Close Reading

   According to Patricia Kain, in her article "How to Do a Close Reading," she describes a close reading as taking a passage and observing the facts and details about it.  Kain considers a close reading a small part of the text or the text as a whole.  This idea contradicts with what we have discussed in class because we have focused only on close reading a small passage out of a large text.  Kain gave me this different outlook when she wrote, "Your aim may be to notice all striking features of the text, including rhetorical features, structural elements, cultural references; or, your aim may be to notice only selected features of the text—for instance, oppositions and correspondences, or particular historical references."  I found this interesting and a new perspective for me to look at when close reading (that I have the option of close reading a passage or the whole text).
   One issue that I have had when close reading is where to begin once I have read over the text.  What specifically am I supposed to analyze? Is there a specific way that I am to interpret this?  A website that I found helpful with my confusion is located at the end of this blog.  This website lays out specific questions that would help anyone when close reading.  For example, one question that pertains to imagery helped me to think about the readings in a different way; it reads, "Are there colors, sounds, physical description that appeals to the senses? Does this imagery form a pattern? Why might the author have chosen that color, sound or physical description?"  By having a small list of questions that I can refer to when close reading will seem to have a large impact on the depth of my close reading.

Links!

Patricia Kain Article "How to Do a Close Reading"
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/CloseReading.html

Question List - "Close Reading of a Literary Passage"
https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/reading_lit.html