Reading Responses: Close Reading

Close reading is the practice of carefully analyzing a passage, word by word, in order to draw implications from the text. Close reading means not only understanding the meaning of individual words, it also means familiarizing yourself with the nuances and connotations of language used by skilled writers. This includes vocabulary, sentence construction, imagery, themes, the way in which the story is told, and the world view offered in the text. 

Close reading – Checklist

• Grammar
  The relationships of the words in sentences
• Vocabulary
  The author’s choice of individual words
• Figures of speech
  The rhetorical devices used to give decoration and imaginative expression to literature, such as simile or metaphor
• Literary devices
  The devices commonly used in literature to give added depth to the work, such as imagery or symbolism
• Tone
  The author’s attitude to the subject as revealed in the manner of the writing
• Style
  The author’s particular choice and combination of all these features of writing which creates a recognizable and distinctive manner of writing

Annotation is the practice of marking your text as you read to guide you back to important passages in the text that you want to explore further in close reading. This may include underlining, and writing observation or questions notes in the margin. You will develop a system of annotation that works best for you as you become more familiar with this practice. When you look back over the text, you can find those passages that were important to you in the first reading, and by closer analysis, you can draw inferences about an element of the play as a whole. 

Reading Response Guidelines:

Early on, before each reading response due date, I will post some questions that may help you direct your close reading. However, you are equally invited to write about elements of the text that specifically interest you. As you become more experienced with writing reading responses and the practices of close reading, I will discontinue the question prompts and you will determine your content focus on your own. 

  

These responses are not meant to be fully fleshed-out interpretations of the texts.  However, this is not a reflection on your immediate aesthetic response. How the play affects you is important, but a close reading requires more analysis and position support. You should be quoting particular lines that you think are revealing as evidence for your points. 

Do not summarize plot. We are all reading these works; there is no point to telling us what happens. Instead, briefly identify some of the major issues, conflicts, ideas, or ideologies reflected in the passage.

Identify the context in which the passage appears and analyze its significance.Where exactly does the passage appear in the piece (in the beginning, after an important scene, at the end, etc.) and why is its placement important? Also, who is doing the speaking in the passage (or about whom is the passage) and why is that significant?

Analyze the implications of the language in the passage. Explore the subtler connotations of the words, allusions, expressions used. Consult the Oxford English Dictionary on words you are unfamiliar with. Remember that the meaning and connotations of words changes over time and it is important to understand what specific words meant to the author. What kinds of metaphors and other figures of speech does the passage employ? Is that passage similar to or different from others, if so, how? How does the style and words choice tie into larger issues in the play? 

Draw some comparisons and conclusions about the passage in relationship to the rest of the piece, or section of the play you were assigned for that day: how is it specifically related to other parts? What does it reveal about a character or an issue that you see earlier or later in the piece? Offer a brief example. Why is that particular passage (as compared to others) important?

Requirements: 

• 200-300 words of close reading interpretation.
• Three words and their definitions from the OED, along with any special connotations related to text time period.
• MLA format: 1-inch margins, double spaced. 

Header information in upper left hand corner:
Name 

Course and Section Number

Date (Example- 1 September 2011)