The Language of CompositionThe Language of CompositionChapter 2: Close Reading: Chapter 2: Close Reading:

The Art and Craft of AnalysisThe Art and Craft of Analysis

AP English AP English

Language and CompositionLanguage and Composition

Close ReadingClose Reading

Close Reading is the process of Close Reading is the process of analyzing a text at the analyzing a text at the dictiondiction level to level to develop a greater develop a greater understandingunderstanding. .

Deeper understanding is derived Deeper understanding is derived from the from the connotative meaningsconnotative meanings of of these words.these words.

Close Reading Close Reading

Writing about close reading reverses Writing about close reading reverses this process, starting with the deeper this process, starting with the deeper understanding and then supporting understanding and then supporting that understanding by addressing the that understanding by addressing the “smaller details,”“smaller details,” via the via the words usedwords used..

Close ReadingClose Reading

Close reading is an Close reading is an instinctive processinstinctive process that we undertake that we undertake daily.daily.

In a personal In a personal conversation, we conversation, we always ask ourselves: always ask ourselves: ““What’s his purpose?”What’s his purpose?” “ “What’s she after?”What’s she after?”

Close ReadingClose Reading

We take into We take into account the account the contextcontext of the of the situation.situation. Has anything Has anything

significant just significant just happened to happened to prompt the prompt the conversation? conversation?

Close ReadingClose Reading

We take into We take into account more account more subtle elements: subtle elements: Body language Body language Facial ExpressionsFacial Expressions Gestures Gestures Tone of VoiceTone of Voice

Close ReadingClose Reading

Close Reading Close Reading requires a return requires a return to the to the Rhetorical Rhetorical TriangleTriangle. .

These elements These elements help establish help establish Ethos, Logos, Ethos, Logos, and Pathos with and Pathos with the audience. the audience.

AudienceAudience

SpeakerSpeaker

SubjectSubject

EthosEthos LogosLogos

PathosPathos

Analysis of StyleAnalysis of Style

Understanding Understanding style provides style provides insight into the insight into the choiceschoices the the author makes at author makes at the the diction and diction and syntaxsyntax levels. levels.

Analysis of StyleAnalysis of Style

Style is the author’s use of Style is the author’s use of tonetone,, sentence structuresentence structure,, and and vocabularyvocabulary. .

Style can be divided into two Style can be divided into two categories:categories: Tropes = Tropes = use of dictionuse of diction.. Schemes = Schemes = use of syntaxuse of syntax..

Key Questions for the Analysis of Diction Key Questions for the Analysis of Diction

1. Which of the 1. Which of the important wordsimportant words in in the passage (verbs, the passage (verbs, nouns, adjectives, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs) are and adverbs) are general and general and abstractabstract? Which are ? Which are specific and specific and concreteconcrete??

Key Questions for the Analysis of DictionKey Questions for the Analysis of Diction

2. Are the important 2. Are the important words words formalformal, , informal, informal, colloquialcolloquial, , or slang?or slang?

3. Are some words 3. Are some words non-literalnon-literal or or figurative, creating figurative, creating figures of speech figures of speech such as such as metaphorsmetaphors??

Key Questions for the Analysis of Syntax

1. What is the order 1. What is the order for the parts of for the parts of the sentence? Is the sentence? Is it the usual it the usual (subject-verb-(subject-verb-object), or is it object), or is it invertedinverted??

Key Questions for the Analysis of Syntax

2. Which part of 2. Which part of speech is more speech is more prominent – prominent – nouns or verbs?nouns or verbs?

Key Questions for the Analysis of Syntax

3. What are the sentences like? 3. What are the sentences like? Are they Are they periodicperiodic (moving toward (moving toward

something important), or something important), or Are they Are they cumulativecumulative (adding details (adding details

that support an important idea in the that support an important idea in the beginning of the sentence)?beginning of the sentence)?

Key Questions for the Analysis of Syntax

4. How does the 4. How does the sentence sentence connectconnect its words, its words, phrases, and phrases, and clauses?clauses?

Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical analysis is Rhetorical analysis is understanding how understanding how the author connects the author connects the the speaker, subject, speaker, subject, and audienceand audience, and , and why the author makes why the author makes the the stylistic choicesstylistic choices he/she makes.he/she makes.AudienceAudience

SpeakerSpeaker

SubjectSubject

Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis

Close reading is about identifying Close reading is about identifying techniques and strategiestechniques and strategies (diction and (diction and syntactical choices), but it is also syntactical choices), but it is also about understanding how these about understanding how these choices help to achieve the author’s choices help to achieve the author’s overall purposeoverall purpose. .

Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis

Analysis is Analysis is about about answering answering the the “so “so what”what” question. question.

Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis

As an analyst, As an analyst, you must:you must:

1. Determine the 1. Determine the author’s author’s purposepurpose

Rhetorical AnalysisRhetorical Analysis

2. Identify the 2. Identify the author’s author’s rhetorical rhetorical choiceschoices

3. Explain the 3. Explain the effecteffect the author’s the author’s choices have on choices have on the meaning of the meaning of the textthe text

Types of Close ReadingTypes of Close Reading

AnnotationAnnotation is a process of is a process of note takingnote taking in the text or on post-it notes in the in the text or on post-it notes in the margin of the text.margin of the text. It’s the process of recording your It’s the process of recording your

inner discussioninner discussion with the text. with the text.

AnnotationsAnnotations

Here’s what to do:Here’s what to do: Circle Circle unfamiliarunfamiliar words words Identify main ideas: thesis statements Identify main ideas: thesis statements

and topic sentencesand topic sentences Identify words, phrases, or sentences Identify words, phrases, or sentences

that that appealappeal to you or that to you or that confuseconfuse you you

AnnotationsAnnotations Look for figures of Look for figures of

speech, tropes, speech, tropes, schemes, imagery, schemes, imagery, and/or detailsand/or details

Identify Identify contradictory contradictory phrasesphrases

Jot down Jot down questionsquestions or comments about or comments about the textthe text

Dialectical JournalDialectical Journal

Dialectical Dialectical Journal (Double-Journal (Double-Entry Notebook) Entry Notebook) is a is a visual visual representationrepresentation of of the conversation the conversation between you and between you and the text.the text.

Dialectical JournalDialectical Journal

Dialectical Journals Dialectical Journals allow the reader to allow the reader to break the text up break the text up into smaller chunks. into smaller chunks.

This allows for This allows for greater greater analysisanalysis of of the the diction and diction and syntaxsyntax employed employed within the text.within the text.

QuotationQuotation

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Why did I Why did I find this find this quote quote interesting?interesting?