Levels of Close Reading 

The three levels or types of reading become progressively more complex:

1. Identification & Comprehension: 
You pay especially close attention to the surface linguistic elements of the text—that is, to aspects of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. You might also note such things as figures of speech or any other features which contribute to the writer’s individual style. At this level, reading is largely descriptive. We are noting what is in the text and naming its parts for possible use in the next stage of reading.

2. Inference & Analysis: 
You review specific words in a passage at a deeper level in order to discern what information they yield up, what meanings they denote and connote. At this level, reading is cognitive. That is, we need to understand what the words are telling us—not only at the surface but also at the implicit level.

You note the possible relationships between words within the text—this might include items from either the identification or comprehension levels of reading. At this level, reading is analytic. We must assess, examine, sift, and judge a large number of items from within the text in their relationships to each other.

3. Connections & Criticism: 
You note the relationship of any elements of the text to things outside it. These might be other pieces of writing by the same author, or other writings of the same type by different writers. They might be items of social or cultural history, or even other academic disciplines which might seem relevant, such as philosophy or psychology. At this level, reading is interpretive. We offer judgments on the work in its general relationship to a large body of cultural material outside it.

A Quick Close Reading Checklist:
►	Diction: The author’s choice of individual words.

►	Syntax: The order of the words in sentences.

►	Figures of speech: The rhetorical devices used to give embellishment and imaginative expression to literature, such as simile or metaphor.

►	Rhetorical devices: The devices commonly used in literature to give added depth to the work, such as imagery or symbolism.

►	Tone: The author’s attitude to the subject as revealed in the manner of the writing.

►	Theme: Examine the themes within the text.

►	Purpose: Determine the author’s purpose in the written piece.

►	Style: The author’s particular choice and combination of all these features of writing which creates a recognizable and distinctive manner of writing.

Use appropriate verbs when writing a critical analysis of an author or a work of literature. Examples of these
terms include:
Emphasizes 		Observes 		Develops 		Exemplifies		Parallels
Elucidates 		Identifies 		Provides		Juxtaposes		Implies
Compares 		Organizes 		Connotes		Contrasts		Argues
Suggests 		Reinforces 		Focuses		Mirrors			Shows
Creates 		Defines 		Balances		Expresses		Insinuates
Illustrates 		Clarifies 		Relates			Demonstrates		Alludes to