Methods to Use in Commentary
You must use at least two pieces of commentary for each quote. You can let the “Mean” and the “Matter” of your Say/Mean/Matter charts guide you. And you can also get help from the following examples.
Opinion -A belief not supported by positive knowledge or proof:
A view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter
- Sam believed boxers are better than briefs
-War of the Worlds was the most overrated movie of the year; you may disagree.
Interpretation – Involves bringing a personal vision to the understanding of an object, say a piece of literature or art.
To explain or tell the meaning of a thing.
- The smile on Rudy’s face signaled both delight and agreement.
-The novel’s lugubrious settingwas an indication of the character’s equally dark and moody personality.
-Codyread between the lines when interpreting the song “IronMan.” He felt it was an anthem of loneliness and despair and that Ozzy was a lyrical genius.
Insight- The act or result of grasping the inward or hidden nature of things. The ability to see beyond the superficial and into the real nature of a person, situation, or object.
-With her searing insight, Marissa could see beyond a person’s appearance and into their true nature.
- General Zaroff’s gentlemanly appearance gave no clue into his murderous nature.
-Steinbeck uses the natural setting as a metaphor for the ideal world; in this environment all is quiet, peaceful, and possible.
Analysis – looking at the whole of something and breaking it into smaller parts to gain a better understanding.
-I performed an entire analysis of my computer so I could see how the monitor works with the whole system.
-Character analysis involves looking at all personality traits and characteristics to understand why the character behaves in a certain manner.
-Esperanza was a deep, insecure, and thoughtful girl, burdened by intelligence and aspirations that had no place in the impoverished world of the Chicago barrio.
Personal Response – Involves writing that is rooted in a student's personal experiences, opinions and interpretations. It centers on your own unique interpretation to a text and your reaction to it. This is the opposite of work that is text-inspired, text-based, and text-supported.
-Because he had once been hunted by bloodthirsty groupies, Joseph Magdaleno was able to provide a compelling personal response to “The Most Dangerous Game.”
- I found “The Possibility of Evil” to be brilliant short story, so my written personal response praised Shirley Jackson’s form of expression.
Feelings – Feelings in this case are emotions expressed by the writer in a line or passage regarding an event or character in a novel. This type of response is appropriate only when personal reflection is allowed. (This is different than a personal reflection because it involves only a line or two, where a personal reflection is all about how you regard a work.) You can also relate feelings in a literature paper regarding the emotions of a character.
-Though the animals were exhausted from the day’s labors, they also felt a new sense of determination and pride since seizing Manor Farm.
-Orwell never really stated Snowball’s true intentions as a leader, but given his brilliant and thorough efforts, this pig obviously had only the best intentions for the animals and the farm.
Evaluation – To judge the value of something. To determine worth.
-Sample Evaluation: “The “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connolly is a fantastic short story that will keep the reader on the edge of your seat. From the very beginning, the plot moves with ferocious speed and compelling twists and turns. It is well worth the read.
Explication – involves providing additional explanation to shed light on a work. Genres such as allegory or satire need to be explained to clarify the true meaning or the author’s intent.
-With much explication, we learned Animal Farm was really about the Russian Revolution.
-Every day, our tireless teacher provides explication into the subtleties of language.
Reflection – Serious thinking.
-Reflect on the true nature of General Zaroff’s character.
-After I saw Saw II, I spent many hours c on how Hollywood wastes millions of dollars for senseless and only marginally entertaining movies.jj