How to Write a Dissertation in Literature

How to Write a Dissertation in Literature The dissertation is an independent academic written work. If the question is about an undergraduate dissertation, it’s important to mention that the piece shouldn’t be 100% unique contribution to a particular niche. However, the project must be original in terms of being independent research, based on solid arguments, as well as an in-depth analysis of the subject. You, as the dissertation author, are expected to demonstrate ample ability to do research, comprehend the collected materials, engage analytically and critically with literary criticism and primary texts. While the topic of your dissertation may vary greatly, the paper must have a clear focus with clearly definable boundaries. Therefore, you have to decide on a research question, collect relevant materials and plan a schedule. The extensive nature of a dissertation in literature gives you a chance to examine a specific text and tell your target audience why exactly the piece is significant, and in what way it related to the key literary movements. The Structure Typically, the dissertation comprises the following segments: Cover Page and Title Page. Make sure to provide each with the title of the project, the name of the degree, the number of examination, the name of your supervisor, the word count (excluding appendix, bibliography, and abstract). Abstract. This part is a summary statement that includes not more than two hundred words. State the issue or the problem being debated, as well as the key questions that you’ve examined in your project together with the key findings. Acknowledgments. Do you need to thank someone for the contribution to your research? This is what the part called â€Å"Acknowledgments† is for. Table of Contents. Here you’re going to list all chapters of your paper together with their page numbers and titles. Abbreviations. If required, make sure to list all the abbreviations you have used in references throughout your text. The Main Body. This is the largest part of the project, where you collect and arrange evidence that will help you inform your target readers on your argument. Bibliography/. Make a list of all the links, books, and magazines you read and used in your academic work. Choosing Refining the Topic In terms of structure, content, and form, the closest topics for your consideration might be found in essays or journal articles. For instance, students who are studying English literature should write on three Brontà «s sisters or English poetry in the World War I. Students who are enrolled for a Joint Degree in Classics of Japanese and Chinese Literature may choose to concentrate on either subject (or, as an alternative, a combination of both). The world of literature has no limits, which means you’re not going to have troubles when it’s time to select the topic for your dissertation. As a rule, students approach dissertation supervisors who are always there to help you decide on the topic of your dissertation and advise you about the process of writing. At the same time, keep in mind that the dissertation is your project. Your supervisor is there to help, guide, and advise not to tell you exactly what to do! To write a thought-provoking and memorable literature dissertation, ensure to consider the following topics we’ve prepared for you: George Eliot Work on the Religious Doubt in the Nineteenth Century; Elizabeth Barret about Communication and Love Through the Use of Her Poems; The Image of Death in World Literature; Why Is Tolkiens â€Å"The Lord of the Rings† So Loved by All Ages Equally? The Role of Witches within the Play Macbeth and Impact on the Play Itself; Visions of Nature: Wordsworth and Poetical Imagination of the 18th Century; Is Literature an Instrument of Propaganda? The Relationship Between Literature and Church in the Middle Ages; Ancestral Voices or the Basics of the Earliest English Literature; Homosexuality in World Literature from Its Beginnings to Nowadays; Impact of Digital Media on World English Literature; Russian Postmodernism: New Standpoints on Post-Soviet Culture; Where Does the Origin of Novels Begin? Ancient Indian Literature: Its Evolution Towards Contemporary Times; Poetical Imagination of William Wordsworth through an Analysis of His Perception of Nature; The Changing Meaning of the Victorian Family in the Gaskell’s Works; The World without William Shakespeare: How Would It Look Like? The Basics of Travel Writing in Modern Literature; Paradise Lost and the Fall from Grace: Redemption Poetry in the Seventeenth Century; Controversy Writing in the Works by Rodolfo Walsh; A History of Womens Writing in Russia; The influence of Virginia Woolf’s Works on Modern Society; Childrens Literature Trends in the 21st Century. If you think you need more ideas than these, make sure to check what they have to offer at your campus library in order to find out what your peers have worked on over the past years. Besides, you can also surf the web to discover a bunch of literature topics. Indeed, there are dozens of sites on the internet that offer fresh ideas. So make certain you do in-depth research first before you pick your dissertation title. Write and Structure a Winning Dissertation Proposal The term dissertation proposal refers to the final dissertation project proposal that should persuade the representatives of the committee board that you’ve conducted an interesting, complex, and valuable research. The proposal is shorter than the final dissertation; however, it’s equally important. Why? This is the point when the author is going to ponder over an important question and set up a detailed plan for collecting materials and writing the project. Even if the proposal is optional in your college, make sure to write it and talk about it with your project supervisor. Write as You Go The dissertation has a clear and concise structure, which means you won’t get lost as you write the project step by step. The Introduction Generally, the intro of the dissertation does the following: Gives preliminary background