Reflection Prompt

You Are Already a Critic

Practicing description, interpretation, and evaluation on something you chose

Every time you skip a song, stop scrolling because an image catches your attention, or tell a friend a film was worth seeing, you are making a critical judgment. What this unit gives you is a method for doing it well: describe what is there, interpret what it means, and evaluate how good it is, in that order.

The prompt

Choose a single work that you can look at or listen to again right now: a song, a short film clip, a painting or photograph, a building you pass often, or a poem. Spend a few minutes with it, then write three short paragraphs:

  1. Describe. Say only what is there. Name specific details of form (color, rhythm, composition, word choice, camera movement) without saying what they mean or whether they are good.
  2. Interpret. Say what the work means or expresses, and tie your reading to at least one detail from your description.
  3. Evaluate. Say how well the work succeeds, and state the standard you are using (for example perfection, insight, or inexhaustibility).

When you finish, notice which paragraph was hardest to write, and why. Many people find description hardest because they want to jump to meaning. If your interpretation did not need anything from your description, go back and see whether you were looking at the work or at your first impression.

Your Reflection

This is a thinking space — your response is not saved or submitted. Copy your work if you want to keep it.