Comentario de Textos Literarios en Lengua Inglesa

Grado en Estudios Ingleses: Lengua, Literatura y Cultura

Equipo Docente: Isabel Castelao, Jess Cora, Ddac Llorens

Guiding Questions for Text Analysis

Elizabeth Bishop Roosters
(UNIT 3: Introduction to Feminism)
TEXT FRAGMENT
At four oclock
in the gun-metal blue dark
we hear the first crow of the first cock
just below
the gun-metal blue window
and immediately there is an echo
off in the distance,
then one from the backyard fence,
then one, with horrible insistence,
grates like a wet match
from the broccoli patch,
flares, and all over town begins to catch.
I) CONTEXT (100 words)
In order to situate the fragment/text in its context, you may need to consider some/all of the
following aspects/questions:
The texts author: Is the fragment/text directly connected with any events or experiences
in the authors life?
The title of the text the fragment belongs to: does it sum up or reflect the texts content? Is
it at odds with it?
The authors nationality: Is it relevant in relation to the fragment/text?
Historical context: In what ways does the fragment/text reflect the historical
circumstances in which it was composed/published? Is it related to a specific historical event?
Literary/cultural context: Did the author belong to a specific literary movement? Does the
fragment/text exemplify the main characteristics of this movement? Is it related to a specific
cultural event?
Situating a poem in its context should not take up a lot of space (100 words) nor involve
extensive research. You do not need to consider all the aspects above; only those relevant to
the fragment at hand.

Comentario de Textos Literarios en Lengua Inglesa

Grado en Estudios Ingleses: Lengua, Literatura y Cultura
Equipo Docente: Isabel Castelao, Jess Cora, Ddac Llorens

II) FORM/CONTENT (200 words)

In order to discuss the main traits of the text (both form and content), you may need to
consider some/all of the following aspects/questions:
The texts genre: Is the fragment/text a good example of the genre in question? Does it
subvert any generic conventions?
The poetic speaker / voice / persona in the poem: Can (s)he be identified with the
author? Does (s)he come across as a well-defined personality? Does (s)he express his/her
ideology?
Visual elements: What is the main visual structure of the poem? How does it contribute
to the meaning of the poem?
Imagery: What kind of images do we find? What sensual impressions do the main images
evoke? Are the poems images coherent or contradictory? Are they used in metaphors
and figurative language?
Aural elements: Does the poem rhyme or alliterate? What are the main Sound-effects?
How would you describe its rhythm? What is the poems/fragments general effect, if
listened to?
Lineation/Syntax: How is content organised into verse lines/stanzas? Is the use of
enjambment relevant? Does the poems/fragments syntax determine the way in which it
is read/recited?
Poetic devices / figures of speech: the main ones should be identified; check the
document Figuras retricas del lenguaje and the Introductory videos Elements of
Poetry I and II available in the online course aLF.
Tone: Which is the tone of the poem taking into consideration the poetic voice and its
visual and aural elements?
Theme: Does the fragment/text have (a) clear theme(s)? Remember that a theme should
be formulated in abstract terms.
Interrelation form-content in the fragment. Describe briefly.
You do not need to consider all the aspects above; only those relevant to the fragment at
hand. You should write about 200 words.

III) THEORY & CRITICISM (250 words)

Taking into account the main tenets of feminist literary criticism, how would you approach
this fragment from that perspective?
Check the UNIT 3 Study Guide and the basic bibliography (Beginning Theory, pp. 61-77), but
use your own words. You should write about 250 words.

This exercise is for you to work autonomously and not to be submitted.

Answers and guidelines will be given on aLF.
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