Text interpretation

Overview
 What is Interpretation

• The art of effectively communicating all of the

meanings and elements of a text to an
audience
• It also increases the interpreter’s
understanding and appreciation of the
text/literature
 Selection of text

• Find a piece of writing that says something to

you
• In doing so, consider the time you have for the
presentation ( length of the text)
• Remember your interpretation is bound to be
subjective
 Interpretation proper

• Read the text several times

• Look up the unfamiliar words and their
pronunciation
• Read it aloud
• Give it time to sink in (think about it) don’t choose
it at the last moment
• Decide what it is about (what the message is)
• Take into account denotation/connotation of
words (literal/implied meaning)
• Look for clues in the title of the text
• Discover and make use of all the details you find
in the text
• It may be useful to find out significant data about
the author (not a detailed biography)
• Detect the organization of the text: its climax,
ending, choice of words, style, imagery
• Find unifying elements and make the text whole
again
 Presentation

• Take into consideration: pitch of voice,

articulation, inflection, rate of speech, volume
• Body language is also important: posture,
gestures, mimic
• Trust the audience, keep your eyes on the
audience
• Don’t read from the notes
 Because I Could Not Stop For Death
Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death,

He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,

And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.
We passed the school where children played
At wrestling in a ring;
We passed the fields of grazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

We passed before a house that seemed

A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.
Since then ‘tis centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses’ heads
Were toward Eternity.