closeup of a camera lens
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What is lens analysis?

Lens analysis requires you to distill a concept, theory, method or claim from a text (i.e. the “lens”) and then use it to interpret, analyze, or explore something else e.g. a first-hand experience, visual text, physical object or space, historical or current event or figure, a cultural phenomenon, an idea or even another text (i.e. the “exhibit”).

A writer employing lens analysis seeks to assert something new and unexpected about the exhibit; he or she strives to go beyond the expected or the obvious, exploiting the lens to acquire novel insights. Furthermore, there is a reciprocal aspect in that the exploration of the exhibit should cause the writer to reflect, elaborate, or comment on the selected concept or claim. Using a concept developed by someone else to conduct an analysis or interpretation of one’s own is a fundamental move in academia, one that you will no doubt be required to perform time and time again in college.

Note: The first part of the process (ICE) is also known as a “quote sandwich,” which makes sense if you think about it.

How to Perform Lens Analysis

  1. Introduce selected quotation from lens text i.e. provide the source for the quote as well as its context.
  2. Cite the quotation i.e. use a signal phrase and partial quotation to present the author’s ideas clearly to your reader. Make sure to provide the required citation (MLA for this class).
  3. Explain what the quotation means in terms of your argument i.e. ensure that the meaning of the quotation is clear to your reader in connection to your argument.
  4. Apply the quotation to a specific aspect of the exhibit i.e. use the idea expressed in the quotation to develop an insightful interpretation about an aspect of the exhibit.
  5. Reflect on the particular lens idea more deeply i.e. complicate it, extend its scope, or raise a new question that you will address next in your analysis, if applicable.

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Writing About Literature Copyright © by Sarah Guayante is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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