Science of sciences
How to organize a commentary – general tips
Structurally, the commentary is similar to the essays you have written in the IB program. There is an introduction, a body, and (to a lesser degree) a conclusion.
In your introduction, put the extract in context, present a central assertion, and indicate the main developments or thematic clusters of the passage you will discuss
INTRODUCTION
You may very briefly summarize the piece. What’s the occasion here?
For pieces studied in advance, provide context
Sequential context: what has come before (for Shakespeare or for a longer poem)
Narrative context: what’s happening in this passage (i.e. brief summary)
Context of the writer’s work: for example, what threads, concerns, or motifs does the author continue to develop in this piece.
Central assertion:
Recognizes the structure of the text (rhetorical argument, extended metaphor, sonnet, etc.)
States a defensible argument
Claims to be the ‘most valid’ interpretation of this specific passage (gets to the heart of what the passage is presenting: tension, questions, an idea expressed as a theme, etc.)
Recognizes the concept of TENSION/RELEASE
Accounts for the central impact of the authorial techniques in the passage
Let’s review the sample C.A.s we’ve seen (available on class website)
Cyclist: the boy’s bicycle ride relates to universal human experiences
Outsider: this passage changes Mersault’s life – he is accused and assaulted by all.
Jade Peony: the passage shows the mystery and insightful fear of the unknown of a boy who has just lost his mother
BODY PARAGRAPHS
Body paragraphs = thematic clusters or developments: review the approach we could take to the “Hard Times” passage. For another example, for “Sestina,” you might argue that a loved one has died, discuss the effects of that death, the grandmother and child’s difficulties expressing their feelings, and how that leads to a cycle of mourning in the poem. “Sestina” doesn’t have a strong sense of
Structurally, the commentary is similar to the essays you have written in the IB program. There is an introduction, a body, and (to a lesser degree) a conclusion.
In your introduction, put the extract in context, present a central assertion, and indicate the main developments or thematic clusters of the passage you will discuss
INTRODUCTION
You may very briefly summarize the piece. What’s the occasion here?
For pieces studied in advance, provide context
Sequential context: what has come before (for Shakespeare or for a longer poem)
Narrative context: what’s happening in this passage (i.e. brief summary)
Context of the writer’s work: for example, what threads, concerns, or motifs does the author continue to develop in this piece.
Central assertion:
Recognizes the structure of the text (rhetorical argument, extended metaphor, sonnet, etc.)
States a defensible argument
Claims to be the ‘most valid’ interpretation of this specific passage (gets to the heart of what the passage is presenting: tension, questions, an idea expressed as a theme, etc.)
Recognizes the concept of TENSION/RELEASE
Accounts for the central impact of the authorial techniques in the passage
Let’s review the sample C.A.s we’ve seen (available on class website)
Cyclist: the boy’s bicycle ride relates to universal human experiences
Outsider: this passage changes Mersault’s life – he is accused and assaulted by all.
Jade Peony: the passage shows the mystery and insightful fear of the unknown of a boy who has just lost his mother
BODY PARAGRAPHS
Body paragraphs = thematic clusters or developments: review the approach we could take to the “Hard Times” passage. For another example, for “Sestina,” you might argue that a loved one has died, discuss the effects of that death, the grandmother and child’s difficulties expressing their feelings, and how that leads to a cycle of mourning in the poem. “Sestina” doesn’t have a strong sense of