SPECslims

An acronym that may help you unpack poem and prose passages for commentary:
 * SPECslims **
 * S ** Subject
 * P ** Purpose of the poem
 * E ** Emotional response
 * C ** Craftsmanship: **SLIMS**
 * S** Structure of the poem (ballad, sonnet, etc.)
 * L** Language and diction
 * I ** Imagery
 * M** Movement (rhythm and rhyme)
 * S** Sound & Sensory devices (alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, etc.)

The initials **SPE** may be used for part or all of the introduction to your commentary (oral or written). 1. S: The focus is on the **subject**, idea or issue being addressed. This can be extremely abstract and refer to ideas or emotional responses instead of more concrete issues. 2. P: Secondly, you discuss the **purpose** of the poet: is it to provoke discussion, break your heart, make you feel guilty, etc.? 3. E: Next is the **emotional** response of the reader to the idea or issue presented. These ideas can be discussed in three separate paragraphs or merged into one **introductory** paragraph. 4. ** Craftsmanship ** is the essence of a commentary or literary analysis. How did the poet achieve these effects and responses? The use of **SLIMS** (**S:** Structure of the poem; **L:** Language and diction; **I**: Imagery; **M:** Movement; **S:** Sound & Sensory devices) gives you the opportunity to cover all of the generic areas required for a response. However, it is not enough for a higher grade! In order to gain a high grade, you must link these poetic techniques to your response and use quotes to support your statements.