English 10 / Unit 1: Close Reading and Literary Analysis
1.1 Annotating and Rereading
Notes
Close reading means reading a short passage slowly and more than once, paying attention to individual words, sentences and patterns.
- First read: get the literal meaning. Who, what, where, when?
- Second read: annotate. Circle striking words, underline repeated ideas, mark shifts, and write questions in the margin.
- Third read: ask how and why. How do the author's choices create meaning or feeling?
- Look for patterns (repeated words, images or sentence shapes) and breaks in a pattern. Both usually matter.
- Example: in a passage where every sentence is long and calm, a sudden three-word sentence ("Then the phone rang.") signals a turning point.
Practice
During a first reading of a passage, a student's main goal should be to:
Literal understanding comes first; deeper analysis comes on later reads.
A student notices the word "cold" appears five times in a one-page story. The best annotation is:
Repetition is a pattern that often points to meaning.
A passage has six long, flowing sentences, then ends with "She was gone." Why is this break in pattern worth annotating?
A break in a pattern creates emphasis.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 1 test.