1. Is it focused?
That is, does it go into detail on a clearly-defined question or topic? Or does it conduct a general and thus rather superficial discussion? (Example: An essay that focuses on how Eve's character is revealed in a particular speech is going to be better-focused than an essay on "Eve's character" (not to mention one on "Milton's view of women").

2. Is it well-written?
A) Is the essay free of errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage?
B) Are the paragraphs focused and fully developed? That is, does each paragraph cover one main idea, and cover it thoroughly?
C) Does the essay's organization make sense either logically or aesthetically? Is it easy for the reader to follow?
D) Does the argument flow and cohere? That is, do strong transitions carry the reader from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph?

3. Is it well-argued?
A) Does the essay have a thesis? Is it clearly stated at some point?
B) Are all factual assertions (about the author, the text, and cultural contexts) accurate? (Be especially careful to avoid sweeping generalizations, which are rarely accurate.)
C) Are all quotations accurately transcribed?
D) Does the writer defend his or her conclusions simply by quoting the text as evidence, or are quotations subjected to analysis that demonstrates how he or she reached those conclusions?
E) Are all quotations, paraphrases and summaries of others' work fully and accurately documented?

4. Does it do well one of the jobs literary criticism is designed to perform?
That is, does it help the reader to understand or better appreciate the work discussed? Does it uncover a hidden weakness in the work? Does it reveal or help to explain the work's strengths? Does it provide a fresh perspective on the author's goals or methods? Does it explore the significance or meaning of a work for a particular audience?  Most importantly of all, does it discuss the literary work as such, considering how the writer has handled a particular subject or theme (e.g., an essay on how the language of Shakespeare's sonnet 87 captures the bitterness of an abandoned lover) rather than simply discussing the subject or theme itself (e.g., an essay on the bitterness one feels when one is abandoned by one's love)? A paper that uses the literary work only as an illustration to support an argument about the work's subject-matter is not literary analysis.