How to write an analytical paragraph P.E.E. How to write an analytical paragraph

Point Evidence Explanation Analytical Paragraph Write an analytical paragraph in 3 easy steps. Just remember to P.E.E.! P.E.E. stands for: Point Evidence Explanation

Step 1- Point What is the topic of the paragraph? The first sentence must make it clear what the paragraph will be about. For example: At the beginning of “A Christmas Carole,” Scrooge is a nasty and uncaring man.

Step 2- Evidence What words or phrases or events prove or illustrate your point? The next sentence should give evidence from the text. It must relate directly to your point! For example: Charles Dickens describes him as “hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire”(2).

Step 3- Explanation What does the author want the reader to think or feel by using those words? Explain how the evidence illustrates or proves your point. For example: This gives the impression that Scrooge is more like stone or metal than a human being. Dickens uses the simile to point out to the reader how uncaring and mean Scrooge is. It also shows that he is not a warm or generous man and one expects that he will be the villain of the story.

The Whole Paragraph Reads Point Evidence The Whole Paragraph Reads At the beginning of “A Christmas Carole,” Scrooge is a nasty and uncaring man. Charles Dickens describes him as “hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire”(2). This gives the impression that Scrooge is more like stone or metal than a human being. Dickens uses the simile to point out to the reader how uncaring and mean Scrooge is. It also shows that he is not a warm or generous man and one expects that he will be the villain of the story. Explanation

Poetry Example We can do the same kind of analysis with poetry. Let’s go back and take another look at one of our poems, “Fog” by Carl Sandburg.

“Fog” by Carl Sandburg The fog comes On little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city On silent haunches And then moves on. What type of analysis would we like to make? What is the dominant poetic device used in the this poem?

What is our point? This sentence must make clear what the paragraph will be about.

Point In his poem “Fog”, Carl Sandburg uses a metaphor to compare fog to a cat. Or

Evidence What words or phrases in the poem prove your point? Directly quote those words.

Evidence Sandburg tells us that “fog comes on little cat feet” and “sits….on silent haunches and then moves on”.

Explanation What does the author want us to see or think? How do these quotes prove our point?

Explanation This comparison gives us the impression that fog moves like a cautious animal. The metaphor helps us understand the silent and unpredictable way in which fog arrives, much like the way a cat enters a room without being noticed. As Sandburg describes fog sitting “looking over harbor and city on silent haunches”, we imagine it like a cat we suddenly spy peering out from a hidden window.

The paragraph In his poem “Fog”, Carl Sandburg uses a metaphor to compare fog to a cat. Sandburg tells us that “fog comes on little cat feet” and “sits….on silent haunches and then moves on”. This comparison gives us the impression that fog moves like a cautious animal. The metaphor helps us understand the silent and unpredictable way in which fog arrives, much like the way a cat enters a room without being noticed. As Sandburg describes fog sitting “looking over harbor and city on silent haunches”, we imagine it like a cat we suddenly spy peering out from a hidden window.

Your Turn! Each of your table groups will be assigned a poem we have already read together. Decide what point you would like to make about the poem (comment on any poetic device) and write a P.E.E. paragraph. Email the paragraph to shullj@ismanila.org

Sylvia, Gabriel, Rhea, Estif In his poem ‘Winter Trees’, William Carlos Williams uses imagery to describe his perspective on winter trees. William Carlos Williams clarifies the things he sees using imagery and describing them in his perspective, such as, “Thus having prepared the buds against a sure winter.” In this line, Williams describes how the leafless trees prepare their buds beforehand against the cold winter. His form of imagery shows us that the trees have not sprouted leaves for the coming winter. He uses personification as well, such as, “…the wise trees stand sleeping in the cold” Williams’ line describes that the hemlock trees would appear as old, and wise because they have not sprouted leaves.

Daniel, Jinny, Junior, Mai In Langston Hughes’ poem ‘Mother to Son’ he uses metaphor to compare life to a staircase. Hughes tells us that “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” and “And places with no carpet on the floor--”. This comparison gives us the impression that life is like a hard and rough staircase. This metaphor helps us to understand the life of African Americans in the 1940s like having to walk up a staircase of bareness and tacks in it, getting splitters. As Hughes describes “And reachin’ landin's” and “Where there ain’t been no light”, we imagine a life living in like a haunted abandoned house, especially to African Americans like Langston Hughes has written in this poem.

Erin, Alvin, Priyanka Dust of snow, written by Robert Frost is a simple yet meaningful poem, which uses imagery to really help us imagine what it would be like in his situation. “The way a crow, shook down on me, the dust of snow, from a hemlock tree”, is a non-complex phrase that appeals to our sight and hearing senses. The readers are now able to see the scenario and hear the dust of snow gently falling from the tree as we hear the swooping of a crow passing by.  

