Explication

Sixteen questions that guide a close reading of Donne's "The Flea," from speaker and tone to diction and imagery.

What to fix when revising an explication of "The Flea": content, style, and mechanics.

A filled-in plan for an explication of Larkin's "A Study of Reading Habits," with thesis, topic sentences, and details.

A student's explication of Donne's "The Flea," stanza by stanza.

Sample comments on quotations, style, grammar, and punctuation in student explications.