What is the Situation?

How Do We Know?

Colors?

Details?

Mood? If you were a tree, how would you feel?

Commentary on Historical Situation?

Moral & Psychological What is this a painting about?

Cosmological & OntologicalWhat is this a painting about spritually, cosmically?

“We are Making a New World”Paul Nash, 1918

Describe Your Journey

Literal Historical Psychological Cosmic

Analysis: what you understand and how you came to understand it.

Finding a Subject

War

Historical

Despair

Psychological

Rebirth

Cosmic

What do you want to write about?

You discovered many facets of this painting.

Choose ONE• Choose one facet • Choose one

subject (each facet may have multiple subjects)

Template for AnalysisSubject: War (or whatever you choose)

In his painting “We are Making a New World,” Paul Nash uses _________(1)_____________ to convey the idea that ______ (subject)______ is _____(2)_____ and _____(2)______, ___________________(3)_________________.

1. Literal elements (images of ruined trees and pitted earth)2. Tone words (see mood notes)

OR3. Thematic statement (what is the epiphany that you had about the

subject as you studied this piece? What does it say about the human condition?)

Template for AnalysisSubject: War (or whatever you choose)

NoviceIn his painting “We are Making a New World,” Paul Nash uses images to convey his ideas about war.

ImprovingIn his painting “We are Making a New World,” Paul Nash uses images of trees and water to convey his conflicting ideas about war.

1. Literal elements 2. Tone words (see mood notes)

OR3. Thematic statement (what is the epiphany that you had about the subject

as you studied this piece? What does it say about the human condition?)

GoodIn his painting “We are Making a New World,” Paul Nash uses images of ruined trees and pitted earth juxtaposed with images of sun and water to convey the idea that war can be simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful.

BetterIn his painting “We are Making a New World,” Paul Nash uses images of ruined trees and pitted earth juxtaposed with images of sun and water to convey the idea that war [(is) both heartbreaking and hopeful] destroy(s)(ing) our understanding of our world, but makes way for a new paradigm.

1. Literal elements (images of ruined trees and pitted earth)2. Tone words (see mood notes)

OR3) Thematic statement (what is the epiphany that you had about the subject as you studied this

piece? What does it say about the human condition?

Recapture Your Process of Understanding

Showing Your Work in Math Showing Your Process in Science

Transfer to TextLiteral Level

Who is the speaker?

What is the situation?

What is in the text to help us understand possible meanings?

Imagery

Detail

Diction

Point of View (perspective)

Syntax

Beyond the Literal

Tone• How do the elements create

tone?• List some words that capture

possible tones.

Theme• How do the elements create

theme?• What is a universal idea

proposed by these elements?

Imagery

Detail

Diction

Point of View (perspective)

Syntax

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Lynne Weber of The St. Mark’s School in Dallas, Texas for introducing me to the Paul Nash’s painting and Dante’s 4-fold method of exegesis at APSI 2012, SMU.

• We are Making a New World,1918 (oil on canvas), Paul Nash (1889-1946) / Imperial War Museum, London, UK.