Writing assistance
"No sooner do we come into this world than bits of us start to drop off." -- Gustave Flaubert
Writing a Conclusion
That's Worth the Wait
Your conclusion is the place where your reader has final contact with you. It is the taste that remains in the reader's mouth, so to speak. Bad analogy. Okay, it is the final impression that the reader gets of your essay. The last breath they breathe along with you. The end of the journey. The reason they came along. As such, you will want to be sure that you leave a strong impression. Try to avoid merely reiterating the introduction in your conclusion. The reader has already been there. Instead, aim higher. Offer closing reflections that:
- provide a sense of closure for your essay by reinforcing your structure and sharpening your focus in a new way.
- leave the reader with some memorable food for thought--perhaps a parting insight, quotation, or illustration.
As you work toward creating a powerful, interesting, creative conclusion, check out ways in which other writers conclude their work. Look at the conclusions of essays you've read. Do these conclusions leave you, the reader, with a particularly keen sense of "Wow — I'm glad I read this article/essay!?" If so, it's probably a powerful conclusion.