P.E.E.
How to write an analytical
paragraph
Analytical Paragraph
Write an analytical paragraph in 3 easy steps.
Just remember to P.E.E.!
P.E.E. stands for:
•Point
•Evidence
•Explanation
Step 1- Point
• What is the topic of the paragraph?
• The first sentence must make it
clear what the paragraph will be
about.
• For example: At the beginning of
“A Christmas Carole,” Scrooge is a
nasty and uncaring man.
Step 2- Evidence
• What words or phrases or events prove or
illustrate your point?
• The next sentence should give evidence
from the text. It must relate directly to your
point!
• For example: Charles Dickens describes
him as “hard and sharp as flint, from which
no steel had ever struck out generous
fire”(2).
Step 3- Explanation
• What does the author want the reader to think
or feel by using those words?
• Explain how the evidence illustrates or proves
your point.
• For example: This gives the impression that
Scrooge is more like stone or metal than a
human being. Dickens uses the simile to
point out to the reader how uncaring and
mean Scrooge is. It also shows that he is not
a warm or generous man and one expects
that he will be the villain of the story.
The Whole Paragraph Reads
At the beginning of “A Christmas Carole,”
Scrooge is a nasty and uncaring man. Charles
Dickens describes him as “hard and sharp as flint,
from which no steel had ever struck out generous
fire”(2). This gives the impression that Scrooge is more
like stone or metal than a human being. Dickens uses
the simile to point out to the reader how uncaring and
mean Scrooge is. It also shows that he is not a warm
or generous man and one expects that he will be the
villain of the story.
Poetry Example
• We can do the same kind of analysis
with poetry.
• Let’s go back and take another look at
one of our poems, “Fog” by Carl
Sandburg.
“Fog” by Carl Sandburg
The fog comes
On little cat feet.
It sits looking over
harbor and city
On silent haunches
And then moves on.
What type of analysis would we like to make? What is the
dominant poetic device used in the this poem?
What is our point?
• This sentence must make clear what
the paragraph will be about.
Point
• In his poem “Fog”, Carl Sandburg uses
a metaphor to compare fog to a cat.
Or
Evidence
• What words or phrases in the poem
prove your point?
• Directly quote those words.
Evidence
• Sandburg tells us that “fog comes on
little cat feet” and “sits….on silent
haunches and then moves on”.
Explanation
• What does the author want us to see or
think?
• How do these quotes prove our point?
Explanation
• This comparison gives us the impression that fog
moves like a cautious animal. The metaphor helps
us understand the silent and unpredictable way in
which fog arrives, much like the way a cat enters a
room without being noticed. As Sandburg describes
fog sitting “looking over harbor and city on silent
haunches”, we imagine it like a cat we suddenly spy
peering out from a hidden window.
The paragraph
• In his poem “Fog”, Carl Sandburg uses a metaphor to
compare fog to a cat. Sandburg tells us that “fog
comes on little cat feet” and “sits….on silent
haunches and then moves on”. This comparison
gives us the impression that fog moves like a
cautious animal. The metaphor helps us understand
the silent and unpredictable way in which fog arrives,
much like the way a cat enters a room without being
noticed. As Sandburg describes fog sitting “looking
over harbor and city on silent haunches”, we imagine
it like a cat we suddenly spy peering out from a
hidden window.
Your Turn!
• Each of your table groups will be assigned a
poem we have already read together.
• Decide what point you would like to make
about the poem (comment on any poetic
device) and write a P.E.E. paragraph.
• Email the paragraph to shullj@ismanila.org
Sylvia, Gabriel, Rhea, Estif
• In his poem ‘Winter Trees’, William Carlos Williams uses
imagery to describe his perspective on winter trees. William
Carlos Williams clarifies the things he sees using imagery and
describing them in his perspective, such as, “Thus having
prepared the buds against a sure winter.” In this line, Williams
describes how the leafless trees prepare their buds beforehand
against the cold winter. His form of imagery shows us that the
trees have not sprouted leaves for the coming winter. He uses
personification as well, such as, “…the wise trees stand
sleeping in the cold” Williams’ line describes that the hemlock
trees would appear as old, and wise because they have not
sprouted leaves.
Daniel, Jinny, Junior, Mai
• In Langston Hughes’ poem ‘Mother to Son’ he uses metaphor to
compare life to a staircase. Hughes tells us that “Life for me ain’t
been no crystal stair.” and “And places with no carpet on the
floor--”. This comparison gives us the impression that life is like
a hard and rough staircase. This metaphor helps us to
understand the life of African Americans in the 1940s like having
to walk up a staircase of bareness and tacks in it, getting
splitters. As Hughes describes “And reachin’ landin's” and
“Where there ain’t been no light”, we imagine a life living in like a
haunted abandoned house, especially to African Americans like
Langston Hughes has written in this poem.
Erin, Alvin, Priyanka
• Dust of snow, written by Robert Frost is a simple yet
meaningful poem, which uses imagery to really help
us imagine what it would be like in his situation. “The
way a crow, shook down on me, the dust of snow,
from a hemlock tree”, is a non-complex phrase that
appeals to our sight and hearing senses. The readers
are now able to see the scenario and hear the dust of
snow gently falling from the tree as we hear the
swooping of a crow passing by.
