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Literature Research and Passion Project Ideas for High School Students

5 minute read

Are you the type of person who is fascinated by literary texts? If you absorb yourself into different writings to gain a better understanding of that time period, or if you enjoy researching things to find new information to share with the world, you’re well on your way to becoming a literary scholar!

Consider taking your love for literature to the next level by using your passion to create something tangible!

10 Creative Project Ideas for Literature

1. Art interpreting art: where one medium meets another

They say that there is a relationship between all things creative. What is the connection between music and literature? Explore the concept behind the combination of these two different art forms and how they go hand in hand.  

Idea by English and literature mentor R.J.

2. Who's the real hero of the Odyssey?

For this project, you will start by reading Homer's Odyssey before taking a deeper dive into your findings of that specific time period. Compare the definition of what a “hero” is today versus what a “hero” was in the eyes of the Ancient Greeks. Re-evaluate the gods within the story and decide for yourself who the actual hero is! 

Idea by English and literature mentor Sydnie

3. At the crossroads of literature and anthropology

Visit a museum and choose any collection that stands out to you the most! Once chosen, research the history behind the collection. When was the time period? What is the story behind the collection? Who was involved? You can add your research to the museum’s archives, write a paper, or whatever else you’d like to do using your findings! 

Idea by English and literature mentor Will

4. Literature, violence, trauma    

Create your own literature course that revolves around a major historical event. The course will allow you to take a deeper dive into a mass shooting, a war, 9/11, or whatever event you would like to choose. 

Idea by English and literature mentor Anne-Marie

Explore the Fine Arts through research

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion: literature, drama, film making, theatre, writing, poetry. Together, you create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!

5. Literary magazine concept design

Are you a fan of literary magazines? If so, why not create one yourself?! To begin, gain a deeper understanding of the foundation needed to create your magazine by analyzing others! Do some digging and take note of the funding required, writings found within the overall design, and other important aspects revolving around magazine creation. Once you have a better understanding of how the process works, get to work on your own. 

Idea by English and literature mentor Margarita 

6. What is "Asian American" literature?

Does Asian American literature need to revolve around Asian American characters? Does the piece actually need to be written by an Asian American author? The question at hand is, what distinguishes “Asian American” literature from literature? Read through writings that are categorized as Asian American literature to gain an understanding of what they all have in common. Write a research paper on your findings. 

Idea by English and literature mentor Jennifer

7. Women in the Hebrew Bible

Choose a few stories from the Hebrew Bible that revolve around women. Analyze these stories to determine the type of women portrayed in each. For example, did the women at hand value being mothers?, cheat on their husbands?, save the day?, receive neglect? Using your findings, describe what the Hebrew Bible tells us about a woman’s place in these times. How does that compare to today?

Idea by English and literature mentor Danielle

8. Literary analysis

Analyze a text of your choice! Slowly work your way through the text to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning, characters, setting, etc. The goal of this project is to write an analytical essay to submit to essay contests, academic journals, and more! 

Idea by English and literature mentor Caitlin 

9. What difference does translation make?

Is literary translation still valuable today? Because we live in a time of instant translation, it could seem irrelevant but let’s put this to the test! Choose a text that you would like to analyze and compare both instant and published translations. Compare the two to determine if the human interpretation takes the lead! 

Idea by English and literature mentor Hector 

10. The ins and outs of literary analysis

Analyze an author of your choice in order to create your own analytical piece. While reading through your author’s work, take note of themes, narrative style, and more in order to depict both similarities and differences within their work. This project will leave you with a thorough understanding of how a literary scholar thinks! 

Idea by English and literature mentor Jin 

Partner With Polygence on Your Literature Passion Project

If any of these projects in literature pique your interest, or you have an idea on which topic you’d like to explore further, sign up with Polygence to get matched with a mentor and start working on your project!

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Literature Projects Completed by Polygence Students

Literature Scholar Project Portfolios

Literature Research Resources for High School Students

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