Some Questions to Ask when Reading Literature
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What is the tone (attitude or emotional impression) of the work?
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What aspects of the work create this tone?
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What images, descriptions, or comparisons are involved?
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Is there an argument (thesis) in this work?
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How does the author create this argument?
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What examples does he or she bring in to support the claims presented?
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How, if at all, does historical setting influence the impression created
by the work?
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How does the use of figurative language (metaphor, simile, symbolism)
influence the impression created by the work?
Other Questions (More geared toward poetry):
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Who is the speaker?
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Is the speaker addressing a particular person?
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Does the poem have a setting?
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Is the theme of the poem stated directly or indirectly?
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From what perspective (or point of view) is the speaker describing specific
events?
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Does a close examination of the figurative language (see Literary Terms
) of the poem reveal any patterns?
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What is the structure of the poem?What do sound and meter (see Literary
Terms
) contribute to the poem?
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What was your response to the poem on first reading?