Close Reading

Develop an understanding of a text based on

1. the words themselves2. the larger idea the words suggest

Writing about Close Reading

It’s different than reading closely…..

• Start with larger meaning you’ve discovered

THEN• Use the small details (the language itself) to

support your interpretations

Style

• Tone• Sentence Structure• Vocabulary

See what I mean in this example.

And there, at last, I got my ticket to the disaster.

I could see not just into the pit now, but also its access ramp, which trucks had been traveling up and down since I had arrived that morning. Gathered along the ramp were firefighters in their black helmets and black coats. Slowly they lined up, and it became clear that this was an honor guard, and that someone's remains were being carried up the ramp toward the open door of an ambulance.

Everyone in the dining room stopped eating. Several people stood up, whether out of respect or to see better, I don't know. For a moment, everything paused.

Then the day flowed back into itself. Soon I was outside once more, joining the tide of people washing around the site. Later, as I huddled with a little crowd on the viewing platform, watching people scrawl their names or write ''God Bless America'' on the plywood walls, it occurred to me that a form of repopulation was taking effect, with so many visitors to this place, thousands of visitors, all of us coming to see the wide emptiness where so many were lost. And by the act of our visiting -- whether we are motivated by curiosity or horror or reverence or grief, or by something confusing that combines them all --that space fills up again

Now…

Read the following questions, and then read it again

looking for the answers.

Questions on Paragraph

Why is the first paragraph one sentence? In that paragraph, why does Berne call the empty space

“the disaster”? Why does the third sentence begin with “Gathered” rather

than “Firefighters”? What examples of figurative language appear in the fourth

paragraph? Does the word huddled in the fourth paragraph remind

you of anything else you’ve read? What is the effect of the dashes in the final sentence?

And there, at last, I got my ticket to the disaster.

I could see not just into the pit now, but also its access ramp, which trucks had been traveling up and down since I had arrived that morning. Gathered along the ramp were firefighters in their black helmets and black coats. Slowly they lined up, and it became clear that this was an honor guard, and that someone's remains were being carried up the ramp toward the open door of an ambulance.

Everyone in the dining room stopped eating. Several people stood up, whether out of respect or to see better, I don't know. For a moment, everything paused.

Then the day flowed back into itself. Soon I was outside once more, joining the tide of people washing around the site. Later, as I huddled with a little crowd on the viewing platform, watching people scrawl their names or write ''God Bless America'' on the plywood walls, it occurred to me that a form of repopulation was taking effect, with so many visitors to this place, thousands of visitors, all of us coming to see the wide emptiness where so many were lost. And by the act of our visiting -- whether we are motivated by curiosity or horror or reverence or grief, or by something confusing that combines them all --that space fills up again

What TWO categories do the questions from the last page fit into?

Why is the first paragraph one sentence? In that paragraph, why does Berne call the empty space

“the disaster”? Why does the third sentence begin with “Gathered” rather

than “Firefighters”? What examples of figurative language appear in the fourth

paragraph? Does the word huddled in the fourth paragraph remind

you of anything else you’ve read? What is the effect of the dashes in the final sentence?

Ahhh yes,

•Word choice (diction)

•Word arranging (syntax)

Infested or filled?

Test this out…

The room was infested with women.

What picture does this create in your mind? How does the speaker of this line feel? How would it

change your response if the lines was…

The room was stocked with women.OR

The room was congested with women.OR

The room was clogged with women.OR

The room was impregnated with women.

ORThe room was abounding with women.

Common Diction Questions:

•Which of the important words in the passage (verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs) are general and abstract? Which are specific and concrete?

•Are the important words formal, informal, colloquial, or slang?

•Are some words nonliteral or figurative, creating figures of speech such as metaphor?

Common Syntax Questions:

•What is the order of the parts of the sentence? Is it the usual SVO or is it inverted?

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

•What are the sentences like? Are they periodic (moving toward something important at the end) or cumulative (adding details that support an important idea in the beginning of the sentence)?

•How does the sentence connect its words, phrases, and clauses?

Sometimes Style is referred to as Schemes and Tropes

• Schemes are artful syntax such as parallelism, juxtaposition, antithesis

• Tropes are artful diction such as metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole

Analyzing Style

• Style is a subset of rhetoric. It is also a means of persuasion.

• There are three different methods to analyzing style:– Annotation– Dialectical Journal– Graphic Organizer

Annotation

Annotating a Text1. Pick up a pencil, a pen, or a post-it.2. Read everything at least twice.

– The first time, read quickly to get a sense of what the text is about. – The second and subsequent times read carefully. – Mark anything that you think is:

• A. confusing,• B. interesting• C . surprising, or• D . important.

– Mark anything that is unfamiliar and keep going.

3. Begin to annotate.• A. Circle, underline, or stick on a post-it for important ideas and

explain their significance.• B. Mark repetitions or rhetorical signals.• C . Circle confusing words or phrases. Define from context or

dictionary if possible .• D . Note passages that seem inconsistent.• E. Note passages that generate a strong positive or negative

response .

4. Write questions where you made annotations. These questions canbe for the instructor to answer, for the class to discuss, for you to use– in future writing assignments , or for you to keep as a reminder

of what you were thinking.5. Think about the connections between this text and other texts youhave read, information from other classes, and personal experiences.

In addition• Identify main ideas (thesis statements, topic sentences)• Identify words, phrases, or sentences that appeal to you• Identify words, phrases, or sentences that you don’t

understand• Look for figures of speech or tropes such as metaphors,

similes, and personification• Look for imagery and detail• Note juxtapositions• Ask questions• Comment on what you have read• Write down what the voice in your head is saying

Example

Anot

her E

xam

ple

Hints for using Annotation

• Use sticky notes if you can’t write in text

Dialectical Journal (double-entry notes)

• Columned to help visually represent the conversation between the text and the reader

• Answer what effect the writer is striving for• Answer how the effect serves the author’s

purpose• Break into small sections to analyze specific

word and sentence choices

Dialectical Journal

Note Taking Para. Note Making

Dialectical Journal

Another Example

Graphic Organizer

• Use paragraph divisions to divide text for you• Takes much time to complete, BUT…• Gives great deal of information to analyze• Divide as you (or Mrs. Grimm) see fit

Graphic OrganizerRhetorical Strategy or

Style ElementEffect or Function

Homework