Writing Commentary: "LET" Strategy


Commentary Reminders

  • Commentary requires the writer to reflect on the evidence and to comment on aspects of the evidence that are not immediately apparent.
  • This level of analysis moves beyond plot summary and is one of the defining marks of a sophisticated writer.
  • Commentary is also vital in justifying the evidence as supportive of the thesis and solidifies the argument. Without it, writers would merely "list" pieces of evidence.
  • Good commentary is insightful and shows the depth of the writer's comprehension and critical thinking about the thesis.

"LET" Strategy


In the first strategy, "this shows that," you were able to avoid plot summary, but you also had to know what to say about the quotations to explain them. Sometimes, it may not be clear what you can explain because you don't know the options. This is where the "LET" Method comes into play. This strategy is guaranteed to take your commentary to a deeper level.

LET = Literary Elements and Techniques

As you've discovered in earlier critical analysis responses, authors make use of devices and elements to communicate their theme. Remember our earlier analogy of cogs working together to create unity in a text. While it's the author's job to construct a theme through use of literary techniques and elements as their building blocks, it's your job, as the literary analyst, to deconstruct the author's theme by looking at the individual pieces and analyzing how the author has put them together. This is the core of literary analysis. The very word "analysis" means to take something apart in order to observe the individual elements.

In the "LET Method," you analyze how the author uses different literary elements and techniques to construct the theme in their text. This is all a matter of opinion, of course, but remember that there are lots of ways to be right in literary analysis…and ways to be wrong.

  1. In order to be successful with this method, you have to know your devices. You have to be able to recognize them in your quotations and understand how they function in the text as a whole (Remember your short story analysis in Unit 1?). Below is a list of "LET" options for you to discuss about your quotations. If you're not familiar with some of these, it's your job to look it up and learn about it. A literary element is like a "Table of Elements" in Chemistry: It is a device found in every story and can be used in different combinations to create new stories, just like elements in Chemistry can be used to create new compounds and formulas. However, a literary technique is a device that is not necessarily found in every piece of writing. Authors use literary techniques to show how the elements are presented in the text.

Literary Elements
Literary Techniques
characterization
conflict
point of view
setting
plot
theme
imagery
dialogue (internal and external)
ethos, pathos, logos
hyperbole
parallel structure
simile, metaphor, personification
alliteration (assonance and consonance)
irony (situational, verbal, dramatic)
flashback/flash-forward
foreshadowing
allusion
diction
tone
motif
symbolism
onomatopoeia
oxymoron, paradox
pun
rhetorical question
sarcasm

  1. In this step, you will begin to use literary elements and techniques to write commentary for your quotations by using three basic devices: characterization, tone, and diction. No matter what you are analyzing, every piece of literature has a character (at least a narrator or speaker) and uses words (diction) that carry a tone. This is where you begin with the "LET" Method. See the examples below.
Example Commentary—Focus on Characterization
Although the other boys on the island dismiss Simon as odd and crazy, he alone sees the truth about “the beast,” as shown in his delirious encounter with the pig’s head. In the encounter, Simon seems to hear the pig’s head speaking to him, saying, “Fancy thinking the beast was something you could kill.” The hallucination reflects his dawning realization that the “beast” is not something outside the boys, but rather something inside them. He sees what all of the others on the island, even Ralph, fail to see: that their real enemy is their own dark side, their potential for evil, or their selfishness, laziness, and pride. In this way, Simon is a discerning and astute character while the others are in denial about their own potentiality for evil.
Reflection
In this commentary example, the writer focuses on the characterization of Simon. The writer explains traits of Simon that are evidenced by the quotation about the “beast.” According to the writer, the quotation shows that Simon has a “realization,” sees what others “fail to see,” and is “discerning and astute.” When writing commentary, you can always comment on the character traits that come through a quotation because those traits help to communicate the overall theme of the story.

