2.  Paraphrase the passage so you know you understand it. Make sure you know what the author is literally saying, so you can dive into the language of the passage. Without a basic understanding of meaning, you won’t be able to take the next step.

3.  Find key words/phrases in the passage. What stands out? › Find key words and be sure you understand why they are key. › Look for repetition. Does the meaning of repeated words change? › Can you find words with more than one meaning? › Look for sharp imagery. › Does one word have several connotations or even two contradictory meanings? › Can you find any puns?

4.  Look for figures of speech. Now consider metaphors and other figures of speech, such as vivid images, employed in the passage. › Do you recognize them from somewhere else in the text? › Think about how the metaphor or image signifies what it does. Does this consideration reveal a range of possible significances for the figure?

5.  What happens? If something happens in the passage, think about how this element of plot relates to or repeats others.

6.  Who is speaking in the passage? › Is the speaker being ironic? › Can you trust the speaker?