info that lets your research harmonically communicate with context; Specifies the focus of your project; Highlights the value of your research; Clarifies the objectives and aims of your specific research. While you place the ‘background info’ first in the introductory section of the dissertation, it’s up to you to decide how exactly you’d like to structure the remaining points. Feel free to combine these sections or add in new features, if needed. You may add in your research questions in the dissertation introduction to ensure your readers are not only familiar with your objectives and aims, but also have a certain framework for where you’re going to head your research. As for the length of the introduction, there’s no particular rule about how long it should be since it depends on the length of the total project. However, in general, make sure to write the intro that takes 5-7% of the total amount of text. Literature Review In this chapter of the dissertation, you are expected to review your research process and the crucial acknowledgments that you have managed to come down to. In this section, make sure to: Place your original work in the context of the literature that exists today; Interpret the key issues that surround your topic; Show the relationship of every work to others that are under consideration; Specify the brand-new ways to interpret, and explain all gaps in prior research; Resolve the existing conflicts among the previous studies that contradict each other; Highlight the literature that contributes significantly to the understanding of your dissertation topic; Show up the way to further research on the given topic. Methodology Include this section into the project to discuss how you located the resources together with the methods of the results’ implementation. If you’re working on a qualitative dissertation, you will mention the research participants, questions, settings, data analysis, and data collection processes. If it’s a quantitative dissertation, the Methodology section will be focused on the research hypotheses and questions, collection and analysis of data, information about the population, and instrumentation. Findings The section of Findings is the most important part of the whole process of writing. The point is that in a dissertation, this section proves your intellectual capacity. At this stage, you will be required to restate the research questions, as well as discuss your results, explaining where they successfully led you to. To cut the long story, you are going to answer those questions. For instance, if you write a dissertation on ‘Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Story of Success,’ you may state that through your research you have found out that publishers rejected the first novel of the author, while her next work ‘Jane Eyre’ was published in 1847, although it was not initially well-received. The Conclusion The concluding part of your dissertation will let you have a huge sigh of relief because once you work on it, you’re almost done with your project. It’s your task here to finish a well-organized and cohesive final chapter. If your conclusion is poorly structured, the reader might be left with the impression that the author lacked the required skills or that s/he lost interest in the process of writing. To avoid this kind of pitfalls, make sure you know what is required from you and the issues that you have to include in your conclusion. Generally, there are three key parts (at a minimum) that you have to put in the concluding section of your dissertation. Check them here: Research objectives that are the summarization of your findings and the resulting conclusions. For instance, in a dissertation on â€Å"Womens Role in Shakespeare Plays,† make sure to state briefly that women in power are treated with distrust by the author and that they have questionable morals. Mention Gertrude, who marries the murdering brother of her husband and Lady Macbeth who pushes her husband into murder. Recommendations for further research (this part is strongly recommended). In the case of the topic mentioned above, ensure to state that women in Shakespeare’s works are judged by their sexuality even when they do love their husbands or fiancà ©s. This is where the potential for further feminism-based research should be revealed. Mention that some feminists believe that the way the author treats women in his works demonstrates male insecurity about the sexuality of females. Why your research is important (this part is important to the practitioners and researchers). The length of the concluding part of the dissertation depends on the length of the paper, but just like the intro, it takes somewhere near 5-7% of the total word count. Bibliography. It is important to include all sources that you’ve used in your research and the process of writing, as well as use the citation style required by your academic institution. Terms and Phrases to Avoid in a Dissertation Writing in plain English is a must when it comes to a dissertation, which is why there are certain words you must avoid in your text: Jokes and puns (They are a taboo in formal documents). ‘Good,’ ‘bad,’ ‘stupid,’ ‘terrible’ (Never use your dissertation to make any sort of moral judgments!) ‘Perfect’ (Perfect is nothing). ‘Soon’ (When exactly? Today? In a hundred years?) ‘I was surprised to get to know that†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Even if you really were, who cares?) ‘This would seem to show’ (Your readers are waiting for the facts only!) ‘Type of’ and ‘kind of’ (This sounds colloquial and too vague). ‘Clearly’ and ‘obviously’ (Is it clear and obvious to everyone?) ‘You are going to read about†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Never mention the second person in a formal document). ‘I am going to describe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Never write the first person in a formal document). Undoubtedly, writing a literature dissertation is challenging, but at the same time, it’s highly rewarding, and definitely deserving both effort and time.

