Text Version for Close Reading of a Literary Passage

When you first approach a poem:

• Read the poem slowly.
• Read it at least twice.
• Read it aloud to yourself.

[Visual description: The words ‘Circle’ and ‘Underline’ appear on screen. The word ‘Circle’ is circled and the word ‘underline’ is underlined.]

Next, circle words and underline phrases that stick out at you. Look for words and phrases that get your attention or that seem really confusing and hard to understand.

In this poem I don’t understand the words “circuit” and “infirm” the way they were used in the poem so I underline them.  I circled “all the truth” because I wondered what she was telling the reader by using the word “all.”  Is she telling us to reveal everything and leave nothing out? Is that a good thing?  I also really liked the lines “the truth must dazzle gradually” and “every man be blind” and want to explore her meaning in these lines.

Next, try mapping out the poem and making margin notes about the connection. Use the left hand margin for comments about what the author is saying and the right hand margin for digging deeper and asking yourself questions.

[Visual description: The screen shows the poem, and annotations appear on either side.
Annotation on the left states, I still don’t know what she means by infirm or circuit – doesn’t infirm mean sick?
Annotation on the right states – Why are these words capitalized? It seems random to me. Arrows from capitalized words in the poem point to the annotation. The capitalized words are Circuit, Delight, Truth’s, Lightening, Children Truth]

The more you use your pen to mark up the poem, the more likely you are to make relevant connections and understandings.

Sometimes examining the parts of the poem and the relationships between words is useful.

The kinds of words the poet uses may give you a clue into the poem.

When I break the poem apart in this way, some things become clearer and others still have me asking questions. 

I discovered that the author compares the surprise of being told the truth to a child’s fear lessening when she learns the “truth” about lightning.

I’m also wondering if she is saying a lot about how the truth can be too much too soon unless we let it dazzle us gradually.

[Visual description: The screen shows the poem, and each line has an annotation next to it.
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—  The word ‘slant’ is underlined.
Annotation:  Slanted truth.  How do we slant truth.

Success in Circuit lies.  The word ‘circuit’ is underlined.
Annotation: Success lies in circuit?  That circuit word is throwing me off.  How does success lie in it?]

Too bright for our infirm Delight.  The word ‘bright’ is underlined.
Annotation: Bright/Infirm Delight - How can the truth be too bright for us to handle?

[Visual description: The Truth's superb surprise.  The word ‘surprise’ is underlined.
Annotation:  Truth’s superb surprise – How and why can the truth surprise us?

As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind.  The words ‘Lightening,’ and ‘eased with Explanation’ are underlined.
Annotation:  Fear of Lightening eased with explanation – I think she’s saying that children’s fear of lightening eases with an explanation of what it is]

[Visual description:  The Truth must dazzle gradually.
Or every man be blind – The words ‘dazzle gradually’ are underlined. 
Annotation: Dazzle gradually – Is it too  much to handle it all at once?]

Now it’s time to put it all together to figure out what Dickinson was trying to tell us about the truth. 
[Visual description: The Big Idea appears on the screen.]

Consider these questions:

• What’s the big idea of the poem?
• Who is the poem addressing? Who is the speaker?
• How does each element of the poem contribute to this big idea? 

Dickinson uses positive images to tell about the truth. Words such as “bright” and “surprise” and “dazzle” help to let us know she feels that telling the truth is a really good thing as long as you do not overwhelm the person you are revealing this too.
[Visual description:  The entire poem appears on the screen.  The words ‘bright,” “surprise,’ and “dazzle” are highlighted.]

Finally, try to write out the big idea in a sentence or short paragraph.
[Visual description: The Big Idea appears on the screen.]

[Visual description: Paragraph appears: