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

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.

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.

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.

YOU MIGHT BE ASKING---

To begin to analyze written work a common way of identifying the qualities that characterize it as 'good' by examining its ….

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 meaning

and

historical

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.

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.

 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.

STRATEGIES TO FOLLOW FOR EFFECTIVE ANALYSIS

 Read the text  Consider applicable perspectives  Consider literary elements

Quick Tips Reading

 Read

s l o w l y, p a y a t t e n t I o n

word to every  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

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

Quick Tips

Critical perspective

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

Literary Elements

DICTION

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?

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 .

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)?

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.

Literary Elements

THEME

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 thatromantic love cannot exist in a corrupt world.

Literary Elements

FORM/STYLE

Each genre or type of literature has its own principles of style and form.

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.

Poetry Analysis Using

TPCASTT

Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.

~Thomas Gray

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

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

Now it is time to

and

read the poem

before going on

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.

C is for CONNOTATION

Analyze the figures of speech and sound effects of the poem.

These elements add to the meaning.

A is for ATTITUDE

Tone

is the attitude of the speaker toward the subject of the poem.

S is for SHIFT

TONE SPEAKER TIME If there is a change in…  Time  Tone  Speaker this should always be noted since it will affect the meaning

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….

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

.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.

~Rita Dove

Use TPCASTT for your next Analysis of Poetry T P TITLE PARAPHRASE

TPCASTT TEMPLATE

C CONNOTATION A ATTITUDE S SHIFT T TITLE T THEME

REFERENCES

Bauman, M. G. (2007).

Ideas & details: A guide to college writing.

Massachusetts: Thomson Wadsworth: 273-307.

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 http://www.brocku.ca/english/jlye/criticalreading.html

Poetry explications

. (2007). The Writing Center. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved on January 17, 2009 from http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/poetry-explication.html

Quotations about Poetry

, (2008). The Quote Garden: A Harvest of Quotes for Word Lovers Retrieved on January 30, 2008 from http://www.quotegarden.com/poetry.html