140 likes | 167 Views
COMMENTARIES. COMMENTARY IS IB LANGUAGE FOR LITERARY CRITICISM LITERARY APPRECIATION OR LITERARY ANALYSIS It means to closely study a text and write or talk about it from various angles – not really to criticise it (KIND OF LIKE YOUR PARENTS). COMMENTARIES.
E N D
COMMENTARIES COMMENTARY IS IB LANGUAGE FOR LITERARY CRITICISM LITERARY APPRECIATION OR LITERARY ANALYSIS It means to closely study a text and write or talk about it from various angles – not really to criticise it (KIND OF LIKE YOUR PARENTS)
COMMENTARIES Commentaries ask you to look closely at texts for their literary qualities and also to add your own ideas as a personal response. DO YOU THINKSPIDERMANIS A HERO OR A PATHETIC GUY?
COMMENTARIES Personal response is not just emotional, it needs to be based on parts of text and to consider the job the words and phrases are doing and the effect they have. It also has to consider what the writer’s purpose was. Did you answer the Spiderman question with just an emotional response? Or did you try to prove you were right from thinking about what the movie’s director was trying for?
QUESTIONS FOR THINKING ABOUT LITERATURE Purpose? Audience? Story? Techniques? Structure? Success?
SHAPE The questions aboutpurpose, audience, story, technique, structureandsuccesshelp you to give shape to your comments about what you read
After The Flood The morning it was over, I walkedBeen swept down the river. I noticed To the Jersey side, where there is a park,Near the bottom of the park, just below And where even in summer the riverSnagged on a tree-branch, and caughtmyself wondering Is at least two feet higher than it is on our side, What sort of drunken creature had passed there. Because of the way it bends. It had not been A bad rise, such as many remember. A line of flotsam, full of Exotic-looking dark foliage stretched W.S. Merwin, from Green With Beasts (1956) Cross-wide through the park, just meeting The river wall at the end corner. Things I felt I must surely remember, they looked so Familiar, had fished up there with sudden Histories to them that would never get told. I remembered how I had climbed the dike Two days before, when the lower bridge Was in danger. Coming in sight of the river then The amazing thing was how much More quiet the swollen water seemed Than I had expected, how slowly It seemed to move, like some beast sneaking. Now it seemed noisy again, but I could hear Other sounds coming over it. A sea-gull creaking, Not tempted by the miserable leavings. Almost disappointed myself, I made myself Think of how much we had been spared, How much that was cherished had, other times,
Practice #1 In the group: Read the poem to yourself twice Assign each person to find one/more of: Purpose Audience Story Techniques Structure Success They must give proof from the poem of what they find. They must prove what they think
DIFFICULTIES? In your small group discuss: Which of the questions about the poem were the most difficult to answer and to prove? Why? To answer them well, what other information did you need, if any?
TECHNIQUES There are countless ways to talk about how people write literature Some useful things to include are: Language/Vocabulary Imagery Rhyme/Rhythm Tone/Atmosphere • Take one of these each and write down what you can about them and this poem • Share your ideas with the group and write down theirs until you have something for all
ORGANISING A COMMENTARY Now look at all of your notes on this poem Do you have notes on: What –the poem is about Where and when – it is set Who – is speaking Why – it was written Structure – how it is organised Vocabulary(diction) – special words used for effect Imagery – particularly strong word pictures Other literary features – alliteration, rhyme, etc Tone – how the speaker feels about the subject
WHAT TO WRITE WHERE Like most writing you need a beginning, a middle and an end Begin with some sentences about purpose, audience and story The middle is where you talk about the techniques which are used and the effect they have on the reader The ending is when you sum up what you have said with a personal evaluation of the text
WRITING Now it is time to go to a space away from others and write a commentary for the poem Take no longer than one hour Use all of your notes and ideas and find others as you go along Remember beginning, middle and end
STAND AND DELIVER Now you have your commentary you will be delivering it to the group Don’t be nervous, in the real Oral Commentary you will have just 20 minutes to write about a piece which you have not seen before. So this one is easy! Remember you are graded on content, question answered/proved, structure and language Are you prepared?
WELL DONE You are now well prepared to start your A1 English course You will get lots of practice at all the things we have learned over the two years and you will have enough time to be very good at them