Generally, composing a commentary essay as a part of an assignment might be daunting. However, it is not as complicated as several people say. With some commentary essay examples, you can easily understand the concept. In general, a commentary essay is just an analysis of a text, film, literary piece, or any other media.
But, when writing a commentary essay, instead of simply stating your opinion on the movie or text, you should make sure to support your claims by using evidence from that work itself. Most importantly, the commentary essay that you prepare should be well-structured and it should remain objective and analytical.
For your better understanding, in this blog, we have shared commentary essay examples analysis. In addition to that, we have also suggested some valuable tips for writing a perfect commentary essay.
Continue reading and update your knowledge of commentary essay writing.
What is a Commentary Essay?
A commentary essay is a type of essay that evaluates and examines a text or any other form of content. As a writer, in a commentary essay, you will have to analyze a specific text and share your opinion or interpretation of it. Particularly, to support your analysis in this essay type, you will have to present evidence from the content itself. Mostly, in college-level English courses, you will learn to write about commentary essay writing.
The commentary essays are of two types as specified below
- Literary Commentary: It is a comprehensive analysis of a passage from a literary work such as a poem, novel, sonnet, etc.
- Data Commentary: It is an analysis of a visual display like movies, and short films.
Commentary Essay Preparation
Usually, for your assignment, you will be asked to write a commentary for any piece of text. If you are about to prepare a commentary essay on a text, then first carefully read the entire text and annotate it. Annotation refers to making notes on the text itself. Also, when you read the text, take notes of the author’s argument or key point. Furthermore, take into account the supporting evidence the author has provided along with how well the author presents their case and whether or not you agree with them.
When writing a commentary essay, keep in mind that you are providing your view of the text. You should support your claims with proof from the text, but you should also be explicit about your opinions. Also, make a point of properly stating your position and explaining why you hold it.
Also Read: Excellent College Essay Topics and Ideas
Steps for Writing a Commentary Essay
Wondering how to write a commentary essay? If yes, then simply follow the steps suggested below. It will help you in coming up with a great commentary essay.
- Carefully read and understand the commentary essay prompt.
- Brainstorm the essay topic and generate ideas from different viewpoints.
- Create a powerful thesis statement using one or two sentences. A thesis statement should be the key idea that you are about to discuss in your essay.
- Conduct deep research on the material and note down the major points.
- Develop a well-structured commentary essay outline by including essential components such as the introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Elaborate on the outline and compose an outstanding commentary essay. In the essay, you should analyze and share your opinion of the given text with supporting evidence from the text itself.
- Finally, proofread your essay multiple times and improve its quality. The draft that is ready for submission should be original and free from errors.
Commentary Essay Outline
When composing a commentary essay, this is how you will have to create an outline.
- Introduce your subject.
- Talk about your major point or argument.
- Provide proof to back up your point of view.
- Explain why your argument is important.
- Summarize your points and make suggestions for additional research on the subject.
Commentary Essay Examples
For your better comprehension, here, we have explained the concept of a commentary essay with examples. Without any hesitation, go through the commentary essay examples analysis and update your knowledge.
Mostly, you will be asked to give your commentary for a poem, a short story, or any other content. In such a scenario, before you begin writing your commentary essay, make sure to read the given text and note down the following things for your analysis.
- Title, author name, publication date, and the genre
- Theme, target audience, and core subject, it can be an event or characters in the novel
- How the text is presented. E.g. the usage of words, active or passive voice
- Mood and tone
- Literary devices
- Quotes
Commentary Essay Example 1: For a Poem
For commentary essay example, we have taken Christopher Dewdney’s “The Night Wind.” Look below and understand how to write a commentary essay for a poem.
Introduction
As said earlier, first you should start your essay with a catchy introduction. In specific, your introduction should include details such as the work title you are commentating on, the author’s name, and the genre. Also, in your introductory paragraph, you can express your main viewpoints and focus on things that affected you the most.
Find here, a sample of a commentary essay introduction.