•
Anto, Amanda, Alex, Rahul
• The poem Valentine for Ernest Man by Naomi Shinab Nye, uses
metaphor to convey the message that beauty hides in least
expected places, waiting for someone to find it. In the poem, a
man gives two skunks to his wife for valentine as he though their
eyes were beautiful, and she starts to cry. Naomi tells us that “
…And the poems that had been hiding in the eyes of the sunk
for centuries crawled out and curled up at his feet”. This means
that the way the world sees things is not unchangeable, even
simple things that we find “ugly” have inner beauty that we
wouldn’t notice at first. We shouldn’t live thinking that there is
only one right answer. The skunks are portrayed as poems and
other things in the world that has been labeled as unwanted
hasn’t had a chance to prove themselves until one person gives
them it.
Sam, Sienna, Abeera
•
In Billy Collin’s poem, “Introduction to Poetry” he tries to change how people
perceive poetry using imagery and personification. He compares how he thinks
poetry should be read to what people nowadays want out of poetry. For
example in his poem it states “or walk inside a poems room and feel the walls
for the light switch”, this shows that he wants people to take the time to find out
what they think the poem means. When he says he wants us to “feel the walls
for the light switch” he wants us to look at the poem and figure it out before we
jump to conclusions. The imagery he uses helps us visualize what we should do,
and turn it into something we can use when reading poetry. In his poem he tells
us “But all they want to do is tie they poem to a chair with rope and torture a
confession out of it.” This shows us that he thinks people read poetry just to find
the meaning and not because they enjoy it. He uses personification to help the
people reading the poem relate to it, to give them a better understanding. The
comparison of how he wants us to read poetry and how he thinks we read it
helps us understand how we should take our time to understand the different
meanings. Poems don’t have to have one meaning, they can have a different
one for each person as long as we take our time to appreciate them.
Lukas, Jiwon, Serena
• In his poem “Introduction to Poetry”, Billy Collins uses an
extended metaphor and imagery to help us understand that
poems are things to be listened to and it is different to
everybody. Collins says “ feel the walls for a light switch,” and
“hold it up to the light like a color slide.” This portrays how he
wants students and others alike to view poems. He also uses
personification to show how the students are using poetry, such
as stated towards the end; “But all they want to do is tie the
poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it.” He
wants them to “waterski across the surface of a poem waving at
the authors name on the shore.”
•
Misaki, Ren, Paulina
• In this poem “Mother to son” Langston Hughes uses
metaphor to compare human life to a staircase.
Langston Hughes tells us that “Life for me ain’t no
crystal stair” and also “I’se still climbin’”. This
comparison gives us an impression that human life is
like climbing up the staircase, step by step. Metaphor
helps us understand that the life for
African/Americans in the early 1900s were very
difficult and had to build up their life. Langston
Hughes explains how life was in his time was with
splinters and tacks in it and no carpet on the floor
•
Caele, Carlos, Adam, Lucia
• In the poem “Winter Trees”, William Carlos Williams
uses imagery to help us readers embrace the beauty
of the winter evening. In the middle of the poem,
Williams says “A liquid moon moves gently among
the long branches.” and “The wise trees stand
sleeping in the cold.” This gives us a clear image of
the mood, the quietness in the winter ambiance of the
night. This helps us picture what it is like to be in the
night of winter season with the description of the
setting. It gives us a short explanation so that we can
interpret it out own way.
Jen, and group
• In “Dust of Snow”, Robert Frost shares his opinion of
how small things can change a person’s perspective.
His words, “… has given my heart a change of
mood,” and, “…saved some part of a day I had rued,”
clearly states his opinion. This can also be traced to a
real life situation where you come home fatigued from
work or school and your dog is there by your door
desperately trying to cheer you up and make you feel
better. Your feeling of fatigue quickly disappears as
you and your dog have fun together.
Yumi, Lou, Malaika,
• In Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son”, he uses a metaphor
throughout the poem to compare a rundown staircase to life.
Hughes states, ‘Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had
tacks in it… And boards torn off’’. This is helping the reader
understand that life is hard and there will be many obstacles.
Further on in the poem, he states ‘So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps ‘cause you find it’s kinder
hard…For I’se still goin’ honey, I’se still climbin’’. The narrator in
this poem is explaining to us that, yes, life is hard and will not be
an easy situation sometimes, but you should not give up hope.
Raj and group
• The skunk is a symbol of beauty and love. I thought they had
such beautiful eyes. This shows us unlike other people the poet
is able to find beauty in an animal like a skunk, which is
universally know as a non pleasant animal. This shows that
unpredictable things can be found in unexpected objects,
animals, and people. Everything may have a hidden meaning
and symbol, that may take a while to find, and some people
might be unsuccessful at finding it. He also explains that you
have to look deep into something, to further understand it. It
takes a while to find the final answer/meaning, but there will
always be one.