These are the instructions:
The length of responses should be 300 to 500 words. It’s a non-formal response, discussion-based. I will attach examples of what an A discussion post looks, what an A- post looks, and what a bad post looks. A one is the one to follow nothing below. This discussion will be on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red death.” Pick a small section and analyze it very critically and in so much detail. Do not analyze the text as a whole but focus on a specific paragraph or section. That’s what separates an A from an A-. No citing or cover page required. Below are the expectations and requirements.

While your writing style can certainly be less formal, you should refrain from merely summarizing—that is, your close-reading should offer interesting, and substantial critical insights into the texts we are discussing in class. How does a particular passage resonate with a larger theme of the work? How does it identify a central tension? What figurative language does your chosen passage employ that serves as a key to unlocking hidden meaning? How does it reflect the concurrent cultural/historical moment? How does it complicate conventional readings of the text?