Song Analysis Essay Peer Review
Formatting
 Times New Roman
 12 point font
 Left alignment (NOT centered)
 1 inch margins
Header
Name
2. Teacher Name
3. Class
4. Date
1.
1.
Day, Month,Year
Clark Sample
Mrs. Vaerewyck
English 12, Period ___
18 February 2015
Labeling
 Make a key at the top of your paper using your highlighters
 Sample:
 Blue=Statement
 Pink=Proof
 Yellow=Commentary
 Green= Green Words in the thesis
 Label the topic sentences at the beginning of each section
 Label the transitions at the end of each section
 Highlight the body paragraphs for statement, proof, and
commentary using your key
Eyeballing Percentages
 Look at what you highlighted. Is more than 15-20% of what
your partner wrote pink?
 He or she needs to shorten quotes, develop commentary, or
both.
 Write which one(s) you think he or she needs to do
 If quotes are too long, cross out the part(s) of the quotes you
think he or she doesn’t need
 Remember: you may only use 6 lines, max, from the song
Claim Check
Must make a claim about
how that song:
If it looks like this, they do
not have a claim:
 Fits/represents your
 “On Your Porch” really
character archetype
reflects my archetype.
 On Your Porch” really
reflects the martyr
archetype.
Commentary Check
Should:
Should Not:
 Explain what the chosen
 Focus on anything other
lyrics mean if they have
anything figurative or
metaphorical
 Explain HOW those lyrics
are representative of the
archetype
than your archetype
 Be vague and lack detail
Thesis Statement
 Highlight green words in green
 Check that they are “green” and
NOUNS
 Check thesis against claims
made in the essay.
 Does it match or does it
contradict what you say about
your song?
 Make sure it isn’t three-prong
 Shouldn’t just list green words
 Write yourself some notes now.
You may take out your green
words list if you need it.
Example:
“On Your Porch” speaks to the
bravery it takes for martyrs to have
compassion for themselves, and the
solitude they sometimes face in
search of hope for a better future.
Check the Introduction’s Grabber
 Do you have one?
 Is it effective?
 Did you use a random quote that seems out of place?
 If you start off with a question, does it work or does it seem out
of place or unrelated?
Sample Intro:
The first time I saw The Format in concert was at Edgefest 2004. After a long, sun-baked day of
endless bands, the sky had darkened to the dirty blue of all rainclouds. It threatened the electrical
equipment of the stage and sound controls, and yet the last band refused to give up taking the stage.
Nate, Sam, and the other “Formatters” came up, and the crowd, now dotted with rain sprinkles, grew
louder and louder until Nate took the microphone. When he announced the show would go on, the
crowd erupted in approval. There is nothing quite like a Format crowd. We sang along to both fast and
slow songs, and as we sang a shared camaraderie built between crowd members, the band, and the rain
that turned to sheets and blinded us all. We left that night running through the rain, soaked and thrilled
with the performance, racing through the parking lot to my car to recount, time and again, that last,
wondrous performance. Since then my love of the band only grew, and with each album Nate Ruess (now
the lead singer of Fun.) writes, I feel that he has written the soundtrack to my life. The song that defined
my senior year of high school was The Format’s “On Your Porch.” To me, “On Your Porch” speaks to the
bravery it takes for martyrs to have compassion for themselves, and the solitude they sometimes face in
search of hope for a better future.
Mechanics Check
The moment you’ve all been waiting for! Check for:
 Comma usage
 Plural vs. Possessive (One Republic’s vs. One Republics)
 Capitalization of proper nouns
 Run-on sentences and sentence fragments
 Spelling
 Word choice that isn’t quite right
 Anything else you see
Even if you aren’t sure, mark it.You know when something
doesn’t look or sound quite right.You will double-check later
Language Register Check
 Are you staying in formal register? Look back at notes to
check.
 Use a pen or a pencil to circle any register drops and write
“register” next to these circled areas.
 You may use personal pronouns like “I,” “me,” and “my.”
 Absolutely no “you” or “your” unless it is in one of the lyrics you
are using.
Citations
 Name of the band and line number(s)
 (The Format 30-32)
 Last name of artist and line number(s)
 (Paisley 30-32)
 If the artist has only one name, like Madonna:
 (Madonna 30-32)
 Change citations now (if needed)
NOTE: Album names are underlined or italicized. Song names
go in quotes. Both should follow capitalization rules.
Quote Formatting
 Use slashes to indicate line breaks
 “line 1/line2/line 3”
 In-text citations go at the END of the sentence.
 Blah blah blah “song line” (The Format 4).
 Blah blah “song line” blah (The Format 4).
 “Song line” blah blah blah (The Format 4).
On Wednesday:
Final copy
2. This workshopped draft
3. Approved song lyrics
4. Turnitin.com receipt
5. Rubric
 Even if you are not here, it is due.You will need to make
arrangements to have it to me by the beginning of your class
period.
 If you are missing your turnitin.com receipt, it is considered
late, even if you have everything else with you.
1.
Reminder About Grading Scale
 Look at Grading Addendum (should be with your syllabus)