1. Discussion Question
Length: 1 sentence.
This question will point to an aspect of the assigned reading that the student would like the class to examine.
2. Quote
Length: 4-5 lines of text.
The quote will derive from a section of the assigned reading that the student considers interesting, unusual or challenging.
In choosing a quote, it is important to consider whether or not a passage is rich enough to enable sustained analysis.
The quote should be presented as it appears within the primary text.
3. Analysis
Length: 5-6 sentences.
The goal of the analysis is to offer a clear, specific and detailed explanation of what is being said within the quote, why it is being said and, above all, how it is being said.
The best way to do this is to identify the key elements within the quote and to explain how they function and how they relate to each other.
Elements can be words or short phrases. To identify how an element functions, you may wish to consider diction, imagery, sound or allusion.
To describe how elements are related, it is important to consider the structures that the author has used to relate them. Such structures include clauses, lines, sentences, verses, speeches and paragraphs.
All discussed elements should be quoted within the analysis. Paraphrase is not the same thing as quotation.
For analysis to be effective, it must be thorough, detailed and specific. Broader points about the quote should all emerge from the discussion of the quote's most important linguistic elements.