in your group.

Texts 1’s – The Highwayman, p. 247 2’s – Hearts and Hands, p. 239 3’s – Duffy’s Jacket, p. 5 4’s – Rikki Tikki Tavi, p. 15 5’s – Girls, p. 131 6’s – Antaeus, p. 175

Assignment Complete your Frayer-foldable for your

assigned text to determine if it has “Literary Merit”.

Summarizing Strategy Find someone who…has

different colored eyes than you. Answer LEQ #5 on your

Student Learning Map.