“Recently, “The Night Wind” written by Dewdney impressed me a lot. He gives the wind a personality and a life of its own. Through this image, the author takes the reader on an intriguing voyage. The poem primarily focuses on an escape from life’s worries”
Body
Next, in the body paragraph, you will have to share what you think is the purpose of the work and the intentions of the work. Here, you can discuss all the things that are impressive to you. Most importantly, in your commentary essay body, you need to evaluate the analyzed piece of literature and demonstrate your interpretation of the work. Use commentary sentences to highlight the text’s key ideas.
The following is an example of a commentary essay body.
“Note that there are no rhymes, meters, or schemes in the composition. Dewdney uses free verse to convey a lighthearted attitude. Also, through this way, he conveys the sense of freedom.”
Whenever you compose the body of the essay, make sure to back up your thoughts with valid examples as shared below. Keep in mind to use the quotes.
“The author uses uplifting phrases such as “The wind blows forever” to highlight the idea of freedom. Also, there are certain lines such as “Above me the Milky Way” that make the reader consider the grandeur of the universe.”
Conclusion
Finally, wrap up your commentary essay with a powerful conclusion. In the conclusion, restate your position. To finish the comment excellently, paraphrase your primary idea.
See here the sample of a commentary essay conclusion.
“The poem “The Night Wind” represents an escape from the difficulties of everyday life. The text’s loose, sometimes whimsical form offers the reader a sense of lightness and calm. Reading such poetry transports the reader to the fantastic world of liberty.”
Also Read: Best Process Essay Topics and Ideas
Commentary Essay Example 2: For an Essay
For the next commentary essay example, we have taken Christopher Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Read and understand how to analyze an essay and come up with an engaging commentary essay.
Introduction
In his “A Modest Proposal” essay, Swift says that the Irish poor sell their children to wealthy English landowners to lessen the country’s economic load. He makes his argument through satire and explains certain subtle jokes with the help of annotations.
Body
Swift starts by describing the terrible circumstances that Ireland faces due to its extreme poverty and overcrowding. Next, he presents his “solution,” which involves selling Irish kids to the wealthy as food. Particularly, by using irony and sarcasm, Swift illustrates how absurd this idea is and how heartless the wealthy are toward the underprivileged. Finally, he concludes that in England, poor people are being treated like commodities regularly.
Conclusion
Swift’s suggestion is a stinging criticism of the English nobility and their treatment of the Irish people. Moreover, the annotations serve to explain Swift’s ideas and demonstrate why his essay is so compelling.
Tips for Writing a Commentary Essay
So far, we have seen a few commentary essay examples. Next, let us look at some valuable tips for writing a commentary essay. Following the commentary essay writing tips will assist you in improving the quality of your essay content.
- In the essay, always write a topic sentence with evidence and start the next sentence using the phrase “This shows that”. By using this method, you can explain the quote from the text.
- Provide thorough information about the original content starting from the author’s information to the research paper’s publication date. Try to use the Literary Elements and Techniques (LET) method. Typically, when you analyze a text, make sure to pay attention to the literary techniques, style, character, plot, viewpoints, language, settings, conflict, etc used by the author.
- Always keep your comments within a boundary. Avoid giving an appreciation for the original content.
- Make sure to include a key title that summarizes the information. Try to incorporate keywords from both your thesis statement and the original material.
- Follow the concept of 4 cells when analyzing a text. In this method, you will have to divide a sheet of paper into four parts. Then, after dividing, place a quote and topic sentences in the top two cells and write comments to them at the bottom squares. This method will assist you in analyzing each piece of text and integrating the comments into a single whole.
- Avoid summarizing the entire text because the reader won’t find it useful. Briefly discuss only the key points in the original work.
- Never make generalizations.
- Cite all the sources you have used. Avoid using irrelevant citations.
- Before submission of your essay, check over your work twice and correct if there are any grammar and structural errors.
Conclusion
Hopefully, by now, you will have gained a better understanding of how to write a brilliant commentary essay. If you are writing a commentary essay for the first time, then refer to the commentary essay examples shared above. It will give you an idea of how to share your opinions or comments for literature or any other work. In case, you are still not confident enough to handle commentary essay writing on your own, call us immediately.
