Do’s and Don’ts of Commentary
How to Explain Quotes:
Practical Strategies
Do: Provide proof in the form of quotes
for your opinions about the story.
Ex. Jack says, “ ‘I want to see the manager. I… I
don’t think he understands. My son is not part
of this. He…’” It is clear that Jack wants to
protect Danny, so he takes a risk by wanting to
speak to the manager.
Do NOT: Drop in opinions without evidence!
Ex. The Overlook has the ability to fester in Jack’s mind and urges him
to kill his family. His real mind tries to fight this external force, and this
leads to instability. It also brings back his temperament that he had
when he used to drink. He pictures himself at a bar and being served
free drinks by Lloyd who mentions that the manager is interested in
Danny.
• What’s wrong with this commentary?
– Basically, every single time you express an OPINION about the
literature, you MUST PROVE IT with a QUOTE! This is where you see
me sometimes write “Proof?” in the margin because you have
expressed an opinion without evidence.
– Opinion = “The Overlook has the ability to fester in Jack’s mind” =
needs proof/ quote
– Opinion = “His real mind tries to fight this external force” = needs
proof/ quote
– Opinion = “It also brings back his temperament” = needs proof/ quote
Do: Write at LEAST two sentences for each quote to
explain that quote. What does the quote show? How
does your quote selection PROVE your thesis?
Ex. Frankenstein describes how “breathless
horror and disgust filled [his] heart” for he has
not created a superhuman, but a monster. This
shows that Frankenstein immediately rejects his
creature. The word choice of “breathless”
implies the shocking nature of the creature’s
ugliness and emphasizes the extremity of this
ugliness through Frankenstein’s visceral
reaction.
Do NOT: Simply write one sentence of commentary or
none at all. This is the MEAT of the essay. If you can’t
do this, you have said NOTHING 
Ex. Frankenstein describes how “breathless horror
and disgust filled [his] heart” for he has not created
a superhuman, but a monster. This shows that
Frankenstein immediately rejects his creature.
• What’s wrong with this commentary?
– It’s just too brief. Who can convince anyone to do
anything or believe anything in ONE sentence?
Do: Stay Focused on the quote.
Ex. The concept is introduced by Mr. Halloran
when he tells Danny, “‘What you got, son, I call
it shinin on, the Bible calls it having visions, and
there’s scientists call it precognition […] They all
mean the seeing the future.’” In this moment,
Danny begins to understand that he has a
special ability to connect with other people like
him through telepathy. He begins to see that
there isn’t something wrong with him but that
he possesses a special gift.
Do NOT: Stray from the quote.
Ex. The concept is introduced by Mr. Halloran
when he tells Danny, “‘What you got, son, I call
it shinin on, the Bible calls it having visions, and
there’s scientists call it precognition […] They all
mean the seeing the future.’” Later on in the
novel, Jack becomes corrupted by the Overlook
Hotel and tries to murder his family.
Do: Stay focused on explaining the quotation you
have selected and ONLY the quotation you have
selected.
Ex. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator states,
“I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at
him over my shoulder. ‘I’ve got out at last,’ said I,
‘in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of
the wallpaper, so you can’t put me back.’” This
shows that she “creeps” and crawls around the
room, peeling off the wallpaper as quickly as she
can—trying to free the women inside of it. The
figures inside the wallpaper are a reflection of
herself; she feels trapped inside the room and
wants to escape it.
Do NOT: Explain or summarize other parts of the novel that are
NOT shown in your quote. If your quote doesn’t show it, pick a
different quote or ADD another quote!!
Ex. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator states, “I kept on creeping
just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder. ‘I’ve got out at
last,’ said I, ‘in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the
wallpaper, so you can’t put me back.’” This shows that the protagonist
is a woman who is very sick; however, her husband believes she suffers
from a temporary nervous depression, so he keeps her locked up in a
bedroom with a hideous shade of yellow wallpaper. No matter how
many times she asks her husband for permission to walk around the
garden, her request is denied because he believes that bed-rest is the
best solution.
