1. IB Oral Commentary 15% of your IB English A: Literature Score 10 minutes in length Goal Your goal in a commentary is to move through a poem from top to bottom and show that you appreciate and understand what it’s about, how it’s written, and why it was written. More specifically, the IB wants to hear you discuss: 1.The ideas and emotions that the poet is expressing – how they evolve and how they shift 2.How the poet has made choices with his/her language to create and reinforce meaning 3.How every detail of the poem reinforces a universal theme or unifying purpose

2. Requirements and Time You will choose a poem out of an envelope. You will be given 20 minutes of uninterrupted preparation time with a fresh copy of the poem. Two guiding questions will appear at the bottom. You may use blank sheets of paper for notes and writing utensils. You will present on the poem for 8 minutes. I will then ask you follow up questions for 2 more minutes. Your total Individual Oral Commentary should be 10 minutes in length. We will then have a 10 minute discussion on one of the prose pieces we’ve read.

3. How to Study By the day of your commentary, each of the poems should feel very familiar, and none of them should intimidate you. We will have unearthed 60% of their secrets during discussion; your job at home is to discover the remaining 40% and draw everything together. Read them silently; read them aloud; decide how to divide them into sections; identify each one’s theme/purpose; determine key areas and how to unpack them; identify key techniques; get to know important progressions and shifts; consider how emotions are evoked; resolve any unclear/difficult areas; etc.

4. Grading You are evaluated against the 4 criteria described below. Knowledge and understanding of the poem/extract (10 points) Here the IB wants to see that you have understand the poem (are able to interpret it analytically) and that you have knowledge of it (are able to support your ideas with well-chosen references to the text) Appreciation of the writer’s choices (10 points) Here the IB wants to hear you explain how meaning is shaped by the poet’s language, structure, technique, and style. It is not enough to identify techniques, you must explain how they create meaning and effects in the poem. Organization and presentation (5 points) Here the IB wants to see that your commentary has structure (intro, body, conclusion, topic sentences, supporting points etc.) and that it holds its focus (always analyzing the text on the page, no tangents, showing shifts & progressions, linking everything to the overriding theme/purpose). You will be penalized heavily if you merely list your thoughts word by word, line by line. Language (5 points) Here the IB is looking for language that is clear, concise, varied, and accurate. They are also looking for you to achieve an appropriate register (i.e. that your vocabulary, tone and sentence structure are appropriately academic, yet accessible and personal). The IB will greatly appreciate it if you sound like you are engaged and appreciative of the poem.

5. Prep Time How to Spend Those 20 Minutes Rule #1: Do not panic. Panic = wasting precious minutes. Go through the poem line by line after reading through it once or twice. Organize, strategize, and make key notes. #2: Do not try to write out the commentary word-for-word. That is not only futile, but counterproductive – a commentary is meant to feel alive and spontaneous. But you might write out a thesis statement and some reminders to yourself. #3: Perhaps outline your introduction; divide the poem into sections; identify the key discussion points in each section; sketch out topic sentences; map out key progressions and shifts; make some notes about the title, the meter… label the literary devices you want to discuss etc. Whatever you do, make your notes work for you.

6. Structure Although there is no formula for structuring a commentary, we generally recommend that you have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Introduction – 1 minute max Use your introduction to very strategically set a foundation for understanding. Assume your audience knows nothing about the poem, and try to give them what they need to hear first before you jump into detailed analysis. Begin your commentary by placing it into the context of the time. You can start with something about the Harlem Renaissance and how this poem fits into this time period because…. You might then touch on ideas like speaker, topic, tone, storyline, characters, atmosphere, structure etc. If you have received an extract (i.e. part of a poem) make sure to put it into context in relation to the rest of the poem. Here it is not uncommon to utter sentences like: This poem is about… OR The speaker of this poem is someone who…and she moves through the following ideas… OR As the poem unfolds, the speaker’s tone seems to shift from…to… Right at the end of your introduction, it is a good idea to mention 3 important technical features and the theme/purpose that ties the whole poem together. It might sound something like: Frost uses many important poetic techniques here – including the conceit of a mask, several contrasts to convey irony, and hyperbolic imagery – which all work together to reinforce the theme that…

7. Body – 6-7 minutes Your body must have structure. It cannot simply be a long list of random observations. If your poem has stanzas, let them guide your structure. If not, you must create your own sections. Begin each section/stanza with a simple topic sentence. For example: In stanza one, Frost evokes a tense atmosphere, establishes the setting, and introduces the conceit of the mask. When you move to the next stanza, create a link: In the second stanza, Frost adds complexity to the mask conceit but uses optimistic diction to shift the atmosphere from tense to hopeful. After the topic sentence, move through the stanza and comment on as much as possible: what it’s about, how it’s written, and what its purpose is. Use your poetic terms. TIPS Zoom in and out: If you find yourself analyzing a small detail, step back and put it into context. If you find yourself making a broad generalization, support it with discreet details. You must constantly zoom in and zoom out. Periodically make links to other stanzas to avoid the monotony of listing and to create synthesis. Recap at key moments to help you and your listener stay on track. Find a strategic time to discuss broad concepts like meter and rhyme scheme. It is perfectly okay – within reason – to fit in something you forgot to say earlier. Just be upfront about it: Referring back to the first stanza, it is important to note that… The goal is always to discuss WHAT the author is doing, WHY the author is doing it and the EFFECT on the audience

8. Conclusion – 1 minute max This is your chance to clarify understandings, tie up any loose ends, make the overriding theme/purpose absolutely clear, and end provocatively. Here one might say things like: As we can see, in this poem Frost is primarily concerned with… OR These ideas are most notably communicated through the techniques of… OR Perhaps what is most surprising about the poem is…and I appreciated that because…

9. A Few Warnings 1.Don’t let your commentary become one long endless list. Use topic and consolidating sentences periodically. 2.Don’t speak in a monotone voice. Sound engaged and alive by varying volume, inflection, and tone. 3.Don’t take the audience’s understanding for granted. 4.Don’t be too formulaic. A commentary should be organized, but also alive and spontaneous. 5.Don’t read the poem aloud too much. 6.Don’t just paraphrase (reword) the poem. 7.Don’t forget about feelings. Poems are about more than ideas and techniques – they also evoke emotional responses. 8.Don’t get lost in the details. Make sure your audience can follow your train of thought.

10. A Few Tips Have a strong and attention-grabbing first sentence ready to go. Use the author’s name. This will help you remember to be technical and avoid plot summary. Be sure to unpack the poem’s figurative language. Understand and indicate when language is communicating on a “literal level” and on a “figurative level.” Show that you are engaged by using sentence starters such as: “Here it is interesting to note that…” “The transition from the previous line to this one is surprising because…” “This phrase always catches me off guard because…” “This stanza is a perfectly natural progression because…” “This is a highly ironic choice because…” For an extract: Put it into context at the beginning of your commentary. Make connections to the larger work. At the end, indicate how it functions within the larger work. When answering a question… Take a few seconds to think if necessary. State your answer(s). Support your answer(s) with direct textual evidence.