Commentary Writing
Guidelines and FAQ
Dr Hannes Opelz
Dr Alexandra Lukes
What is a commentary?
A piece of prose writing
…based on the close reading of a short text such as:
a poem
a passage of dramatic or narrative fiction
…producing a detailed account of the passage / poem in
question, in terms of context (where applicable), content,
and form
…presenting your findings in an organised and clearly
structured way
Preliminaries
Read the passage / poem carefully
Make sure you have understood all the vocabulary
and that you have grasped the literal sense of all the
sentences in the text
If the text is an extract from a longer work, make sure
you have read the entire work
Main Elements
Introduction
Main section
Conclusion
Introduction
Context
If the passage is an extract rather than a complete work (like a
poem) you must situate it briefly in relation to the text as a
whole
This part should be kept as concise as possible: it only serves
to provide a context for your detailed analysis
Give a brief summary of Content and Form
Content
State concisely what the passage is about: what happens in it
and what changes occur as it develops
Form
State concisely how the text conveys its content: note briefly the
most important structural aspects only (narrative techniques for
prose, verse form for poetry).
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