• What’s wrong with this commentary?
– The quote has nothing to do with it.
– The fact that the husband believes his wife suffers from “nervous
depression” is NOT shown in the quote selection and needs its own
quote to be proven.
– The fact that she asks for permission and is denied is also NOT shown
by the quote. Select a different quote or change commentary!
Do: Analyze the quote and explain it
beyond what is obvious.
Ex. In Poe’s “Oval Portrait,” he writes, “To all
appearance it had been temporarily and very
lately abandoned.” This shows through the use
of the adverbs “temporarily” and “very lately”
that the castle has recently been left behind,
which implies that something unexpected has
transpired and forced them to leave abruptly.
Do NOT: Simply just restate in other words what the quote
actually says. You are writing for an educated, intellectual
audience after all, and this is insulting, boring, and useless.
Ex. In Poe’s “Oval Portrait,” he writes, “To all
appearance it had been temporarily and very
lately abandoned.” This shows that the home
the traveler comes across is abandoned.
• What’s wrong with this commentary?
– It’s insulting to my intelligence—and yours!
Do: Analyze the quotation.
Ex. The concept is introduced by Mr. Halloran when
he tells Danny, “‘What you got, son, I call it shinin
on, the Bible calls it having visions, and there’s
scientists call it precognition […] They all mean the
seeing the future.’” In this moment, Danny begins
to understand that he has a special ability to
connect with other people like him through
telepathy. He begins to see that there isn’t
something wrong with him but that he possesses a
special gift.
Do NOT: Judge a character’s actions
and what that character “should have
done.”
Ex. The concept is introduced by Mr. Halloran
when he tells Danny, “‘What you got, son, I call
it shinin on, the Bible calls it having visions, and
there’s scientists call it precognition […] They all
mean the seeing the future.’” Halloran should
have taken Danny away from the hotel to
protect him once he sensed danger. This is what
a good person would have done; therefore,
Halloran is a bad person.
Do: Use commentary that is focused
on the quote.
Ex. In Poe’s “Oval Portrait,” he writes, “To all
appearance it had been temporarily and very
lately abandoned.” This shows through the use
of the adverbs “temporarily” and “very lately”
that the castle has recently been left behind,
which implies that something unexpected has
transpired and forced them to leave abruptly.
Do NOT: Use hypothetical “if”/ “then”
statements as these CANNOT be proven.
Ex. Emily Grierson never experienced long lasting love.
For example, when her father passed away, she was
heartbroken and a “short time after, her sweetheart—the
one we believed would marry her—had deserted her.” If
Emily’s father had survived, she would have never lost
her fiancé.
• What’s wrong with this commentary?
– It cannot be proven. You cannot change the story. None
of us can figure what would have happened “IF”!
Commentary
Guided Revision Activity
Analysis & Explanation
Plot Summary = Retelling the Story
Beowulf comes to Hrothgar’s kingdom to kill the evil
monster Grendel. When he arrives, he meets with the king
and convinces Hrothgar to allow him to fight the monster.
Hrothgar agrees, and Beowulf fights the monster, tearing
off its arm. After killing Grendel, Grendel’s Mother seeks
revenge by killing Hrothgar’s wise friend. As a result,
Hrothgar challenges Beowulf to kill Grendel’s Mother also.
Beowulf agrees and swims down to her lair below the
water and kills her with a giant’s sword. Beowulf then cuts
off Grendel’s head and brings it back to Hrothgar. 50 years
later, Beowulf is the king of the Geats. An evil dragon
attacks the people after his goblet is stolen, so Beowulf
defends his people by attacking the dragon. However, it
would be Beowulf’s last battle, and he is killed by the
dragon.
Commentary = Analysis = Explanation
Thesis/ Topic Sentence: The story Beowulf shows that risky
behavior can at first lead to great accomplishments but
eventually leads to downfall.
First Evidence/ Quote: First of all, Beowulf finds victory
against Grendel even though he tells Hrothgar that “‘[his]
hands/ Alone shall fight for [him].’”
