How to write a commentary on a literary work

A sample commentary on an extract and how the writer has used

different expressions to comment.

You can make use of these expressions in your commentary.

In the text, the writer describes his experiences while on a trip to Waddy
Point, an island off the coast of Australia. The tone leaves the reader
with the impression that he found the trip dreadful. On initial inspection
the reader gets the impression that the writer’s intention was to convey
the message in a very serious manner. However, on further investigation
the reader realizes that the blunt expressions and his peculiar choice of
vocabulary create a sort of humorous mood, and it sparks the thought
that his intent might have been to humor the audience with his
‘sufferings’.

The use of the phrase ‘ferocious downpour’ is a hyperbole. The intention

of the author is to convey to the reader the awful circumstances he
found himself in. His vocabulary throughout the piece is very raw and
direct, not beating around the bush. He makes it perfectly clear that the
island experience was all but pleasant.

The writer states that he and Craig ‘hovered like solemn dishevelled
ghosts’. This creates the impression that they were lost, not knowing
what to do on the island. The use of the word ‘ghosts’ and the fact that
they were not sure what to do on the island suggests that the character
of the island is similar to that of a ghost town- abandoned and neglected.

When the reader encounters Craig’s (the author’s friend) reaction to the
circumstances he found himself in, he starts to question whether it was
really as bad as what the writer describes it to be. ‘Craig stirred and
smiled up from his cocoon’. This sentence initiates the question in the
reader’s mind. The word ‘cocoon’ suggests that he was actually
comfortable, and he smiled when he woke so he was not as displeased
with his surroundings. The perception that Craig isn’t completely
dissatisfied is further advanced when he abruptly says ‘”Let’s go fishing.”’
This, as well as the fact that he giggled when the writer was frightened
when he said that there were tiger sharks in the ocean, clearly shows that
he felt that his friend’s fears were unsubstantiated.

In the last paragraph, the writer mentions that he wondered about what
was on television and what state his lawn was in. This statement expands
on the question whether he really had reason to be afraid. It creates the
impression that the writer would rather be at home, idly watching
television or mowing his lawn (things that are not significant in everyday
life) than be here on the island. The audience starts to wonder whether
he is really frightened by his surroundings, as indicated in the second-last
paragraph, or whether he just wants to be at home, where he is
comfortable.

Once all the elements of the passage have been taken into
consideration, the reader is left with the impression that the author didn’t
really want to go on the trip, but that is friend (who was clearly more
adventurous) had bullied him into it. The writer would much rather stay in
a place where he is comfortable.