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individual words...

Remember to focus on individual words arid the way they work together with Cher

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(From Bedford Anthology) Ask yourself:

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What happens (or does not happen) in the poem? What are the poem's central ideas? How do the poem's words, sounds, and images contribute to its meaning? What is the poem's overall tone? How is the poem put togetherwhat is its structure?

Who is the speaker? Whom are they addressing? How does the form/organization/st - ucture of the poem relate to the theme or central tension? From: Bressler, Charles. "Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice," 4 th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.

Chapter 3 Russian Formalism and New Criticism 65

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

To apply the assumptions and methodology of New Criticism to a given text,

one can begin by asking the following questions:

Before

answering this question, New Critical theory and practice assume that the critic has read the text several times. What words, if any, need to be defined? What words and their etymological roots need to be scrutinized? What relationships or patterns do you see among words in the text? What are the various connotative meanings words in the text may have? Do these various shades of meaning help establish relationships or patterns in the text? What allusions, if any, are found in the text? Trace these allusions to their appropriate sources and explore how the origins of the allusions help elucidate meaning in this particular text. IA hat symbols, images, and figures of speech are used? What is the relationship between any symbol or image? Between an image and another image? Between a figure of speech and an image? A symbol? What elements of prosody can you note and discuss? Look for rhyme, meter, and e vtn stanza patterns. tet j/5, -fru ci, I vet IA frl i? What is the tone of the work? From what point of view is the content of the text being told? What tensions, ambiguities, or paradoxes arise within the text? What do you believe is the chief paradox or irony in the text?
How do all the elements of the text support and dev, 'rip the text's chief paradox?

If the text has a title, what is the relationship of the title to the rest of the poem:'

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