What is close reading?
Close reading is thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text’s form, craft, meanings etc. Fiction writers and poets often build texts from subject matter, form, specific word, and repetition.
How to do a close reading:
1. Read with a pencil in hand, and annotate the text (underline and highlight keywords and phrases) You want to take notice of anything that strikes you as significant, or raises questions.
2.Look for patterns in the text, things you’ve notice more than once, such as repetitions, contradictionand similarities.
3. Ask questions about patterns you’ve notice, the how and why? What are they doing? How are they creating meaning?
Instructions for paper
Carefully read the poem on the uploaded file
Close read the poem
Discuss the themes in the poem and how they don’t or do fit with the American Western lens
Compare the assigned poem to the other poem on the file. ( The assigned poem is “Everything you need to know in life you will learn it in Boarding school” and you’ll be comparing it to the poem “Oh, give me back my bended bow”)
