Notes

Why You're Failing At Analyze Quote
How to Analyze a Quote

When you write papers that analyze a piece or piece of literature, you will often incorporate quotations to support your argument. Analyzing an article is the process of taking it apart to look at its deeper meaning and context.

It involves identifying its author and analyzing the context and determining its tone. It also involves identifying literary techniques and analyzing their impact on the overall quote.

1. Identify the author

When used properly, quotations can add a new voice and perspective to your story. analyse a quote can be a valuable source of evidence to back your argument. When used ineffectively they can make the reader feel lost and make your text more difficult to read. This handout by Rutgers Writing Centers teaches you how to use quotations as a professional.

First, you need to identify the source of your quote. This should be straightforward. The author's name will typically be included in the text when an exact quote is taken from an essay, book or speech. If there isn't, it should be easy to research online to discover who the author is.

You need to identify the context of the quote. This can be a challenge particularly if you're not familiar with the subject. To help you with this, try rewriting the quote in your own words in order to become familiar with it. This will let you see how it is connected to the overall theme of your paper. When selecting a quotation, it may be useful to think about your audience.

Once you have identified the author and the context, you can start to analyze the quotation. To begin, you must start by identifying the author's main point or idea. This is the principal idea you will defend in your essay.

Then, look over the quotes to determine how they support your argument. This is particularly important if your argument involves the subject of debate or is a controversial one. For instance, if you are arguing that Cordelia is the most sympathetic character in King Lear, you'll need to look at the way her words relate to your argument.

2. Identify the context

Identifying the context of a quote is crucial for understanding its meaning and implications. This requires looking at the words, phrases, and structure of the quote to determine how it fits in the context of. When analyzing a quotation, it is essential to take into consideration the speaker as well as the audience. Knowing the background of the speaker will aid in understanding the quote's purpose and intended meaning. Also, knowing the viewpoint of the audience can help you comprehend the significance of the quote from their perspective.

With the five steps outlined in this guide, students at Rutgers Writing Centers will be churning out quotes for their bodies paragraphs faster than they write them. It requires some practice and you may need to talk to a Writing Center tutor at various stages, but with a minimal effort, students can examine quotes with confidence.


A well-written body paragraph will support the thesis with evidence and quotes to provide further details. The third stage of quote analysis is to describe how the quote supports the thesis claim. The best method to do this is to link the quote to your claim. For example, "This quotation* validates my thesis that the claim is true because _____." Be careful not to quote out of context and this could cause your readers to be confused and not understanding your argument. Use the five tips in this guide instead to ensure that your quotes are true and relevant.

3. Identify the theme

Your instructor will expect you to include literary quotes in your analysis, regardless of whether you're writing an essay or a report on a piece of literature. But how do you seamlessly weave the words of another into your own? Here are some suggestions to help you analyze the source of a quote and then make it part of your argument.

It's important to identify the theme in analysing a quote. The theme is the fundamental message that the author is trying to convey. Themes can be anything from the importance of family to the power of language. You'll need the context and tone to pinpoint the theme.

When you are analyzing a quote the other thing to consider is to be on the lookout for literary devices used by the author. You may notice, for example, that the author employs poetic techniques or figurative language to give the quote more meaning and depth. You may also want to include any rhetorical device such as adverbs, or parallelism, utilized in the quotation.

Finally, you'll need to determine the meaning behind the quote. This is the most important aspect of a quote analysis. The meaning is the message that the quote communicates to its reader. You'll have to decide how the quote supports or contradicts your argument.

Avoid using too many quotes when analyzing a quotation. Limit your use of quotations to three or four per paragraph. If you have to include more than this, be sure to use ellipses to mark the omitted portions. This will allow readers to comprehend the significance and meaning of your analysis.

4. Find out the tone

Tone is the general attitude of a piece of writing. It represents the author's viewpoint on the subject and how they want the reader to feel.

Tone is a complex concept to grasp since there are no close synonyms. Some authors describe it as mood, quality, feel, style, air, note, temperament or spirit. To identify the tone of a quotation you must read it repeatedly and then look at other quotes in the same genre. This will help you determine the common ground between various quotes and determine if they differ or are similar.

A serious tone is used to convey a sense of the weight or gravitas of the writing. It is typically more formal and less informal than a casual tone and can include words like "stern," "dark," "sober" or "grave." A serious tone is useful for conveying an important message or creating suspense.

In contrast, a lighthearted tone can convey a feeling of joy or hope to a piece of writing. It's generally more conversational than a serious tone and may include words like "happy," "smiley" or "jolly." A lighthearted tone is effective in conveying a sense of happiness or optimism.

Try identifying the tone of your own work by reading it several times and comparing it to other quotations from the same genre. You can also experiment to discover the tones that your language convey. Create a list of words that are associated with specific tones, and practice using those tones in your writing. For instance, a hopeful tone might include words like "bright," "forward," "future" and "inspire." By selecting the right tones for your writing, you can create narratives that are captivating and meaningful.

5. What is it that means?

Understanding the meaning behind a quote is essential to understanding it. This step can help you determine what the speaker was trying to convey and how it relates to your essay topic or argument. It can also help you to understand the speaker and the audience better which will allow you to analyze the context of the quote.

It is essential to take the time to read the quote attentively in order to understand its meaning. Pay attention to the words and phrases in the quote, as well as how they are organized. Also, consider different interpretations of the quote.

Once you have identified the meaning of the quote, you need to identify the person who spoke and the audience. This will help you comprehend the significance of the quote and its implications. It will also help you understand the central theme of the quote.

After identifying a quote's meaning it is important to know the literary techniques used by the writer. Examiners are impressed when students identify the literary techniques used in a piece of writing. You might find that the author makes use of repetition to highlight the importance of a certain point. This technique can be employed to convey a message or to create tension.

Another important step is to determine the purpose of the quote. Did it be written to persuade or inform the reader? Was it meant to be humorous, sad or serious? Did the writer want to make a point about something specific? Identifying the purpose of the quote will help you determine its effect on the reader. It can help you understand the purpose of the text in its entirety.

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