#ANNOTATING AN ARTICLE HOW TO#

Some of the most common include simile, metaphor, alliteration, and onomatopoeia browse the links on LitCharts to learn about many more. Also known as 'rhetorical devices,' 'figures of speech,' or 'elements of style,' these linguistic constructions are the building blocks of literature. LitCharts' dedicated page covers 130+ literary devices. The links in this section will familiarize you with the tools you need to start a close reading. Understanding how a text communicates will help you understand what it is communicating.

#ANNOTATING AN ARTICLE HOW TO#

Now that you know how to select a passage to analyze, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the textual qualities you should look for when reading. Whether you're approaching a poem, a novel, or a magazine article, details on the level of language (literary devices) and form (formal features) convey meaning. The opening section on passage selection suggests choosing 'thick paragraphs' filled with 'figurative language and rich details or description.' How to Approach a Close Reading This Prezi was created by an AP English teacher. The University of Guelph's guide to close reading contains a short section on how to 'Select a Passage.' The author suggests that you choose a brief passage. The page is divided into sections geared toward elementary, middle school, and early high school students. Reading Sage provides links to close reading passages you can use as is alternatively, you could also use them as models for selecting your own passages. This post from a former special education teacher describes six characteristics you might look for when selecting a close reading passage from a novel: beginnings, pivotal plot points, character changes, high-density passages, 'Q&A' passages, and 'aesthetic' passages. 'How to Choose the Perfect Passage for Close Reading' ( We Are Teachers) The resources below offer more tips and tricks for selecting passages, along with links to pre-selected passages you can print for use at home or in the classroom. When choosing a passage to close-read, you'll want to look for relatively short bits of text that are rich in detail. It provides some key questions to help you think like a New Critic. This webpage from a college writing course offers another brief explanation of close reading in relation to New Criticism. Poetry Foundation's entry on New Criticism is concise and accessible. If you'd like to read a short introduction to the school of thought that gave rise to close reading, this is the place to go. 'Glossary Entry on New Criticism' (Poetry Foundation) This hand-out from a college writing course defines close reading, suggests why we close-read, and offers tips for close reading successfully, including focusing on language, audience, and scope. In this article by an Ed.D., you'll learn what close reading 'really means' in the classroom today-a meaning that has shifted significantly from its original place in 20th century literary criticism. 'What Close Reading Actually Means' ( TeachThought) This article provides a condensed discussion of what close reading is, how it works, and how it is different from other ways of reading a literary text. You can also click the links on this page to learn more about the literary critics who pioneered the method. Wikipedia's relatively short introduction to close reading contains sections on background, examples, and how to teach close reading. Use the links below to learn more about close reading's place in literary history and in the classroom.

When you close-read, you'll return to a short passage several times in order to note as many details about its form and content as possible. You might compare close reading to wringing out a wet towel, in which you twist the material repeatedly until you have extracted as much liquid as possible. We've included a section with resources for teachers, along with a final section with further reading for advanced students. In this guide, you'll learn more about what close reading entails and find strategies for producing precise, creative close readings. Perhaps most importantly, close reading can help you develop and support an essay argument. It also requires you to put aside your affective (that is, personal and emotional) response to the text, focusing instead on objective study. Why close-read a text? Doing so will increase your understanding of how a piece of writing works, as well as what it means. Popularized in the mid-twentieth century, this way of reading allows you to interpret a text without outside information such as historical context, author biography, philosophy, or political ideology. Close reading engages with the formal properties of a text-its literary devices, language, structure, and style.

Annotating an article