Heather Masri
Liberal Studies/NYU
Short Essay: Close Reading (2 pp./500-600 words) (about 2-2 ½ pages)
Word limit strictly enforced. Use the word count feature in Microsoft Word and print the word count
at the end of your paper.
Use the technique of close reading to analyze one passage of literature or one work of art (from
Gardner or the field trip). The technique of close reading/visual analysis uses examination of specific
details to support an interpretation of the work’s larger meaning.
Your paper should draw on what you have learned in class—from the reading, lectures, and/or
discussion—but should develop your own interpretation. If you do use outside sources, use them only
to supplement your own thinking and be sure to document them properly.
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Some Advice
Coming up with an idea: You may draw on an idea that came up in one of your forum posts, or focus
on a passage you’ve marked or an image that you’ve chosen as interesting. For very short poems like
Li Bai’s or Rumi’s you can analyze the whole poem, but for Layla and Majnun you should focus on a
shorter passage and a specific idea—don’t try to account for the whole text.
Developing an interpretation: Spend some time re-reading your passage or looking at the artwork
and noticing as many details as you can. (You may not end up using everything you noticed.) Think
about connections to ideas or themes we’ve discussed in class; you may want to refer back to class
notes, relevant sections of Gardner, or other parts of the longer work (in the case of Layla and
Majnun). Allow yourself time to reflect; your interpretation may change as you notice more details or
think of other connections. Use informal writing/notes to keep track of your ideas.
“But what if my interpretation is wrong?” Facts can be right or wrong, so an interpretation that is
based on incorrect data can be wrong. That is why you should draw on what you’ve learned in the
class. Aside from this, your interpretation cannot be right or wrong—it is your opinion. One
advantage of close reading is that it relies primarily on your own direct observations rather than
extended background knowledge.
A good interpretation is one that is interesting and not obvious—it draws our attention to details
we may not have noticed and helps us understand the work in a new or different way. Ideally your
interpretation should also be persuasive (based on accurate information and convincingly
supported).
Format: This is a very short paper, so you have to make every word count. Don’t waste a lot of
time on broad generalizations (“Since the beginning of human history…”). Instead, keep your
focus on the work you are analyzing and make specific, direct claims about its meaning. Your
paper doesn’t necessarily need a formal introduction and conclusion, but it should provide a clear
sense of beginning, middle, and end. Usually this means introducing the work with a short
characterization and ending with a statement that emphasizes how your analysis helps us
understand the work as a whole better or differently. Do use paragraph breaks to signal changes in
topic and emphasis. Typically each paragraph should begin with a specific idea or claim.