Levels of Interpretation

In class today, I discussed this idea of the levels of interpretation in meta-reflecting on a piece of text. Here is a linear representation of the process:

Meta-Reflection

1.) Find a piece of text that affects you intellectually or emotionally or just plain confuses you.
2.) Put the point of the text ("what it says") into your own words--you may also need to refer to other parts of the text or outside texts (if the piece of text is an unfamiliar allusion)
3.) Describe the text's function in the overall argument--how does the text work? What is it appealing to? (ethos, pathos, logos)
4.) Now ask how the elements of the text's concrete language or composition of the image is creating that "effect" on you--you have now come full circle and worked to understand why that piece of text interested you in the first place.

Ways to Approach the Blog

1.) see above process
2.) Look up an allusion--speculate as to why the author may have used this allusion? How does this new information change the way you look at the first text?
3.) Summarize a part of the text
4.) Choose a piece of text--comment on why it confuses you/affects you (see above).
5.) Explore a "main idea" in the text that you think the author is trying to get at--make sure to cite the text to demonstrate that the text relates to this idea.
6.) Analyze the structure of the text as a whole--how does the author set up his/her argument?
7.) Think about what details about an experience or an argument are omitted. What is "not" there and why is that significant to the argument.
8.) Argue against the author's main point
9.) Introduce another text that you have read that relates to the author's main ideas or points--comment on how this affects your reading of the text.
10.) Speculate on the ideal "audience" of this piece. Who is the author addressing? How do you differ/resemble this "ideal audience."
11.) Take up one of the author's points and offer more examples that helps support their argument/point. 
12.) Look at dominant "image" or "metaphors" in the text (its figurative language). How does the author use this language throughout the text? What is its effect/meaning?

I'm sure there are many more, but this will get you started!