What is a 'topic sentence' and how is it used in a paragraph?

• A. A sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph, guiding analysis and links to the question.
• B. A sentence that restates the question.
• C. A sentence that quotes the poem.
• D. A sentence that defines the author.

Answer: (A)

A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph and guides the analysis that follows. In a poetry analysis, it should preview the point you’re making about the poem—what you will argue, such as a particular effect, technique, or meaning the poem conveys—and set up the evidence you’ll discuss. Placed at the start of the paragraph, it helps the reader know what to expect and keeps your analysis focused on the prompt or question you’re answering. The rest of the paragraph then brings in quotations or references from the poem and explains how they support that claim, tying the analysis back to the topic sentence and to the overall argument of the essay. Restating the prompt by itself doesn’t present a claim to argue, quoting the poem is the evidence you’ll analyze, and defining the author isn’t about the paragraph’s argument about the poem. So the sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph and links to the question is the best fit. For example, you might open with: “The poem uses stark imagery to reveal the speaker’s uneasy attitude toward war and its consequences.”