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    How To Write An English Commentary

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    Nikunj Merchant
    This document provides guidance on how to write an effective commentary or analysis of a poem or passage. It outlines a 4 step process: 1) Carefully read the text 3 times, 2) Identify the context and purpose of the excerpt, 3) Analyze key elements like tone, structure and themes through close reading, 4) Select relevant evidence to support the dominant theme or effect as your thesis in the commentary. The commentary should relate all analysis back to the overall effect on the reader.

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    How To Write An English Commentary

    Uploaded by

    Nikunj Merchant
    42K views1 page
    This document provides guidance on how to write an effective commentary or analysis of a poem or passage. It outlines a 4 step process: 1) Carefully read the text 3 times, 2) Identify the context and purpose of the excerpt, 3) Analyze key elements like tone, structure and themes through close reading, 4) Select relevant evidence to support the dominant theme or effect as your thesis in the commentary. The commentary should relate all analysis back to the overall effect on the reader.

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    How to write an english commentary

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    This document provides guidance on how to write an effective commentary or analysis of a poem or passage. It outlines a 4 step process: 1) Carefully read the text 3 times, 2) Identify the context and purpose of the excerpt, 3) Analyze key elements like tone, structure and themes through close reading, 4) Select relevant evidence to support the dominant theme or effect as your thesis in the commentary. The commentary should relate all analysis back to the overall effect on the reader.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    42K views1 page

    How To Write An English Commentary

    Uploaded by

    Nikunj Merchant
    This document provides guidance on how to write an effective commentary or analysis of a poem or passage. It outlines a 4 step process: 1) Carefully read the text 3 times, 2) Identify the context and purpose of the excerpt, 3) Analyze key elements like tone, structure and themes through close reading, 4) Select relevant evidence to support the dominant theme or effect as your thesis in the commentary. The commentary should relate all analysis back to the overall effect on the reader.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    Ie c

    THE COMlVIENTARY
    , .

    Preliminary to the commentary

    Step 1. Read the poem/passage carefully three times:


    *silently, for first impression of total effect
    *aloud, noting shifts of pattern, thought, voice, tone, and flow
    *again, to reinforce or adjust first impression

    Step 2. Usually for prose (likely to be part of a longer work), and


    sometimes for a piece of a longer poem
    f *Tryto identifythe nature of the whole:whatkind of a prose
    work?
    Fiction? Non-fiction? Type, purpose, audience?
    *Try to assess the function of THIS part: what is this excerpt
    doing on its own? In the whole?
    (In the Exam or Oral, ask yourself why the teacher/examiner
    chose it.)

    Step 3. Go through your CLOSE READ'ING questions:


    WHO is speaking?
    TO WHOM?
    WHAT? (situation) WHY? (purpose)
    WHERE? WHEN? (setting)
    HOW? (tone, style)
    PATTERNS? (stmcture, form)
    TENSION? (conflicts, contrasts, ironies)
    SO WHAT? (dominant effect)

    Composin2 the commentary

    Step 4. Look again at "SO WHAT?" and taking this dominant effect
    as your thesis, select relevant details of evidence to support your argument and to
    include in your commentary. Be sure to include no detail without relating it to its
    specific effect and place ih the whole.
    f
    NOTE, however, that if several details observed in Step 3 do
    NO'IIsupport your idea you need to think again and explore
    further. Don't force a point of view.

    Organize your commentary in any way that suits your argument, but let
    the passage or poem guide you to the shaping of your commentary. There
    is no formula.
    11 I

    . .

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