If you’ve ever struggled to understand a complicated text or wanted to throw a piece of classic literature at your wall, you’re not alone. Even those of us who have studied literature for years still run into the same problem! The good news is that reading is a skill, and the more you exercise your abilities and learn techniques, the easier it will get. Keep reading for tips to understand difficult literature–informed by my perspective as both a student and an English teacher.

#1: Read slowly

This seems intuitive, and maybe it is. Often, especially if it’s assigned reading, you want to speed through it. If you’re a student, this makes sense. You have this book to read, on top of homework from several other classes. However, you will save yourself time in the long run by reading slowly the first time. If you really want to understand difficult literature, you need to become acquainted with it. Let the words sink in. Allow yourself to think and react. It will help, especially as you follow the next instructions.

#2: Summarize as you go

One of the most helpful steps to take is summarizing. Often, you understand at least part of what you read. It’s the difficult paragraphs that throw you. When I read, I still like to write myself small summaries at the end of each chapter. If it’s a particularly difficult text or nonfiction, I write short summaries at the end of the paragraph. For poems, I do each stanza. It’s tedious the first time around, but it helps immensely. Especially if you have to write an essay about the book or study it again, you will save yourself so much time and gain understanding.

#3: Write down your questions

As you read, write down any questions you have. This can fall into the following categories:

• Historical: What was the significance of ______ in the context in which it was written?
• Comprehension: What happened in this paragraph?
• Vocabulary: What did “pernicious” mean in that context?
• Literary terms: Was that an example of alliteration?
• Extrapolating: What relation did X have to Y, and how might that impact the outcome?

Of course, these are not exhaustive. By writing down your questions, you will leave yourself a record of your thoughts and research, which will double as notes. You also won’t make the mistake of assuming you’ll figure it out later! You’ll likely have a lot of questions in the beginning. However, as you do this more, it will become much easier to understand difficult literature.

#4: Don’t be afraid to annotate

Annotating is the key to getting yourself to the next level.

When you annotate, you interact with the text. You go from being a passive reader to an active reader. Asking questions is the start of this. However, annotation goes beyond this and calls upon you to put your own thoughts into it.

I like to think of annotation as a scavenger hunt. Essentially, the author scatters in clues to their true meaning and methods. It’s up to you to find it. Some strategies include the following:

• Add notes to any potentially useful headers, titles, or subheadings
• Write comments in the margins. Note anything that stands out to you! Following your intuition is important, as it is often correct.
• Highlight/circle/underline anything that stands out to you. Consider this in case of interesting diction, symbolism, or other literary devices.
• Note wherever you see certain themes or patterns.

Obviously, don’t go too crazy with annotation. When there’s too much writing, it becomes overwhelming. However, this is a great way to leave yourself notes and understand difficult literature more deeply.

#5: Listen to or Watch the text

If you have the opportunity, this is an amazing option. For many of us, it’s easier to understand when we hear things–or better yet, if we’re reading and listening at the same time. Especially for poetry and rhythmic pieces, listening is a fantastic support. When you listen, your brain has to slow down. You hear the words, intonation, and emphasis how the author intended.

If you are not a natural reader, I highly recommend doing this. If you are an English learner (ESL), this is a great website. You can adjust the speed, and it offers several pieces of classic literature.

When your piece of literature is a play, it is incredibly helpful to watch it. Like with listening, this gives you an idea of how the author intended it to be performed. It also puts the stage directions into context. This is my best piece of advice for students reading Shakespeare!

#6: Reread

Each time I read a book, I find something that I didn’t notice before. I’ve read The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby countless times, yet each time, I find something new. Especially when you’re starting your literature journey, this is a crucial step! Read it the first time around, then take a break. Let the words sink into your brain. Often, especially with poetry, the first time reading is more for comprehension than it is for analysis. After you’ve given it some time to percolate, return. This time, dig a little deeper.

My rule of thumb when I was a student (and what I often do when it’s a new text that I’m teaching) was to read the text three times. This might be unrealistic for some people. However, I recommend doing it at least twice to let the text speak to you!

#7: After you’ve done this, look up a summary/analysis

The keyword is after. You’re not doing yourself any favors if you turn to Sparknotes in place of actually reading the text. With that being said, it is a useful tool! As you’re learning how to read and understand difficult literature, it doesn’t hurt to check your understanding. Additionally, these websites or YouTube channels often model the kind of analysis for you. That is to say, it gives you a starting point and shows you how to analyze. If you’re reading an older text by authors like Shakespeare, Milton, or Dante, this is a crucial step.

#8: Pay attention to background on reading

Often, English teachers do a background on reading or literature in context before reading. This is super important! It places the literature into context, preparing you for some of the following things:

• Historical, political, or literary influence
• Author’s life
• Vocabulary
• Literary terms you may encounter
• Difficult topics in the text

Like I tell my students, the best way to understand difficult literature is to understand the author and the time. Once you do that, you’re off to an excellent start!

Conclusion

Learning to read–to really read–is no easy task. However, with practice and strategy, it is certainly achievable. These tips have helped me to read not only in English, but other languages as well. That goes to show that it truly is a skill!

What other tips have you tried? How have these helped you? Let me know!

Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay