Recap the main arguments or examples in the literary essay. Keep this section of the conclusion brief. The reading audience will remember the gist of the literary essay and will not need a full recap. Focus on only one or two major arteries in the essay. For example:
"Smith's final work illustrates the major autobiographical slant his writing took in his last years."
Open up the discussion for a continued dissection of the literature. For example, you may include a viewpoint from a major secondary source on the topic. Such an approach gives perspective to your own writing on the literature and opens up possibilities for future research.
Expand your literary essay to the wider field of literature. Connect the author or piece you are analyzing to the wider literary field the author wrote in. For example, if you are writing about Charles Dickens, contextualize his works in the wider journalistic field of late 19th century in Britain.
Conclude the final paragraph with a reflection on the implications of studying the given literary topic. Perhaps through analyzing a work in a fresh manner, the author's works will have to be analyzed anew. Use your own words in this concluding sentence rather than a quotation.