Like most nonfiction, providing information is one of the chief objectives of the literary essay, so writing in a voice of authority is critical. However, unlike many other nonfiction genres, you do not need to be an acknowledged expert in the subject to write a literary essay, although having expertise will certainly be a benefit.

Voice

While you must write with a voice of authority so the reader trusts that you possess the knowledge to instruct in the subject of your essay, this does not mean you need to write in a scholarly or formal voice. You're not lecturing but rather, you are having a conversation with the reader. In fact, your voice can be very personal and even friendly. If you have written in other genres and have found your voice, there is no reason you need to adopt a different tone when writing the literary essay.

The way to gain the reader's trust in you as an authority is by imparting information. As you have seen elsewhere, one of the best methods to reach this goal is to fill your essay with details and specific facts. Of course, you must do this without being boring and with graceful language, which is what makes for a literary essay.

Sense of Language

It goes without saying that everything you compose should be well written. This is particularly true when writing a literary essay. Attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation is important as well as word choice. For example, although both the article and the literary essay are meant to instruct, you must exhibit a greater sense of prose when writing a literary essay.

You should make use of language and your voice to establish the tone of the piece. A literary essay when read aloud is something beautiful to hear and it should not sound like a lecture given by a professor from a podium.