Commentary: This shows that in this moment, Beowulf takes
a risk by deciding to fight Grendel without a weaponespecially since he has never seen nor faced this foe before
and does not have any context for understanding his
adversary. Instead, Beowulf knows that the greater the
risk, the greater the glory, which substantiates his decision
to risk his life in this fight against a foe that he has not seen
nor researched. Fortunately for Beowulf, he defeats the
evil monster, and his risk proves victorious after all.
How do I go beyond the obvious?
Literary Elements & Literary Devices
= 3rd Level in the Three Levels of
Thinking
Diction
• Diction: What are the key words/ phrases of the quote? How
do those words/ phrases/ devices help prove the theme?
– Quote: “I’ll play the hero.” The word choice of “play”
shows that Beowulf recognizes he is playing a part in the
story and recognizes that there is evil to be defeated and
likewise his duty to defeat it.
• Try this now. Select a quote from your draft and explain how
the word choice helps to support the theme.
– Start with “The diction shows…”
Tone
• Tone: Are there strong tone words/ phrases in the quote?
What’s the tone towards what is being described? How
does that tone help convey the theme?
– Quote: “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime” The dark,
brooding tone of the descriptions of Grendel convey that he is
the embodiment of all that is immoral and malevolent in AngloSaxon society. He is the direct opposite of the hero Beowulf,
and the contrasting tones used in descriptions of the two
characters shows which side the narrator is on.
• Try it now. Select a quotation from your draft and focus on
the tone of the quotation and how the tone helps to
convey the theme.
Characterization
• Character traits: What traits are revealed through the
quote and how do they help prove the theme?
– Quote: “I’ll play the hero.” This shows Beowulf desires
heroism, showing that he is motivated by being famous
and not by helping others.
• Try this now. Select a quotation that involves character
in some way and explain how that character trait is
shown by the quote and how it relates to theme.
– Start with: “This shows the character is…”
Conflict
• Conflict: What is the primary conflict shown
in the quote– man vs. self/ man vs. man/ man
vs. nature? How does conflict help convey the
theme?
• Select a quote and try it out now. Explain how
the conflict shown in the quote relates to the
theme.
Symbolism
• Symbolism: Is there a symbol shown in the
quote? What is it? Explain how and why it’s
symbolic. How does that symbol help convey
the theme?
• Try it now. Explain the symbol in terms of
theme.
Irony
• Irony: Does the quotation point to something
ironic? What type of irony is it– dramatic,
situational, or verbal (sarcasm)? How does
the irony help convey the theme?
• Check for irony now and explain how the irony
helps to convey the theme.
Juxtaposition, Shift, Contrast,
Repetition
• Does the quote contain a rhetorical
relationship? Which one? How does it
connect to the theme?
• Try it now.
Ethos, Pathos, Logos
• Does the quote contain a rhetorical appeal?
Which one? How does it contribute to the
overall message?
• Try it now.
Common Literary Techniques: Simile,
Metaphor, Personification
• Does the quote have a simile, metaphor, or personification?
How does that device relate to the theme?
– Quote: “ ‘And pity, like a naked newborn babe,/ Striding the
blast […] Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,/ That tears
shall drown the wind.” In Macbeth’s “double-trust” soliloquy,
he uses a simile to compare the king’s purity in office to the
innocence of not just a baby, but one that is more vulnerable in
its nakedness and newness. He also uses personification to
emphasize through exaggeration that the tears of the public will
“drown the wind” once they hear of that their beloved king has
been murdered.
• Try this now. Look for a simile, metaphor, or personification
in one of your quotes and explain its effect and how it
relates to your theme.
Other Literary Techniques
• Allusion, onomatopoeia, paradox, alliteration
(assonance, consonance), rhyme scheme,
oxymoron, allegory, analogy, caesura, epithet,
flashback, foreshadowing, imagery, point of
view, pun, setting, etc.
• Find one of the above devices in one of your
quotes and explain it terms of theme.
Revision.
• For homework, go back and add at least ONE
MORE sentence to your commentary!