Write a literary commentary on the following passage.

This is a typical question asked in English exams as they want to test how well you understand different texts- often poetry, or prose.

In tackling an unseen passage, there are several things you need to consider as you are reading the text. If you keep in mind these questions, you will be better equipped to understand what the author is trying to say, and then you will be more confident in giving a literary commentary. 

Consider the following 6 questions:

1- Who is writing the text? Is it a narrator, or a persona?

2- To whom is the text intended for? Is there a specific audience that it is trying to target?

3- Why is it written? What is the purpose of the text?

4- Where and when? What is the context? Does the setting matter for your understanding of the text?

5- What  is the subject matter? What is the plot- what is happening in the passage? Is there an important theme? Who are the characters, what are their emotions? 

6- How is the subject matter conveyed to the audience? Does the author use specific language, or any important techniques you have learned about? (Alliteration, metaphors, hyperboles..?)

It is daunting, especially under pressure, to try to think of all these different aspects of a given passage. That's why practice is so important! One of the ways to make sure you are heading in the right direction is to look at past papers, try to unpack as many ideas as you can, and then compare your answers with the sample answers. These will often highlight the most important themes that they expect you to discuss.