Approaching Literary Criticism

Commentary A literary analysis, which is essentially a close study of the elements that contribute to the success, or otherwise, of a work of literature.  Assessing the quality of a piece of writing  Examining how it has been written  Deciding on the effects created by writer’s choice

Commentary As well as understanding the connotations of words, you need to examine structure, imagery, diction and a wide range of literary devices. You need to:  Understand the text  Be able to identify and comment on the literary and/or rhetorical features of the text  Be able to organize your findings into a coherent speech or piece of writing

Close Reading The art of reading very carefully, paying great attention to details of language, in order to understand what the author is trying to convey Some skills involved are as follows:  To read and make sense of a text so that you can recognize important features quickly  To apply your own literary insights rather than depend of what you have been read or taught  To understand how writers use language to create different effects according to audience and purpose  To organize your ideas into a coherent and persuasive commentary

The Art of Annotation  Marking and highlighting a text is like having a conversation with a book; it allows you to ask questions, comment on meaning, and mark events and passages you want to revisit. Annotating is a permanent record of your intellectual conversation with the text.  Annotating will enable you to discuss the novel with more support, evidence, and proof.  Ideas of key importance should be underlined or highlighted, which will stand out from the page and allow you to scan quickly for information. Don't mark everything; if you do, nothing will stand out!  Obviously, you should not mark in a book that is not your own. Use Post-It Notes for your annotations in borrowed books.

Where to begin… S O A P S T o n e peaker ccasion udience urpose ubject

The Art of Annotation Types of Passages to Mark/Underline  Important Plot Elements  Key Ideas  Questions  Unfamiliar words How to Mark a Text  Brackets  Asterisks  Marginal Notes

The Art of Annotation Types of Passages to Highlight or Note  Themes  Character Development  Literary Devices  Symbols  Figurative Language

How to Highlight a Text

Evidence is Key! Three stages of literary comment: 1. State the point you wish to make 2. Follow this with a quotation, properly punctuated 3. Analyze the quotation in detail, commenting on individual words or phrases and explaining how and why they are used and to what effect

Structure is important! While structure can vary, commentaries should include:  Intro  Body  Conclusion

Structure is important! Or in cases of a short, paragraph response:  Main Idea  Evidence  Analysis of Evidence  Link

Structure is important! Of course, variations often occur:ME AE EAAL

Formal Writing Standards  Avoid slang, dialect and abbreviations  Avoid overusing “passive voice”  Numbers up to 100 are usually written in letters  Vocabulary and Syntax should be varied and sophisticated  Avoid overusing first person pronouns - “I”  Never use second person pronouns - “you”  Write in the present tense  Be consistent

Some final suggestions…  Think carefully about the vocabulary you use. Choose the most appropriate word, not the one that springs immediately to mind. Do not keep repeating the same word in an essay  Try out different lengths of sentences  Remember that each paragraph should deal with only one topic and that a paragraph needs to be linked to the one preceding it  Always aim for clarity. Don’t get so caught up in trying to sound smart that you forget that your audience has to be able to understand you. Sophistication does not mean impenetrability