A literary commentary is a commentary on a work of literature. The purpose of a literary commentary is to analyze the work beyond the words that can be seen with the naked eye. For example, you can write a commentary on how the plot of a novel reveals the social situation of an era, or how the author’s life is evident in the text.
The commentary can be based on a single element of the literary work or the general features can be analyzed. The choice will depend on the person writing the commentary.
Theater script
Like any other written text, the commentary should present:
- An introduction in which the thesis (idea to be developed) is specified.
- A development in which the play is commented, analyzed and criticized.
- A conclusion in which the most important elements of the commentary can be summarized and affirm or refute the thesis.
How to make a literary commentary and what is its structure?
Before writing a literary commentary, it is essential to understand the work to be analyzed. To do this, you should read it carefully more than once, underline the relevant ideas and the characteristics of the work that catch your attention.
Once this phase is completed, the specific topic to work on is decided and a text plan is made, which is a general outline of the commentary.
Introduction
Literary commentaries consist of three parts: introduction, development and conclusion. In the introduction, the general data of the work to be analyzed should be presented: title, year of publication (in case it is known) and author. In this part, a brief biography of the author can be included, although it is not necessary.
At the end of the introduction, the thesis, which includes the specific topic to be analyzed, should be included. For example, if you wish to make a comment on language, you should point this out in the thesis.
Development
Subsequently, the development begins. Transition sentences should be included between the introduction and the development, so that the text flows naturally.
In this part, quotations from the work that support the thesis of the commentary should be included to get PaperHelp discount code at https://www.paperhelp.org/; it should be noted that the quotation is not enough and must be explained. Our opinion can be included, as long as it is logically justified.
Conclusion
Finally, the text closes with the conclusion. This should not be a repetition of what has already been said in the commentary, but should be a way of reinforcing the most important points of the text we have written.
If the thesis has been proven correct in the commentary, it will be reaffirmed in the conclusion. If the thesis has been proven wrong, then it will be refuted in the conclusion.
Example of literary comments
“When you are old” by William Butler Yeats
When thou art old and gray, and sleepy
and nodding by the fire, pick up this book
and read it dreaming of the soft look
That your eyes had, and their deep shadows;
And how many thy moments of joyful grace they loved,
and thy beauty, with false or with sincere love,
but only one loved in thee the pilgrim soul,
And loved the afflictions of thy changing countenance;
And bowing thee then by flaming rods,
whispers, a little sorrowfully, how Love went away
Passed over the high mountains
And his face hid a myriad of stars.
Introduction
In William Butler Yeats’ poem “When You’re Old” (1895), the central theme is love. This is evidenced through the use of language and literary imagery.
These two elements combine to create a work that depicts the nostalgia and depression generated by a lost love.
Development
The poem begins by presenting the image of an old woman “old and gray-haired and sleepy”, who sits near the fire remembering “the soft look” her eyes once had.
This woman picks up the book with Yeats’ poem and reminisces about how beautiful she once was. This scene gives the poem strength, because it sets the tone and mood that will reign in the rest of the work: old age, lost love, and memories. (Inclusion of quotations).
Yeats also uses a series of symbols to convey the message. One of the first symbols he employs is the fire in the fireplace.
The fire is bright and full of life but, in the end, it will burn out and end in ashes. The hidden meaning behind this is that nothing lasts forever. As with the fire, the woman will also eventually disappear.
The fact that the woman whispers in sorrow how the love is gone indicates that she rejected this love, so the fire may also represent the desire to revive this passion that is over.
Other symbols present in the poem are the high mountains and the stars in the firmament. These two elements reaffirm the unattainable quality of the old woman’s love.
This lady can hold a book of Yeats and remember how it felt to love but her object of love is no longer within her reach.
Language plays a very important role. The poem is written in the second person singular, which gives it a touch of intimacy and sadness as well, as if the narrative voice knew the consequences of this woman’s decisions and hoped she would have acted differently.
The use of imperative verbs (“take this book and read it dreaming of the soft look your eyes had”) establishes a bond between Yeats and the old lady, which endures through the passage of time. (Development of the thesis, inclusion of quotations).
Conclusion
This poem by Yeats is an example of how to integrate imagery and language to convey strong emotions in readers.
The use of suggestive figures (symbols) rather than more direct messages gives the work a cryptic quality that is pleasing. (Reaffirmation of the thesis)
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