HOW TO READ LITERATURE

 

 NOTE:  For more information on this topic, review Chapter 12 of the Bedford Guide for Writers.  A copy is in the Library on Reserve under MEDEIROS at the Providence and Warwick campuses.

The following are guidelines which I have found to be generally helpful as a reader and a teacher.  These notes are compiled from The Bedford Guide for Writers.  The definitions are derived from the UVIC Writer's Guide Literary and Rhetorical Terms: An Alphabetical List .

OBJECTIVE
Once you have completed your readings, consulting these notes, you should be able to divide it into elements, explain its meaning, and support your interpretation with evidence.

In order to understand what you are reading, you should read it three times.  Each reading has a specific purpose.

• Read to comprehend.  
  Read for the literal meaning.  Think of yourself as a good reporter.  You should be prepared to state what happens to who, what,  when, where and why.  Get all the facts straight--the setting, the events of the plot, the characters and what they say and do.

 

• Read to interpret.  
  Read to understand the meaning of the story or poem.  Read between the lines.  Think of yourself as a critic.  Take notes and analyze sections.  Consider the following:

Character

Form

Structure

Style

Theme

• Read to evaluate
  Read to assess the soundness and plausibility of the piece.  Are the words appropriate for the purpose and audience?  What is the tone?  Does the author achieve his or her purpose?

Read this rather mind-blowing interpretation of reading.