11 Rose Color Meanings to Help You Pick the Perfect Bouquet

Rose Color Meanings to Help You Pick the Perfect Bouquet SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A red rose is a pretty universal symbol of love and passion. So universal, in fact, that the price of red roses can increase by 200% around Valentine’s Day in some regions!However, all colors of roses have their own unique symbolic meanings- not just red roses. The symbolic meanings of other rose colors just aren’t quite as well-known. In this article, we’ll briefly go over the concept of rose color symbolism. Then we’ll break down the meaning of different rose colors(including favorites like yellow, pink, and white roses) and provide appropriate occasions for each color. We’ll also discuss the symbolism of different numbers of roses and provide some insight into rose cost. All this will help you to choose the most appropriate roses for any given occasion! Rose Color Meanings: A Brief Overview While the concept of assigning symbolic meaning to flowers has existed since ancient times, the popularity of communicating through the â€Å"language of flowers† peaked in the Western world during the Victorian era. Both men and women consulted â€Å"flower dictionaries† to choose and interpret the appropriate flowers to send, wear, and display. Flowers were given meaning based on both their species and their color. So while the rose in general is a symbol of love, different rose colors provided different shades of meaning (or even, in some cases, a completely different meaning) to this base meaning of rose = love. The mania for flower dictionaries may have passed, but a fascination with flower symbolism- particularly with roses, one of the most popular flowers- has persisted. If you’d like to give a bouquet of roses that’s especially thoughtful and meaningful, consider the symbolism of the colors you select. Read on for a comprehensive guide to what different colored roses mean and what occasions they are most appropriate for. The Meaning of Rose Colors: 4Most Popular Colors While we will discuss all rose color meaningsin this article, we’ll start with the symbolism of the most popular rose colors: red, white, yellow, and pink. Red Rose Meaning Red is one of the most common and popular rose colors. The red rose is a symbol of beauty, passion, desire, and romantic love. The red rose was originally associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Myth holds that when her lover, Adonis, was wounded, she pricked her foot on the thorns of a white rose in her haste to run to him. Her blood stained the roses red, turning the red rose into a symbol of incredible passion and romantic devotion. Legend also has it that Cleopatra seduced Mark Antony in a room fully covered in red rose petals. A dozen red roses boldly declares, â€Å"I love you,† while a single red rose communicates devotion and loyalty. Beyond their more passionate connotation, red roses are often used outside of romantic contexts to convey congratulations or gratitude. Red Roses Occasions Red roses are very popular flowers for Valentine’s day. However, because of the increased demand, rose prices go up dramatically around this time, and you may be getting lower-quality roses.Additionally, they are somewhat of a Valentine’s day cliche, which may come across as fairly unoriginal. So unless you know the recipient has their heart set on red roses, consider another flower for this holiday and save red roses for another (romantic) time. For example, anniversaries or birthdays with a significant other. Red roses also often appear in bridal bouquets because of their connotation of a love that is both everlasting and passionate. Finally, you might give red roses for non-romantic reasons. They are popular flowers for giving to someone after a performance; you often see bouquets of red roses or single flowers thrown onstage after ballet or opera performances. So you might give red roses to someone who has just done a stage performance of some kind or completed a big accomplishment like a graduation or major work project. Red roses can also be deployed to thank someone who has done something meaningful for you. Context is everything- think about how your gesture of red roses will be interpreted under the circumstances! White Rose Meaning White roses have a variety of symbolic associations. In Greek myth, Aphrodite was born from the foam of the sea. Greek poet Anacreon wrote that the sea foam that dripped from her body after she emerged from the ocean turned into white roses.In the Christian tradition, the white rose is associated with the Virgin Mary. Perhaps because of its association with these two fairly different figures, white rose symbolism is somewhat broad.Possibly because of its connection to the Virgin Mary, it bears a meaning of innocence, chastity, and purity. It’s also associated with spirituality, reverence, and new beginnings. In Victorian tradition, the deeper the rose color, the deeper the passion- so a white rose was most appropriate for a young girl or woman who has not yet felt a deep and passionate love. Somewhat contradictorily, the white rose also symbolizes a soul-deep love and canrepresent marriage. White Roses Occasions Because of its associations with purity, spirituality, and new beginnings, the white rose is an appropriate funeral