The Language of composition Chapter Two Close Reading: The Art and Craft of Analysis The Language of composition Reading, Writing, Rhetoric

Close Reading Goal is to develop an understanding of text Close reading is strategy Create meaning based first on the words, then on the larger ideas suggested When writing about a text, you start with larger ideas, then use examples from the language to support

Close Reading We do it subconsciously every day We are aware of interaction of subject, speaker, audience in conversation We analyze conversations We even consider style (body language, tone, expression, etc.)

Analyzing Style Consists of tone, sentence structure and vocabulary Style contributes to meaning, purpose and effect Examples of style questions based on Ground Zero text, p 37 Style falls into two categories: diction and syntax

Diction Diction: choice of words Trope: artful diction Examples: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole

Diction – Considerations Which important words are general/abstract vs. specific/concrete? Are the important words formal, informal, colloquial or slang? Are some words non literal, creating figures of speech?

Syntax Syntax: arrangement of words Scheme: artful syntax Examples: parallelisms, juxtapositions, antithesis

Syntax – Considerations What is the order of the parts of a sentence: normal or inverted? Which part of speech is most prominent? Are the sentences periodic or cumulative? How does the sentence connect its words, phrases and clauses? Which of the questions on p. 37 are about diction and which are about syntax??

Talking with the Text The point: generate your own questions Remember, not just identifying techniques, but analyzing their effect. Also, remember style is a subset of rhetoric so we’re analyzing it as a means of persuasion Therefore, determine the PURPOSE, what style choices are made, and what is their effect (towards the purpose)

Example on page 40 – Joan Didion Annotation Using a pen or pencil, on text or post-its Words you don’t know? Words that seem related? Thesis statements and topic sentences? Imagery? Allusions? Things that stand out – quotation marks, punctuation, certain sentences, facts Example on page 40 – Joan Didion

Dialectical Journal Double-entry notebook Visually represent the conversation between text nd reader See example, p. 42 Note Taking (text) vs. Note Making (commentary)

Graphic Organizer See example, p. 44 Copy something the writer has said Restate it in your own words Analyze how the writer makes the point (strategy or style element) Function or effect on the reader

Close Reading Assignment Assignment, p. 48 Complete a Dialectical Journal Entry for the passage by Ascham

Analyzing a Visual Text When we analyze a visual text, we look at both the words AND the visuals There are six basic aspects of a visual text that we look at Example: Video Clip

Analyzing a Visual Text Arrangement – “the organization of visual elements so that readers can see their structure” Emphasis – making certain parts more prominent than others by changing its size, shape and color. Clarity – helps the reader to “decode the message, to understand it quickly and completely” Conciseness – “generating designs that are appropriately succinct to a particular situation” Tone – tone reveals the designer’s attitude towards the subject matter Ethos – earning the trust of the person receiving the message.