Introduction
Model Quotation Interpretations
Some assignment and exam questions will ask you to interpret quotations from your readings that demonstrate their use. A typical question might state:
- In one or two paragraphs, interpret the following quotation from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, The Raven, explaining what the speaker is saying as well as a possible larger meaning intended by Poe.
“Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” (330:7-8).
A response that would receive full credit might say:
- Literally, the lines describe a chilly – cold enough to require a fire – evening in the speaker’s home. However, looking deeper at the writer’s word choice and what the words connote, the lines relate to disturbing or negative images of mystery, darkness, and death: “bleak December,” “dying embers,” and “ghost upon the floor.”
The following response is not as strong. It does not analyze the quotation beyond a literal interpretation.
- This poem is taking place at the end of the year, December. It is cold and dark and the speaker is seeing ghosts. This bird comes into his house and it reminds him of all the bad things that have happened.