Anto, Amanda, Alex, Rahul The poem Valentine for Ernest Man by Naomi Shinab Nye, uses metaphor to convey the message that beauty hides in least expected places, waiting for someone to find it. In the poem, a man gives two skunks to his wife for valentine as he though their eyes were beautiful, and she starts to cry. Naomi tells us that “ …And the poems that had been hiding in the eyes of the sunk for centuries crawled out and curled up at his feet”. This means that the way the world sees things is not unchangeable, even simple things that we find “ugly” have inner beauty that we wouldn’t notice at first. We shouldn’t live thinking that there is only one right answer. The skunks are portrayed as poems and other things in the world that has been labeled as unwanted hasn’t had a chance to prove themselves until one person gives them it.

Sam, Sienna, Abeera In Billy Collin’s poem, “Introduction to Poetry” he tries to change how people perceive poetry using imagery and personification. He compares how he thinks poetry should be read to what people nowadays want out of poetry. For example in his poem it states “or walk inside a poems room and feel the walls for the light switch”, this shows that he wants people to take the time to find out what they think the poem means. When he says he wants us to “feel the walls for the light switch” he wants us to look at the poem and figure it out before we jump to conclusions. The imagery he uses helps us visualize what we should do, and turn it into something we can use when reading poetry. In his poem he tells us “But all they want to do is tie they poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it.” This shows us that he thinks people read poetry just to find the meaning and not because they enjoy it. He uses personification to help the people reading the poem relate to it, to give them a better understanding. The comparison of how he wants us to read poetry and how he thinks we read it helps us understand how we should take our time to understand the different meanings. Poems don’t have to have one meaning, they can have a different one for each person as long as we take our time to appreciate them.

Lukas, Jiwon, Serena In his poem “Introduction to Poetry”, Billy Collins uses an extended metaphor and imagery  to help us understand that poems are things to be listened to and it is different to everybody. Collins says “ feel the walls for a light switch,” and “hold it up to the light like a color slide.” This portrays how he wants students and others alike to view poems. He also uses personification to show how the students are using poetry, such as stated towards the end; “But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it.” He wants them to “waterski across the surface of a poem waving at the authors name on the shore.”

Misaki, Ren, Paulina In this poem “Mother to son” Langston Hughes uses metaphor to compare human life to a staircase. Langston Hughes tells us that “Life for me ain’t no crystal stair” and also “I’se still climbin’”. This comparison gives us an impression that human life is like climbing up the staircase, step by step. Metaphor helps us understand that the life for African/Americans in the early 1900s were very difficult and  had to build up their life. Langston Hughes explains how life was in his time was with splinters and tacks in it and no carpet on the floor

Caele, Carlos, Adam, Lucia In the poem “Winter Trees”, William Carlos Williams uses imagery to help us readers embrace the beauty of the winter evening. In the middle of the poem, Williams says “A liquid moon moves gently among the long branches.” and “The wise trees stand sleeping in the cold.” This gives us a clear image of the mood, the quietness in the winter ambiance of the night. This helps us picture what it is like to be in the night of winter season with the description of the setting. It gives us a short explanation so that we can interpret it out own way.

Jen, and group In “Dust of Snow”, Robert Frost shares his opinion of how small things can change a person’s perspective. His words, “… has given my heart a change of mood,” and, “…saved some part of a day I had rued,” clearly states his opinion. This can also be traced to a real life situation where you come home fatigued from work or school and your dog is there by your door desperately trying to cheer you up and make you feel better. Your feeling of fatigue quickly disappears as you and your dog have fun together.

Yumi, Lou, Malaika, In Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son”, he uses a metaphor throughout the poem to compare a rundown staircase to life. Hughes states, ‘Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it… And boards torn off’’. This is helping the reader understand that life is hard and there will be many obstacles. Further on in the poem, he states ‘So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps ‘cause you find it’s kinder hard…For I’se still goin’ honey, I’se still climbin’’. The narrator in this poem is explaining to us that, yes, life is hard and will not be an easy situation sometimes, but you should not give up hope.

Raj and group The skunk is a symbol of beauty and love. I thought they had such beautiful eyes. This shows us unlike other people the poet is able to find beauty in an animal like a skunk, which is universally know as a non pleasant animal. This shows that unpredictable things can be found in unexpected objects, animals, and people. Everything may have a hidden meaning and symbol, that may take a while to find, and some people might be unsuccessful at finding it. He also explains that you have to look deep into something, to further understand it. It takes a while to find the final answer/meaning, but there will always be one.