ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the different “forms” of paragraphs (funnel, pyramid, hexagon, hourglass), the five parts of the structure of a paragraph (statement of the idea, explanation, argumentation, commentary, connection to the next idea), and the three main qualities of a good paragraph (unity, coherence, relief or hierarchy of contents). Here is an example of the structure of a paragraph: (1) statement of the idea: “The symbolist theme of the Bohemian ideal is present in this poem.” (2) Explanation: “By the Bohemian ideal, we mean a life without rules and without care for tomorrow.” (3) Argumentation: “This theme is found in the following verse: ‘Like all nights, I slept under the stars.’” (4) Commentary: “Furthermore, this theme is also found in poems by the same author, with titles such as ‘Why worry about tomorrow?,’ ‘La Dolce Vita,’ ‘With the gypsies,’ etc.” (5) Connection to the next idea: “The Bohemian ideal is often linked to travel. But another typically symbolist theme is that of the North and the Orient.”
