Defining+the+American+Dream

America by Neil Diamond

American Dream Song Choices: Level 1: "American Dream" by Switchfoot Level 2: "The River" by Bruce Springsteen Level 3:"Sam's Town" by The Killers

Mini-Commentary Practice DIRECTIONS: Reread your chosen lyrics and think about the TONE that the songwriter creates in each individual scene. Write a mini-commentary which focuses on how the writer creates __tone__ and ultimately __theme__. Refer to the checklist below. Also, think about plot vs. analysis and use strong, purposeful word choice.
 * 1) Include a topic sentence—no need for a formal intro paragraph.
 * 2) Structure your commentary logically—by idea, chronological, from negative to positive, etc…but NOT BY DEVICE!
 * 3) No "This song/quote. . ." but rather embed quoted material naturally within your analysis.
 * 4) Mention specific literary devices naturally within your analysis, but don't spend time defining them.
 * 5) Analysis does not mean that you are proving WHY something is personification or a simile, ect, but rather how these literary techniques create a structure that allows for THEME.
 * 6) Analysis should lead ultimately to a THEME statement—this should appear early, so pre-planning is crucial.
 * 7) Use present tense in analysis unless referring to something earlier in plot/history.
 * 8) Use 3rd person and formal voice
 * 9) Conclude your paragraph in some way.
 * 10) BY ALL MEANS, PROOFREAD CARELESS MISTAKES IN GENERAL.

Ms. Wrede's sample

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