Weekly Forum Entry 

Use two or three sentences to introduce a passage of your choosing from the week’s reading.  Use these sentences to frame the cited passage by foregrounding what you want your reader to take away from your interpretation. 

In choosing your passage, you may want to think about a passage that you think is key to the whole text. Ex. Some readings of Hamlet focus on the meaning of, “To be or not to be.”  You could also choose language from the text that caught your attention for some reason.  Just make sure that your reader is clear on your reason for choosing it.  

Once you’ve cited the text, be sure to edit it for length and meaning, if so needed.  Use ellipsis to get rid of excess language.  Make sure the quoted text makes sense on its own. 

Finally, analyze the language and the ideas in the passage in their immediate context. Don’t assume that your reader will understand the meaning of the quote without your help, so take your time unpacking the ideas in the cited text, while also paying attention to the author’s use of language (why doesn’t Hamlet say, “To live or not to live?”).  You may want to pull a word or phrase from the passage and include it in your analysis to underscore your main point. 

Keep in mind that you may need to revise your introductory sentences once you’re done with the analysis part of the entry.  This is an exercise in close reading so don’t refer to other parts of the text or to the text as a whole.  Keep your discussion limited to the cited passage. 

All three parts of your entry (intro, quote, and analysis, in that order) should demonstrate unity and coherence. 200 to 250 words, not including the cited text.