Compose five body paragraphs each of which contains a topic sentence, separate sentences of detail, and separate sentences of elaboration. Focus on objects and their symbolic meanings, not on characters and their actions. Avoid assertions of sequence. Quote accurately and blend quotations into sentences of your own.

Compose the conclusion

Sum up (don’t summarize). What do the many details (15 or so) add up to?

What’s the big news? What should every reader take away from “Sonny’s Blues”? About five sentences, not a paragraph

Compose the introduction

Specify the subject of the essay: “Sonny’s Blues”

Specify the approach of the essay: analysis of symbols in several settings