Close Reading A look at annotation and scansion for the AP Exam

What does it mean to “close read”? “Close Reading- an intensive analysis of a text in order to come to terms with what it says, how it says it, and what it means” –Tim Shanahan We close read in order to dissect a text and understand underlying meanings, author intent, and overall affect Close reading allows the reader to be involved with the text in an active manner The purpose of conducting close-reading is to understand the text from three points of view: subject, speaker and audience.

How does one “close read”? Read with a pencil or stylist in hand! Write down observations, questions or comments Notice unique diction, punctuation or structure. Describe how the text makes you feel Look for contradictions, repetitions, or similarities Take note of how lines make you feel: Did you like a particular line? Why? What did you feel when you wrote it? What did the author do to make you feel this way?

What is annotation? Annotation = a note of any form made while reading The point of annotating is: To engage the reader in active reading To deepen understanding To identify unique qualities of a piece Annotating has been around as long as texts have been. It is important to establish a relationship with the text that is more than receiving information. Reading is a relationship; it is not a dictator! Do not simply highlight! Tell the text what you think!

What is scansion? Scansion= the act of scanning, or analyzing poetry in terms of its rhythmic components, and includes graphic representation of accents or feet of the rhythm of verse The point of scansion: To identify rhythm, and ultimately the purpose behind a text To deepen understanding of pronunciation and points of emphasis To identify syllables that are irregular Scansion is a specific from of annotation

Scanning Meter Poetic Meter = arrangement of stressed or unstressed syllables in verse Poetic Foot = a repeated sequence of rhythm comprised of two or more stressed and or unstressed syllables

Scanning Meter Poetic Foot Patterns: - Iambic - Trochaic - Anapestic - Dactylic - Spondaic Poetic Feet Combinations: - (1) Monometer - (6) Hexameter - (2) Dimeter - (7) Heptameter - (3) Trimeter - (8) Octameter - (4) Tetrameter - (9) Nonameter - (5) Pentameter - (10) Decameter *not likely*

Iambic Meter Iambic Meter = one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable Sounds similar to horse hooves: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM Examples: belief (be-LIEF) complete (com-PLETE) One of the most well known rhythms is Shakespeare’s use of Iambic Pentameter: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

Trochaic Meter Iambic Meter = one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable Sounds like this: DA-dum DA-dum DA-dum Examples: speaking (SPEAK-ing) value (VAL-ue) Example of trochaic verse from Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha: “By the shining Big-Sea-Water”

Anapestic Meter Anapestic Meter = two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable Sounds like this: da-di-DUM da-di-DUM da-di-DUM Examples: interrupt (in-ter-RUPT) contradict (con-tra-DICT) Limericks contain anapestic meter: “there was/ an old man/ with a beard who said, / “it is just / as I feared!”

Dactylic Meter Dactylic Meter = one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables Sounds like this: DA-di-dum DA-di-dum DA-di-dum Examples: happiness (HAP-pi-ness) Saturday (SAT-ur-day) An example of dactylic meter is Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade “Half a league, half a league… All in the valley of Death”

Spondaic Meter Spondaic Meter = two equal syllables Serious works cannot be solely spondaic, as it would be almost impossible to construct a work entirely of stressed syllables: mystery/briefing-austin/#!quotes/ mystery/briefing-austin/#!quotes/ Spondees usually occur within a work, such as in this Macbeth soliloquy: “Out, out, brief candle!”

Meter= Pattern + Foot Count Iambic Trochaic Anapestic Dactylic Dimeter Trimeter Tetrameter Pentameter