Example Commentary—Focus on Diction and Tone
In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, the narrator first introduces the novel by saying, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times […] that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only” (Dickens 5). Using the diction of “it was,” the narrator conveys the perspective of one who is looking back upon a past event. However, the narrator’s diction does not immediately reveal a specific time period, creating an ambiguous and mysterious tone to catch the reader’s attention. The narrator then refers to the “authorities” with the negative word “noisiest,” implying that commentators on the time period cared only about observing the extremes of society and not necessarily about solving the problems these extremes caused. The use of this diction makes the “authorities” seem callous to those who might have suffered. In this respect, the narrator unites the past and present societies to convey the corruption that has occurred as a result of the clashes in society.
Reflection
In this commentary example, the writer focuses on the word choice (diction) and tone of the quotation. Remember that a writer purposefully chooses words to convey specific images, ideas, and tones. The word choice is not just an “accident” or a “coincidence” and helps to illustrate the author’s overall message or theme. Since every single quotation involves words, you can always comment upon how the diction and tone of a quotation helps to convey the topic sentence and thesis statement.

  1. At this stage, you should comment on any other relevant devices that appear in your quotations. Determine what other devices might be present. Does the quotation contain situational irony and does irony relate to your topic sentence? If so, that's something you can comment on. How does the quotation use irony to show your theme/thesis/topic sentence? Does the quotation contain alliteration that relates to your topic sentence? If so, provide commentary on it. How does the quotation use alliteration to show your theme/thesis/topic sentence? Does the quotation use a flashback that connects to your topic sentence? If yes, explain it with commentary. How does the flashback show your theme/ thesis/ topic sentence? These devices are the literary analyst’s tools. They are necessary components to writing the literary analysis essay.

    Remember that your commentary should never be random, so don’t just randomly comment upon the irony of a quotation simply because it contains irony. Only comment upon what most clearly connects to the topic sentence/ theme/ thesis statement. Take a look at the following example:
Example—Random Commentary
Topic Sentence: Murder is never justified and only leads to more chaos as depicted in Macbeth when Duncan is found murdered.
Evidence: For example, chaos erupts in the castle of Macbeth when Macduff discovers the body of the murdered king and spreads news of the murder throughout the castle, crying, “‘Ring the alarum bell. Murder and Treason!’” (2.3.70).
Commentary: This quotation shows that Macduff is able to react very quickly to any situation. He is the type of character that a king can depend upon.
Reflection
In this commentary example, the writer focuses on the characterization of Macduff, but the commentary does not connect to the topic sentence. The writer should have connected Macduff ’s characterization to the overall message/ argument “murder is never justified and only leads to more chaos.” Instead, the writer has made a random observation that does not serve the purpose of convincing the reader that the topic sentence and thesis statement are valid.

Example—Relevant Commentary
Topic Sentence: Murder is never justified and only leads to more chaos as depicted in Macbeth when Duncan is found murdered.
Evidence: For example, chaos erupts in the castle of Macbeth when Macduff discovers the body of the murdered king and spreads news of the murder throughout the castle, crying, “‘Ring the alarum bell. Murder and Treason!’” (2.3.70).
Commentary: This quotation shows that Macduff is able to react very quickly to any situation—even one of total chaos. He immediately rings the alarm bell when he discovers that the king has been murdered in an attempt to root out the murderer. However, his announcement has an immediate chaotic effect: the tranquility of the castle is shattered as residents and guests alike awaken to the horror of what has happened. Not knowing what to do, men and women rush about in confusion and bewilderment, their usual routine thrown into disarray as lives once characterized by order are dominated by chaos instead.
Reflection
In this commentary example, the writer uses the characterization of Macduff for a purpose—to connect to the idea of “chaos” and “murder” in the topic sentence. By connecting the commentary to the topic sentence (and therefore, thesis statement), the writer makes relevant comments using characterization. One way to avoid making random comments about evidence is to select the “key words” from the topic sentence (in this case “chaos” and “murder”) and bring them into the commentary. This will help you remain focused on the thesis statement and topic sentence.


Source: Dobbs, M. (2016, July 05). Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis Essay - Bespoke ELA: Essay Writing Tips + Lesson Plans. Retrieved June 07, 2020, from https://www.bespokeclassroom.com/blog/2016/7/4/teaching-students-how-to-write-commentary-for-the-literary-analysis-essay