Annotating a non-literary passage
1. Begin with fundamental details → writer, title, text type, context, topic
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What information is provided about the writer?
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To what extent do the details of when and where the passage was published affect its contents?
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Expressed in as few words as possible, what is the topic?
2. Identify the purpose of the passage
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What is the passage trying to say or achieve regarding its topic?
3. Consider the target audience, whether or not it plays a significant role in the purpose
4. Identify the attitude or perspective of the writer
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How would you describe the tone? → e.g. emotional or neutral; positive or negative; appreciative or critical; light-hearted or serious
5. Consider whether or not the passage has a secondary, or even tertiary, purpose
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If so, how does this additional purpose connect to the primary purpose?
6. Return to the originally identified purpose, and elaborate or clarify as needed
7. Find specific stylistic choices, using the following guidelines
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Repetition: if a word, idea, object, or image appears multiple times, it is likely to be important
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Figurative language: if a word or phrase is not used in its literal definition, you should be able to explain its intended meaning
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Contrast: if two individuals, ideas, objects, or images are shown to be different, that difference may be significant
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Structure: an aspect of the formatting or the use of visual elements may be examined as a stylistic choice
8. Look for additional stylistic choices, aside from the above guidelines; while identifying stylistic choices, constantly remind yourself of the purpose
9. Consider whether or not the passage should be criticized, either for the ambiguity of its contents or for the ineffectiveness of its stylistic choices
10. Organize all the annotations into larger groups to form body paragraphs
11. Create a label for each body paragraph, and finalize the thesis
Annotating a literary prose passage
1. Begin with plot details → character, setting, point of view, conflict
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What characters have been introduced, and what are their relationships?
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What is the main problem or challenge, and to what extent is it resolved?
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When is the climactic moment?
2. Identify a theme of the story
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What idea do the characters and physical events of the story represent?
3. Imagine the world or society in which the story takes place, and consider its flaws
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Note that the world of the story is NOT the same as the world in which the author has lived → while historical context is important, it should NOT dictate your reading
4. Identify characters’ emotions, and consider the extent to which they change
5. Identify characters’ personality traits, and consider the extent to which they change
6. Identify the atmosphere or mood → e.g. positive or negative; light-hearted or serious; hopeful or bleak; peaceful or sinister
7. If the story is written in first-person, identify the tone or voice of the narrator
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In a third-person narrative, tone is typically indistinguishable from atmosphere
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In a first-person narrative, tone may be significantly different from atmosphere
8. Return to the originally identified theme, and elaborate or clarify as needed
9. Develop an initial argument for the theme
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What does the story say about this theme? How does the story depict this theme?
10. Find specific stylistic choices, using the following guidelines
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Repetition: if a word, idea, object, or image appears multiple times, it is likely to be important
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Figurative language: if a word or phrase is not used in its literal definition, you should be able to explain its intended meaning
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Contrast: if two characters, ideas, objects, or images are shown to be different, that difference may be significant
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Symbolism: if a particular object plays an important role, it is likely to represent a larger idea, even if that object appears just once in the passage
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Structure: the way a passage ends is often linked to aspects of the beginning
11. Look for additional stylistic choices, aside from the above guidelines; while identifying stylistic choices, constantly remind yourself of the theme
12. Return to the initial argument, and elaborate or clarify as needed
13. Organize all the annotations into larger groups to form body paragraphs
14. Create a label for each body paragraph, and finalize the thesis
Annotating an extract from a literary work
1. Begin with plot details → character, setting, point of view, conflict
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What is happening in this extract?
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What happened just before this extract?
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How do the events of this extract impact the plot overall?
2. Identify a theme of the extract
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To what extent does it differ from the theme of the literary work?
3. Consider the depiction of characters’ emotions or personality traits
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To what extent does the depiction in this extract differ from the rest of the work?
4. Consider the atmosphere or mood
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To what extent does the depiction in this extract differ from the rest of the work?
5. Return to the originally identified theme, and elaborate or clarify as needed
6. Develop an initial argument for the theme
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What does the extract say about this theme? How does the extract depict this theme?
7. Find specific stylistic choices, using the following guidelines
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Repetition: if an important word, idea, object, or image that appears multiple times throughout the literary work also appears in the extract, you should identify it, even if it appears just once in the extract
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Figurative language: if a word or phrase is not used in its literal definition, you should be able to explain its intended meaning
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Contrast: if two characters, ideas, objects, or images are shown to be different either by this extract or by the literary work, that difference may be significant
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Symbolism: if an object that plays an important role in the literary work appears in the passage, you should identify it, even if that object appears just once in the extract
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Structure: since you know what happens in the rest of the literary work, you should be able to link specific moments in the extract to different parts of the work
8. Look for additional stylistic choices, aside from the above guidelines; while identifying stylistic choices, constantly remind yourself of the theme
9. Return to the initial argument, and elaborate or clarify as needed
10. Organize all the annotations into larger groups to form body paragraphs
11. Create a label for each body paragraph, and finalize the thesis
Annotating a poem
1. Begin with who, what, when, and where
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Who is the speaker, and what physical details have been provided?
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What does the speaker mainly talk about or whom does the speaker address?
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How does the poem end?
2. Identify the atmosphere or tone → e.g. positive or negative; light-hearted or serious; hopeful or bleak; peaceful or sinister
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While atmosphere and tone have distinct definitions, in poetry they often become interchangeable
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Is there a specific moment when the atmosphere or tone changes?
3. Identify a theme
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What idea do the physical details of the poem represent?
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What is the predominant emotion that the poem conveys?
4. Find specific stylistic choices, using the following guidelines
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Repetition: if a word, idea, object, or image appears multiple times, it is likely to be important
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Figurative language: since poetry tends to use words and phrases in an abstract, non-literal sense, the intended meaning is often open to interpretation
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Contrast: if two characters, ideas, objects, or images are shown to be different, that difference may be significant
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Symbolism: if a particular object plays an important role, it is likely to represent a larger idea, even if that object is mentioned just once
5. Look for additional stylistic choices, aside from the above guidelines; while identifying stylistic choices, constantly remind yourself of the theme
6. Consider the meter and rhyme scheme, whether or not they play a significant role on the theme
7. Return to the originally identified theme, and elaborate or clarify as needed
8. Develop an argument for the theme
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What does the poem say about this theme? How does the poem depict this theme?
9. Organize all the annotations into larger groups to form body paragraphs
10. Create a label for each body paragraph, and finalize the thesis