How to Analyse and Annotate aTextAnalysing and annotating a new text, can be challenging. Read on for a step-by-step method to how to approach it. Its like eating an elephant you couldnt do it in one go, but if you cut it up into small enough pieces

Basic Principles:Annotate your text with- Brief notes Significant words and phrases Links between parts/words Comments on structure Rhyming schemesMake notes on paperfor: Interpretation Themes Detailed analysis as inStep 3

Step 1: Basics (Annotate Text)

1. Underlineany individual words you dont know2. Puta crossin the margin by any groups of words that you cant understand3. Putan asteriskin the other margin to show any bits where you know the meaning of the individual words but cant make sense of what they are supposed to mean in the text4. Putbracketsround any bits of the text individual words or groups of words that seem especially odd, that dont seem to fit in5. Pick outany bits of the text that you quite like the sound of whether or not it seems to make sense.

Step 2: Detail (Annotate Text)1. Look for patterns, repetitions, repeated words, phrases, ideas and developments of these in the text (maybe draw pencil arrows between them)2. What links can you make between the title and the actual words of the text? Pick out and list some specific vocabulary. Make a note of line numbers.3. What word pictures or images can you find within the text? Use circles in the margin to mark them.4. What do you notice about the punctuation and organisation of the text into lines and verses? Where does your eye tell you to stop? Where does the punctuation tell you to stop? Count the sentences; count the lines; count the stanzas or paragraphs.5. What do you notice about the shape of the text? What does it look like on the page (this is called form or structure). Write some very brief notes to show how the text is organised.

Step 3: Analysis (Write notes on paper)Look at these areas below. What message is the author trying to get across in his or her use of these devices? Title First impressions Tone Imagery Themes often these will be ambiguous, have double meaning Speaker who is the speaker in the text? Are the author and the speaker the same person? Vocabulary repeated words, synonyms or homonyms, ambiguity Rhythm, Metre, Rhymeis the author emphasising any themes or words through the use of any of these?