Four Model Introductions:
Effective Ways to Begin a Scholarly Paper
Many writers experience difficulty when creating an introduction for their research papers and essays. Caught up with the ideas that will be expressed in the paper’s body, many tend to give an introduction little to no attention.
THISISAMAJORMISTAKE!!!
An introduction is meant to catch a reader’s attention, to make them actually want to continue reading. A terrible introduction for a paper is like a terrible first impression when meeting a new person. You never get a second chance to make a first impression; make sure you set the bar high when you introduce your paper for the first time.
Start with a Quotation
Mahatma Gandhi once said that “it has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow beings.” While his words were meant as an attack against the imperial overlords that dominated the Indian subcontinent, they speak a great truth about the nature of humanity. Why is it that we, as a people, must destroy others to bring ourselves honor and distinction? Rather than standing on the shoulders of giants we prefer to cut them down like the noble Achilles from his weakened heel. Even the most respected among us, authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, cannot escape this grim reality. At the height of his literary genius this great man was struck a mortal blow. In the quest for influence some have smeared his legacy by promoting the idiotic notion that he met his maker through the instrumentality of the fiend intemperance, that he drank himself to death. Others claim he was the unfortunate victim of political machinations, that he died as an unwitting casualty of cooping. While many theories have been floated about the untimely death of Edgar Allan Poe, only one holds water; the great author was brought to his knees not from a bottle or political thugs but from an undiagnosed case of rabies.
Start with a Question
What killed Edgar Allan Poe? Did he perish in the throes of an opium and liquor-fueled downward spiral? Was he the victim of political corruption, an unwitting dupe in the hands of thugs with a singular goal, the rigging of an election? Did he succumb to the delirium and insanity derived from the bite of an unknown animal assailant? While the life of Edgar Allan Poe has been celebrated and studied from eager eyes over generations, one aspect of the life of this great man eludes even the most brilliant among us, his death. Though many theories, rumors, and bald-faced lies have circulated over the years, only one rings true. The great author was brought to his knees not from a bottle or political thugs but from an undiagnosed case of rabies.
Reword the Main Question/Thesis Statement
The life and literary works of Edgar Allan Poe have captivated readers and scholars for generations. The twisted and macabre worlds created through his brilliant words captured the imagination of millions, especially those who enjoy an unsettling and twisted glimpse into the domain of nightmares. Though the mysteries he evoked in his great works were infectiously intriguing, his mysterious death remains a grand enigma, one that is yet to be solved. To gain fame and recognition, some chose to decimate his memory by promoting the audacious idea that he drank himself to death and died in a self-inflicted stupor. Others have argued that he was the unfortunate victim of cooping, a
strategy employed by thugs to rig elections. Though many theories have been proposed over the century-and-a-half since his last breath, only one speaks truth; Edgar Allan Poe met his maker not from a bottle or from political schemes gone wrong but from an undiagnosed case of rabies.
Tell a Story/Narrative *
The frigid temperatures pierce my frame as I push my way through the haughty Baltimore crowds; I know that I must serve my civic duty on this day, Election Day. Having cast my vote I am all too aware of the dangers that surround me. Thugs have been known to abduct the unwary; those villainous coopers will not be manipulating me in their audacious political machinations this year. In my haste to vacate this seedy city, I am nearly struck by an inattentive carriage driver. Stumbling hand over foot to the side of the lane, I find myself staring into the eyes of a familiar, yet disturbingly distraught face. This cannot be! The man, the legend, Edgar Allan Poe! Is this him? Can it be? Why is he dressed like a homeless vagabond? Why is he babbling like an incoherent idiot? Those eyes, that face, there is no mistaking him; what has happened to this literary legend? Something is amiss; something is terribly, terribly wrong. While Edgar Allan Poe succumbed to his mysterious malady shortly after his discovery, the cause of his untimely demise eludes even the most educated among us. Though some attribute his death to the hand of political villainy or to his infamous love of the bottle, both are mere fabrications of the masses. In truth, Poe was likely the victim of a far more malicious malady; he likely perished from an undiagnosed case of rabies.
* Tell a Story/Narrative introductions require a transition statement in order to prove effective