flower. However, it’s also a common wedding flower due to its association with marriage and deep love. Cream roses are considered particularly bridal. White roses are also appropriate for religious occasions like baptisms and confirmations. Yellow Rose Meaning The yellow rose has experienced a significant shift in meaning over time. In the Victorian era, the yellow rose signified jealousy and accused the recipient of infidelity. Not exactly a very happy message! However, in the present day,the yellow rose most commonly means friendship- and specifically platonic friendship. Sending yellow roses to someone you may have romantic interest in, then, may not be the best move as it could signal that you are only interested in friendship with that person. For someone you are friends with, the yellow rose sends a message of cheer, joy, caring, and platonic affection. Yellow Roses Occasions The yellow rose is an excellent congratulatory rose for a happy occasion. A new baby or an engagement are great reasons to send someone yellow roses. You might also send them to thank a friend for their support or help. Lastly, yellow roses are a good choice for someone who needs a pick-me-up- perhaps in a â€Å"Get Well Soon† bouquet. Pink Rose Meaning Pink roses have a pretty broad range of symbolic associations. In general, pink roses symbolize admiration, gentleness, dignity, elegance, innocence, and happiness. Different shades of pink can convey different shades of meaning.Paler pink roses signify grace and sweetness. Deeper pink roses convey gratitude. Pink Roses Occasions Pink roses are very versatile. They can convey either a romantic or platonic message. Pale pink roses are a good choice for the beginning of a romance, when red roses may come off somewhat strongly. You can also send pink roses to a friend to congratulate or cheer them. Deeper pink roses are especially well-suited as a thank you gift. Pink roses are also appropriate for a girl or young woman, especially to convey congratulations or to commemorate a milestone. Rose Color Meaning: 7 More Unusual Colors In this next section, we’ll go over the rose color meanings of some of the more unusual rose colors. Orange Rose Meaning Fiery orange roses send a strong message of fascination, passion, enthusiasm, attraction, and desire. Coral roses in particular signify desire. Orange Roses Occasions Orange roses convey a meaning that is primarily romantic in nature. Thus, they are best for romantic occasions. They can be a slightly unusual but appropriate choice for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries. They might also make a striking wedding flower in the right color scheme! Peach Rose Meaning Peach roses communicate sincerity and gratitude. They can also mark the closing of a deal or agreement. They have an alternative meaning of sympathy. Pale peach roses mean modesty. Peach Roses Occasions Peach roses are a very appropriate thank-you gift. Additionally, they are a good choice for a sympathy bouquet to someone who has just lost a loved one. With their meaning of modesty, pale peach roses can also make a very pretty component of a bouquet that communicates admiration- perhaps a bouquet of peach and pink roses together. This would also make a very pretty wedding flower combination and color palette. Burgundy Rose Meaning Burgundy roses have a very specific connotation of unconscious beauty. In the Victorian era, deeper rose colors signified deeper passion. Per this schema, burgundy roses signify a very deep passion, even beyond that of red roses. Burgundy Roses Occasions Burgundy roses are very romantic. They can make a striking choice for Valentine’s day or other romantic occasions and add depth to a bouquet with red and/or pink roses. They would also make a lush and beautiful wedding flower. Purple Rose Meaning Purple roses are very special and intriguing and have deep symbolic meaning. Purple roses symbolize enchantment and the mystical. Pale purple or lavender-colored roses send a message of â€Å"love at first sight.† Deeper purple roses convey majesty and royalty, adoration, and fascination. Purple Roses Occasions Purple roses are also very romantic and best for romantic occasions. Purple roses are an especially good choice for someone with a spiritual or mystical side. They also look beautiful in combination with red, pink, or burgundy roses. Green Rose Meaning Green roses symbolize peace, spiritual rejuvenation, calm, and fertility. It’s a soothing color that connotes close ties to the natural world. The pale green rose does occur in nature, although green roses that you buy from a florist may be dyed (especially if they are a bright St. Patrick’s-day green!) Green Roses Occasions Green roses are appropriate for any spiritual occasion, like a baptism or confirmation. As a symbol of peace, they also make an appropriate funeral flower. Because they are symbol of fertility, they would also be a good choice for new parents. Pale green and white roses together would make an especially striking and appropriate combination for such an event. Blue Rose Meaning True blue roses are not found in nature. Natural roses that are considered â€Å"blue† are actually a blue-toned purple. However, blue roses can also be obtained by dying white roses. Because they can’t be obtained naturally, blue roses symbolize the unattainable