Dialectical Response Format
Quote:
Prewriting:
Name of text underlined or italicized if typed
“Text quote from your book with correct
punctuation and annotation” (33).
This is where you will make notes about:

Text to text connections with another
work you have read
 The author’s use of literary devices,
rhetorical devices, or writing style
 Predictions, observations, or
questions
 Why this is an important quote
Formal Response:
This is where you will write a formal response using the notes you made in your prewriting and
embedding your quote within your text with proper punctuation and documentation. You
should use your “Survival Guide to Blending Quotes in Written Work” as a guide. Remember to
set up your quote and provide sufficient commentary to explain your quote and the
significance/your observations, etc.
Sample Dialectical Response
Quote:
Prewriting:
The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst
“When Doodle was five years old, I was
embarrassed at having a brother that age that
couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him. We
were down in Old Woman Swamp and it was
spring and the sick-sweet smell of bay flowers
hung everywhere like a mournful song” (466).
The brother’s motive in teaching Doodle to walk
seems to be a selfish one. (observation) I wonder
if Doodle will be able to do it? (question) I bet if
he does, the brother will have mixed feelings
about it since his original motive was to avoid
embarrassment. (prediction)
The author has used a simile to describe the
sweet smell of the flowers in the swamp, and the
comparison seems to have a sad tone to it; it
really helps the reader get into the setting
though. (literary devices/rhetorical techniques)
Formal Response:
The author of The Scarlet Ibis illustrates the brother’s conflicted feelings about Doodle when
the brother decides to teach him to walk: “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at
having a brother that age that couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him. We were down in Old Woman
Swamp and it was spring and the sick-sweet smell of bay flowers hung everywhere like a mournful song”
(466). The simile used to describe the bay flowers is a melancholy one and really helps the reader
understand the mournful tone of the scene. It may foreshadow the downfall of Doodle later on; the
brother’s selfishness may play a part in his death.