Two old friends you thought you’d totally ditched. Doh! Concrete Detail and Commentary

Remember Concrete Detail? Facts from the literature May be either quoted or paraphrased They have many pseudonyms o Evidence o Specifics o Facts (now that’s a crazy one…)

Remember Commentary? Explanation of what the facts mean 100% your opinion, so it’s different from person to person! Does NOT use “I think” or “I feel” or “In my opinion” Analysis = commentary Sometimes will be more extensive than other times o Sometimes, the facts seem pretty self-explanatory. o Explain anyway! Also has many other names o Elaboration o Generalizations o Opinion

Some final notes Can’t have one without the other Should be evenly balanced Both should support the controlling idea (thesis)

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost Nature's first green is gold Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. “Nature’s first green is gold” Both metaphor and description Opens with a paradox Captures the reader’s attention with thought-provoking image Eden – allusion to Garden of Eden Introduces tragedy to an otherwise natural change Rhyme scheme – rhyming couplets Iambic Triameter Simple, uncomplicated poetic structure keeps the poem’s meaning direct “Her hardest hue to hold” Line 2 and 7 – extensive alliteration These lines bind the poem together, act as intro and conc for the argument

Peer Edit “Usher” Essays! Think you got this? Then show me!

Here’s what you’re doing… Write “edited by” and YOUR name on the paper! Get two colors of pen (pen and highlighter OK). Mark all body paragraph concrete details in one color (underline, box, etc.) Mark all commentary in another color Examine the CD/C units. Each should have: o A detail about the house exterior (or interior) o A detail about Roderick Usher o Commentary explaining how the two are linked Put a star next to really strong CD/C pairs. Mark the weakest paragraph – the one most in need of revision.