1. Commentary on unseen passage PROSE

2. Unlike the poem option, the prose passage is an excerpt from a larger work. This will affect your analysis. You might want to speculate (acknowledging that it’s merely speculation) about what the passage suggests about the larger work. Pay attention to the title of the work from which the passage has been selected Look also at the date, the author, and, if provided, where in the complete text the passage comes from.

3. Annotate (mark up) the passage just as you would a poem: look at: Verbs Shifts Patterns in diction & imagery (if it helps you to think of a prose passage as a poem, go ahead – it may open up more possibilities), but be sure to refer to it as a passage, not a poem

4. Literary devices and features of prose Character (appearance, speech, actions, thoughts, development, inner conflict, epiphany, foil, etc.) Setting (era, time of year, time of day, duration, place, environment, atmosphere, mood, etc.) Point of view (1 st person, 3 rd person limited, 3 rd person omniscient, 3 rd person objective, etc.) Plot (exposition, conflict, suspense, turning points, resolution, etc.) Style (diction, syntax, pacing, dialogue, repetition, etc.)

5. In general Mention author, text title in intro Thesis statement (what the theme of the passage is or what the main purpose of the passage is) Body paragraphs that develop ideas that support your thesis Specific textual evidence (quotations or words or phrases from the passage, interwoven smoothly into your own writing) Persuasive explanation of the effect of the evidence - don’t assume the reader will see the connection Smooth transitions between paragraphs Conclude, not be simply restating the thesis, but give a strong, thoughtful closing remark