and the mysterious. Blue Roses Occasions Blue roses are not associated with many occasions, likely because they aren’t found in nature and must be artificially colors. However, with their enigmatic message,they could be used to send a message from a secret admirer. Black Rose Meaning Black roses are another color that is not found in nature. Natural roses that are called â€Å"black† are actually a very dark red or purple color. True black roses can only be obtained through dyeing. Black roses symbolize death, rebirth, and goodbye. Black Roses Meaning Black roses may be an appropriate funeral flower. However, they can come across as very gothic and morbid, so they may be somewhat of a risky choice unless you were close to the deceased and are confident they (and their surviving family members) would appreciate black roses. The Number of Roses - Meaning The number of roses gifted can also have symbolic meaning. However, the message is almost always some variant of â€Å"I love you.† Here’s a chart with the breakdown: Number of Roses Meaning One Devotion, love at first sight Two Mutual love Three â€Å"I love you† Six â€Å"I want to be yours,† infatuation Nine Eternal love Ten You are perfect Twelve (one dozen) Be mine Thirteen A secret admirer, or forever friendship Fifteen â€Å"I’m sorry,† â€Å"Please forgive me† Twenty Sincerity Twenty-one I’m committed to you Twenty-four (two dozen) â€Å"I’m yours,† â€Å"I’m thinking of you every hour of the day† Twenty-five Congratulations Thirty-six (three dozen) Remembering romantic moments Forty Genuine love Fifty Unconditional love 100 Complete devotion 108 Will you marry me? 365 I love you every day (of the year) 999 Eternal and infinite love (and an infinite bank account, probably!) Thus, almost all numbers of roses mean some version of â€Å"I love you,† â€Å"I’m devoted to you,† etc. Number, then, is overall less significant than color. Rose Color and Cost While color can (and does) play into the price of roses, it’s far from the most important factor. Rose cost is also affected by quality of the rose, time of year, and the labor involved in crafting the bouquet. Only after all this has been accounted for does color really come into play. Rose Quality It goes without saying that the higher the rose is in quality, the more expensive it will be per stem. Long-stemmed roses with hearty, full blooms cost more than their shorter-stemmed, less lush counterparts. The type of rose is another factor here. For example, garden roses, which are quite popular for weddings, tend to be far more expensive than the more typical rose varieties you would find in the grocery store. Time of Year Time of year plays into the level of demand for roses, which plays into price. Roses are most expensive around Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, and June due to increased demand. June is a high-demand time because many weddings take place in June, and roses are a popular wedding flower. Graduations could also contribute to increased demand at this time. Labor The amount of labor that goes into maintaining and arranging your roses is also reflected in the price. Bulk retailers who can’t give you much personalization and may not take as much care with the transport and storage of their blooms won’t charge as much for a dozen roses! By contrast, a specialty florist that does careful custom arrangements will charge you more. Rose Color Color comes into play primarily because it’s harder to find cheap roses in unusual colors. Red, white, and pink roses will almost always be easy to find at from bulk retailers like Costco or even at grocery stores for a fairly cheap price. But because there’s less demand for purple or peach roses, you are more likely to have to go through a florist, which will mean you’ll almost certainly need to pay more. Any artificially colored roses (so, a bright blue or green) will also cost more, because of the labor associated with coloring the roses. Rose Symbolism: Final Takeaways Here are some key takeaways for each of the rose colors: Red: Passion, love, desire. For romantic occasions. White: Innocence, purity, spirituality, new beginnings. Best for spiritual events, weddings, and funerals. Yellow: Platonic friendship. To cheer or congratulate a close friend. Pink: Pink roses primarily mean admiration, elegance, innocence, and gratitude. Very versatile; can be used for almost any occasion where flowers are appropriate. Orange: Desire, fascination, passion. For romantic occasions. Peach: Sincerity, gratitude, sympathy. Send as a thank-you or to someone in mourning. Burgundy: Unconscious beauty. For romantic occasions. Purple: enchantment, love at first sight (lilac), royalty and admiration (deeper purple). For romantic occasions. Blue (not found in nature): The unattainable and mysterious. Perhaps for a secret admirer. Black (not found in nature): Death and rebirth. Perhaps for a funeral. Almost every rose number sends some message of love and devotion, so there is a lot more variation and significance in rose colorsymbolism. Rose cost is primarily driven by the quality of the roses, the time of year, and the labor involved in the arrangement. However, you will have a harder time finding cheaper arrangements for less common rose colors like purple, orange, and green. Additionally, any artificially colored roses will cost you more.