1. Literary
Analysis
Literary
Analysis

2. OBJECTIVES Define literary analysis
Understand purpose of literary analysis
Understand the components of good writing: depth, complexity, quality
Tips for effective analysis
Analysis of Literary Elements: diction, conflict, character, images, symbols, figurative language, theme and form/style

3. LITERARY ANALYSIS
A literary analysis explains a literary work in a formal essay. The work (novel, short story, or poem) is referenced by considering the full range of literary elements present and the intention of the author.

4. LITERARY ANALYSIS
Literary analysis assumes knowledge of the work and therefore does not provide a summary.
Each analysis paper supports a clearly defined thesis to be proved about the work; it is PERSUASIVE.

5. PURPOSE OF ANALYSIS The ultimate end of analysis is a deeper
understanding and a fuller appreciation
of the literature –
you learn
to see more,
to uncover or create
richer, denser, more interesting
meanings.

6. YOU MIGHT BE ASKING---
WHAT DO I LOOK FOR?
To begin to analyze written work a common way of identifying the qualities that characterize it as 'good' by examining its ….

7. D E P T H
COMPLEXITY
QUALITY

8. D E P T H When we looking deeply into the text we see
that we are formed largely by culture
we have common human needs
we experience life with complexity
our lives hold symbolic and historical meaning
When you read remember that authors are
demonstrating to us that there is more to life
Than our physical sense of it.
Authors seek to define some of the forces and
feelings which give resonance to our being.

9. Our experience is complex.
COMPLEXITY
Think in terms of our human experience as:
being made up by interacting factors -- environment, character, situation and so forth, and
comprised of a number of different elements -- thought, feeling, sensation, memory, imagination, significant symbols, conventions, culturally-formed ways of saying and thinking.
Our experience is complex.

10. QUALITY
In order to evoke the complexities and the depth of experience, literature has to use all of its resources well.
The more the resources of language and meaning are used to reveal the depth and complexity the more we say this work has QUALITY.

11. STRATEGIES TO FOLLOW FOR EFFECTIVE ANALYSIS
Read the text
Consider applicable perspectives
Consider literary elements

12. Quick Tips Reading
Read s l o w l y, p a y a t t e n t I o n to every word
Use your gut (initial) reactions
Free write your impressions and observations
Try to discover the author’s intention--research what the authors have said about their work or biographical events that relate to the work

13. Quick Tips Critical perspective
Political perspective: consider how political systems and politics are portrayed in the work;
Feminist perspective: consider how the work portray women and approach gender roles of the sexes;
Ethnic perspective: consider how ethnic groups and interactions are approached within the work

14. Quick Tips Critical perspective
Consider other perspectives where appropriate
religious
psychological
mythological
sociological
belief systems
The caution here is to accurately represent the text and support all interpretations by evidence in the text.

15. ANALYZE
ALL
APPLICABLE
LITERARY
ELEMENTS

16. Literary Elements DICTION
THE WORDS
Focus on of the work.
Ask:
Is the language concrete or abstract?
Is this the language of emotion or reason?
What structure does the language follow?
What images are created?
How has dialogue been employed or not employed?

17. Literary Elements CONFLICT
List all of the conflicts or tensions in the work and
fill them out with examples or evidence from the work
Draw conclusions about the conflict and
this will become a thesis.

18. Literary Elements CHARACTER
Consider what consistent qualities the character has, what motivates the character, what complexities the character shows, does the character change or remain the same.
Are the characters dynamic, static, stock (stereotypical)?

19. Literary Elements IMAGES
Most literature can be analyzed through images and symbols.
Scan the work, listing images, symbols, searching for patterns and repetitions.
Write down page references and your first interpretations.

20. Literary Elements THEME
REVENGE
PROVIDENCE
Look for the meaning in the text, but don’t settle for first thing you see.
Make a list of all possible themes stated in complete sentences and in universal terms
Example:
The theme of Romeo and Juliet is that romantic love cannot exist in a corrupt world.
INTEGRITY
GOOD VS. EVIL
POWER
INJUSTICE
LOVE

21. Literary Elements FORM/STYLE
Each genre or type of literature has its own principles of style and form.
Literary Elements FORM/STYLE
Poetry is
examined
through
rhyme, rhythm,
sound devices,
and format
Fiction is examined by considering narrative point of view, transitional devices, sentence structure or time sequence.
Drama’s unique element is staging, the props, actors’ gestures, lighting, the set, and visual effects.

22. Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.
Poetry Analysis Using
TPCASTT
Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn. 
~Thomas Gray

23. Poetry is the key to the hieroglyphics of Nature.
Getting Started…
This is a process to help you organize your analysis of poetry.
Using the terminology, it is time to dig deeper.
Poetry is the key to the hieroglyphics of Nature. 
~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare,
Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

24. T is for TITLE Analyze the title first.
What do you predict this poem will be about?
Write down your predictions.
We will reflect on the title again after we have read the poem.
Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings, and making music with them. 
~Dennis Gabor

25. Now it is time to
STOP
and read the poem
before going on

26. P is for PARAPHRASE
Paraphrasing is putting something in your own words.
After reading the poem, rewrite it in your own words.
This may be three sentences or a page, depending on the particular poem.

27. C is for CONNOTATION implied metaphor
Analyze the figures of speech and sound effects of the poem.
alliteration
apostrophe
RHYME
personification
diction
ASSONANCE
meter
simile
onomatopoeia
implied metaphor
HYPERBOLE
direct metaphor
These elements add to the meaning.

28. A is for ATTITUDE Tone is the attitude of the
speaker toward the subject
of the poem.

29. S is for SHIFT If there is a change in… Time Tone Speaker
this should always be noted since it will affect the meaning

30. T is for TITLE (again) At this time, you should reconsider the title.
Were you right in your predictions?
What other meanings might the title have in light of your analysis?
Next comes the biggie….

31. T is for THEME
As you already know, theme is the general insight into life conveyed by the author through his/her work.
It does not make a judgment.
example: “Don’t do drugs” is not a theme.
It merely states something that is true to life and the human condition.

32. How do I find the THEME? Look at the other parts of TPCASTT.
What insight are all of these working together to convey?
What is the poet trying to say about life?

33. Poetry Explication
A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem.
Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem's plot and conflicts with its structural features.
Some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.

34. Pre-writing: Consider:
What is being dramatized? What conflicts or themes does the poem
present, address, or question?
Who is the speaker? Define and describe the speaker and his/her
voice. What does the speaker say? Who is the audience? Are other
characters involved?
What happens in the poem? Consider the plot or basic design of the
action. How are the dramatized conflicts or themes introduced,
sustained, resolved, etc.?
When does the action occur? What is the date and/or time of day?
Where is the speaker? Describe the physical location of the dramatic
moment.
Why does the speaker feel compelled to speak at this moment? What
is his/her motivation?

35. Details
To analyze the design of the poem, we must focus on the poem's parts, develop our understanding of the poem's structure, and we gather support and evidence for our interpretations. Some of the details we should consider include the following:
Form: Does the poem represent a particular form (sonnet, sestina, etc.)? Does the poem present any unique variations from the traditional structure of that form?
Rhetoric: How does the speaker make particular statements? Does the rhetoric seem odd in any way? Why? Consider the predicates and what they reveal about the speaker.
Syntax: Consider the subjects, verbs, and objects of each statement and what these elements reveal about the speaker. Do any statements have convoluted or vague syntax?
Vocabulary: Why does the poet choose one word over another in each line? Do any of the words have multiple or archaic meanings that add other meanings to the line? Use the Oxford English Dictionary as a resource.

36. Patterns
As you analyze the design line by line, look for certain patterns to develop which provide insight into the dramatic situation, the speaker's state of mind, or the poet's use of details. Some of the most common patterns include the following:
Rhetorical Patterns: Look for statements that follow the same format.
Rhyme: Consider the significance of the end words joined by sound; in a poem with no rhymes, consider the importance of the end words.
Patterns of Sound: Alliteration and assonance create sound effects and often cluster significant words.
Visual Patterns: How does the poem look on the page?
Rhythm and Meter: Consider how rhythm and meter influence our perception of the speaker and his/her language.

37. language at its most distilled
Poetry is
language at its most distilled
and
most powerful. 
~Rita Dove

38. Use TPCASTT for your next Analysis of Poetry TPCASTT TEMPLATE
 TITLE P
 PARAPHRASE C
 CONNOTATION A
 ATTITUDE S
 SHIFT
 THEME
Use TPCASTT for your next Analysis of Poetry TPCASTT TEMPLATE

39. REFERENCES
Bauman, M. G. (2007). Ideas & details: A guide to college writing. Massachusetts: Thomson Wadsworth:
Images from Microsoft Office 2003 clipart
Knott Poetry Analysis Using TPCASTT retrieved on January 25, 2008 from images.schoolinsites.com/.../BakerHigh/Uploads/Presentat ions/Poetry%20Analysis%20Using%20TPCASTTknott.ppt
Lye, J. (2000). Critical reading: A guide. Retrieved August 15, 2003 from
Poetry explications. (2007). The Writing Center. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Retrieved on January 17, 2009 from
Quotations about Poetry, (2008). The Quote Garden: A Harvest of Quotes for Word Lovers Retrieved on January 30, 2008 from