How to Get Literary Topics for Research Papers

Selecting a topic for your literature research paper is not an easy job. In fact, many people will agree that it is harder to settle on one topic than to write a paper on a given topic. Since the possibilities and choices are endless, it takes some soul and mind searching to reach a decision. A good starting point is the assignment you have been give. Some assignments give specific instructions regarding the topic, somewhat narrowing the field. If your assignment gives you complete freedom of choice regarding your research paper topic, you can explore the following possibilities. Keep in mind that your best bet is the topic you are enthusiastic about. Your interest and attention will shine through your paper when you have written about something you actually care about.

• You can write your analysis of a novel, play, or poetry.
• You can write the biographical story of an author.
• You can explore an era of literature and its influence on writers.
• You can dig out the story of a great yet obscure author and write a discussion on the factors that prevented him or her from achieving recognition.

You can divide you literature course into categories and themes to filter out the areas that are of no interest to you. This is a method of exclusion. You will find it easier to select a topic once you have trimmed the field.

• Literary Genres. You can pick up a genre and research its historical development.
• Literature of a particular era.
• Cultural heritage in literature.
• Literature of a country or region.
• Patterns found in the works of an author, a genre, a region, or an era.
• Development of an author’s work over time.
• Biographical study of an author.
• Symbolism in literature.
• Debates and issues, such as a discussion about whether classics should be rewritten in contemporary style.
• Poetry.
• Play.
• Study a character in a literary work.
• Comparisons.
• A “What if” topic. For example, what would Shakespeare think of a contemporary play?
• Comparison of devices used by the authors of the same era.
• Comparison of works of two authors that have written on similar themes, and how their personal philosophy informed the development of their novels/plays.

These tips and suggestions are aimed at making the process of finding and selecting a topic easier for you. You can search the Internet for examples of topics and research papers. If writing remains a challenge for you, you can get help from an online agency to guide you through the process, or to write the paper for you.