Meaning of "literary essays" ?

Hi~ what do you think the meaning of " literary essays" in this context is?

An essay after reading a novel OR a report after reading any book OR something else?

Thanks for your comments~!

The same student ownership that pervades the classroom and allows students to formulate PBAT research questions guides the sustained work they put into the PBATs themselves. These analytical research papers, science
experiments, literary essays, math applications, and the optional, additional assessments demand much more complex and sustained work than does a high-stakes test. They are student-focused and require students
to revise, reorganize, reconsider, extend, or modify their work.