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Seminar 2 - Close Reading

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40 views5 pages

Seminar 2 - Close Reading

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ura.shostak2212
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[2024]

Comparative Literature:
Close reading
(Seminar 2)

CLOSE READING
I. Study the instructions for Close reading: (retrieved
from
https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/c.php?g=130967&p=
4938496)
Step 1: Read the passage
Take notes as you read. Mark anything that seems relevant or interesting
to you – even if you are unsure why a particular section of the text
stands out.
Ask yourself: How is language and/or argument being used? Take notes
about your observations of the passage, even if these observations seem
simplistic or self-evident. Also pay attention to how language use
changes over the course of your passage. For example, if the same word
appears at the beginning and end, does it mean different things in both
places? Does the author's tone or attitude change?
After you have read the entire text, you can return to these sections to
look for repeated patterns, themes, or words. Often, a close reading will
focus on one example of a theme or pattern to study the significance of
this theme or pattern more in depth.
Step 2: Analyze the passage
Begin by writing answers to some of the following questions, focusing
on the kinds of rhetorical and literary devices you see in the passage.
Diction:
 What words are being used here?
 Are any words repeated in this passage?
 What adjectives are used? What nouns do they describe? How do

they alter your understanding of these nouns?


 Are any two (or more) words used in this passage connected in

some way?
If any words are unfamiliar, look them up. If you are analyzing an older
text, keep in mind that words may mean different things at different
points in history—so be sure to look up any words that may be familiar
but used in an unfamiliar way. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
will provide you with definitions as well as histories of word use.
Whether you are looking at an historical or contemporary text,
remember that words can be used in different ways. Ask yourself: Are
any words being used in unusual ways? Are any words referring to
something more than what is simply stated? Are any two (or more)
words in the passage connected in some way?
Narrative Voice
 Who is speaking in this passage?
 What narrative perspective is being used in this passage?
 What does the narrative voice tell you?
 What characters does it give you access to?

Tone:
 Is the speaker being straightforward, factual, open?
 Is the speaker being direct or ambiguous with their message?
 Does the voice carry any emotion? Or is it detached from its

subject?
 Do you hear irony (what is said is different from what is meant)? If

so, where?
Rhetorical and Literary devices:
 Do you notice any figurative language, such as metaphors and

similes?
 Do you observe any imagery?
 Is the sound of the language and sentences important (e.g., rhyme,

repetition, choppy or long sentences)?


 What is the effect of these devices and techniques? (e.g., do they

add emphasis or connect key ideas?)


Step 3: Construct an argument about the passage.
Now that you have some idea of HOW language is being used in your
passage, you need to connect this to the larger themes of the text. In
other words, you now need to address WHY language is being used in
the way (or ways) you have observed.
This step is essential to a successful close reading. It is not enough to
simply make observations about language use – you must take these
observations and use them to construct an argument about the passage.
Transform your descriptive thesis into an argument by asking yourself
WHY language is used in this way:
 What kinds of words are used (intellectual, elaborate, plain, or
vulgar)? Why are words being used in this way?
 Why are sentences long or short? Why might the author be using
complicated or simple sentences? What might this type of
sentence structure suggest about what the passage is trying to
convey?
 Who is the narrator? What is the narrative voice providing these
particular descriptions? Why are we given access to the
consciousness of these particular characters? Why not others?
 What images do you see in the passage? What might they
represent? Is there a common theme?
 Why might the tone of the passage be emotional (or detached)?
 To what purpose might the text employ irony?
 What effect/impact is the author trying to create?
Close Reading - Key takeaways (retrieved from:
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english/rhetoric/close-
reading/)
 Close reading is the focused reading of a short passage of text,
with attention to distinct elements.
 Close reading is important because it helps readers understand a
text, strengthened literary analysis skills, and builds vocabulary.
 To conduct a close reading, readers should first read and annotate
the text with a focus on the main ideas and elements.
 After reading the text for the first time, readers should reflect on
patterns like repetition and structure and reread and annotate again
with a focus on technical details.
 While close reading, readers should note the use of literary devices
and techniques, organizational patterns, unfamiliar words, and
important details.

II. Use the above mentioned material and do the close reading of the
fairy tale (see below):

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