How to Write a Commentary

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Define your thesis.

   In many high school and college courses you will be asked to write a literary commentary.
   
   This assignment requires you to evaluate a piece of literature, most often a novel, poem, or play.
   
   The key part of a successful commentary is a strong, clear thesis statement.Your thesis is your argument or your point of view.
   
   This is where you take a stance, and spend the rest of the essay supporting your thesis.
   
   Maybe you are writing a commentary on Great Expectations.
   
   Your thesis could be, “Not only is Dickens’ tale engaging, it is also an insightful commentary on the differences between social classes in industrial Britain.”
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   Step 2: Create an outline.

   This will vary considerably depending on how long you want your commentary to be.
   
   At its briefest, say for a bulleted or single-paragraph commentary, make note of vital information to include.
   
   For longer commentaries, create a structure for your response.
   
   You might write at the top of your outline, “Important Themes in Great Expectations”.
   
   You could then make bullet points such as “Setting”, “Ambition”, “Class”, etc. , In your outline, you should also include an introductory paragraph.
   
   This will help you to remain focused on the key points as you write.
   
   For example, include an introduction where you provide the context for the work, followed by analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, themes, etc.
   
   Then wrap up with a short conclusion of the importance of the topic.You might start by saying, “Great Expectations is full of imagery that makes the reader feel as if they are in 19th century England with Pip.
   
   Dickens’ novel about class, ambition, and love sheds important light on the social divides of the time.” You could then list the themes that you will discuss in the body of your commentary. , State an issue or theme you've identified, show where you've found it in the work, then explain what effect the issue or theme has on the work.
   
   You might feel that Miss Havisham’s obsession with lost love is an important theme in Great Expectations.
   
   An excellent specific example to illustrate this theme is pointing out that the character remains in her wedding dress, despite being jilted decades before. , When you use specific examples, make sure that you clearly illustrate how it connects back to the larger theme.
   
   You are using Miss Havisham’s wedding dress as an example of the grief that comes with a lost love.
   
   Your reader will appreciate you clearly explaining why that is important.
   
   You might write something like, “Miss Havisham is an example of the theme that love can sometimes go terribly wrong.
   
   This is also an important theme when examining the relationship between Pip and Estella.” Make sure to use smooth transitions.
   
   When you move to a new example, use a good transition word or phrase.
   
   Some examples are “similarly”, “conversely”, and “again”. , Your conclusion is the piece that will tie the rest of your commentary together.
   
   Make sure to include a summary of your argument.
   
   You should also indicate why the piece of text that you read is important.
   
   In your commentary on Great Expectations, you would want to make sure that you emphasize your summary again: this is a good example of class divisions and how ambition is not always the best quality.
   
   You might also choose to compare it to another book from the same period to illustrate why the work by Dickens is significant.
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   Step 3: Introduce your topic.

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   Step 4: Use specific examples to support your thesis.

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   Step 5: Connect your examples back to the theme.

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   Step 6: Write a strong conclusion.

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