analysing texts

[YellowSpider]

hey guys,

i really want to be able to analyse texts properly.. i know everyone also does, but anyway, is there a way to improve this skill? this question is kinda dumb but i just realised that i really need to be doing this nicely now.. gotta analyse all the robert frost poems and other stuff..

has anyone read 'waiting for godot'? i find that one really hard to analyse.. i need to find something to work on it, for my written assignment..

[MainRostand]

When analysing literature texts always follow the P.E.A scheme!

P - Point. This is what you want to prove. It is kind of like your mini-thesis statement for your paragraph.

E - Evidence. This is the example or portrayel of the point you are trying to make. In most cases a quote, this being direct or indirect.

A - Analysis. This is the CORE of your paragraph. What is the effect generated by specific terms in the quote? What can you infer? What are the literary devices used and how do they relate to the effect?

Lets take the following poem as an example:

"My Heart is Heavy"

My heart is heavy with many a song
Like ripe fruit bearing down the tree,
But I can never give you one --
My songs do not belong to me.

Yet in the evening, in the dusk
When moths go to and fro,
In the gray hour if the fruit has fallen,
Take it, no one will know.

by Sara Teasdale
Say you want to write a paragraph about the tone in the poem.

Point: The poem "My Heart is Heavy", by Sara Teasdale, displays a secretive and ominous tone through-out its lines.
Evidence: This can be appreciated when the atmosphere is set: "When moths go to and fro, // In the grey hour if the fruit has fallen..." (lines 6 & 7)
Analysis: The use of words like“moths” and “grey hour” give an idea of how night has fallen and that the background in which the poem is taking place has changed, hence, the impression of a secretive environment. The use of an allegory can be appreciated in the word “fruit”. Through the poem, this is used to represent the secret that the narrator is keeping and cannot share with someone else. In this context, it also turns into a symbol of power, temptation and a hunger for knowledge. It represents the craving and curiosity that a person can have for a secret.

My teacher also told us that you need to give the text multiple reads. The first one should be just reading, and you should note down the parts that stick out to you, as they probably have interesting content to analyse. The second one you should read with a pencil more carefully and write down notes "questioning" the text. (Like: Why is her heart heavy? Why would moths go to and fro?) This will allow you to understand the text better. Then I like to scan the text highlighting special literary devices or word selections+themes that I can write about.

Hope this helped!

Edited September 1, 2013 by MainRostand

[YellowSpider]

When analysing literature texts always follow the P.E.A scheme!

P - Point. This is what you want to prove. It is kind of like your mini-thesis statement for your paragraph.

E - Evidence. This is the example or portrayel of the point you are trying to make. In most cases a quote, this being direct or indirect.

A - Analysis. This is the CORE of your paragraph. What is the effect generated by specific terms in the quote? What can you infer? What are the literary devices used and how do they relate to the effect?

Lets take the following poem as an example:

"My Heart is Heavy"

My heart is heavy with many a song

Like ripe fruit bearing down the tree,

But I can never give you one --

My songs do not belong to me.

Yet in the evening, in the dusk

When moths go to and fro,

In the gray hour if the fruit has fallen,

Take it, no one will know.

by Sara Teasdale

Say you want to write a paragraph about the tone in the poem.

Point: The poem "My Heart is Heavy", by Sara Teasdale, displays a secretive and ominous tone through-out its lines.

Evidence: This can be appreciated when the atmosphere is set: "When moths go to and fro, // In the grey hour if the fruit has fallen..." (lines 6 & 7)

Analysis: The use of words like“moths” and “grey hour” give an idea of how night has fallen and that the background in which the poem is taking place has changed, hence, the impression of a secretive environment. The use of an allegory can be appreciated in the word “fruit”. Through the poem, this is used to represent the secret that the narrator is keeping and cannot share with someone else. In this context, it also turns into a symbol of power, temptation and a hunger for knowledge. It represents the craving and curiosity that a person can have for a secret.

My teacher also told us that you need to give the text multiple reads. The first one should be just reading, and you should note down the parts that stick out to you, as they probably have interesting content to analyse. The second one you should read with a pencil more carefully and write down notes "questioning" the text. (Like: Why is her heart heavy? Why would moths go to and fro?) This will allow you to understand the text better. Then I like to scan the text highlighting special literary devices or word selections+themes that I can write about.

Hope this helped!

hi, thanks a lot for this. i'll keep these in mind and yes it helped. thanks for the example as well.. do you have any links where i could work on the literary devices? i mean, i want to go through them again so do you have any idea where i could find such stuff?

[MainRostand]

I found this page useful when analysing: http://english.learnhub.com/lesson/4025-literary-devices There are other pages that show you really long lists of literary devices, but I think that this one summarizes the most important ones and some literary terms that are useful.

I would also add Hamartia into that list when analysing tragedies. Specially old ones (like greek literature). This is the tragic flaw of the hero. (such as achilles' heel).

[YellowSpider]

I found this page useful when analysing: http://english.learnhub.com/lesson/4025-literary-devices There are other pages that show you really long lists of literary devices, but I think that this one summarizes the most important ones and some literary terms that are useful.

I would also add Hamartia into that list when analysing tragedies. Specially old ones (like greek literature). This is the tragic flaw of the hero. (such as achilles' heel).

oh, okay. thanks for the link

[Smita]

I use the same method as pointed out above: Point, Evidence, Explanation. [PEE.]

As far as poetry goes, our teacher gave us some really good advice for handing unseen poetry, but I suppose you could adapt it to your use:

Aspects of poetry you should explore: content, technique, style, structure, theme, language ... etc.

Look at:

The human impulse behind the poem

Is it recapturing a personal experience?

Is it expressing a point of view?

Is it an attempt to open up a reader's mind to an idea?

Logic of development

Look at the sequence of the images or scenes; the description of the experience... Do you find the work narrative?

Development can be visual, emotional, intellectual or a combination of the lot.

Does it move towards a certain point or does it take a dramatic turn?

Literary features

This one is pretty well known, and I believe there is a link somewhere up there.

Just remember, it isn't enough to state the literary feature, you need to elaborate on the effect it has on the reader and the poem, so don't worry if you don't catch it all in a poem. Pick a couple that jumped out at you, and detail them properly.

Tone and syntax

The tone is how the poem feels to you, for example, it can be sad and nostalgic or mocking and ironic.

Long story short:

Try to keep these questions in mind while you analyse:

What is the poem about?

Where and when is it set?

Who is speaking? [it could be the poet or someone else]

What purpose is the poem serving?

How is the poem structured? Regularly? Irregularly?

Also keep in mind the vocabulary, imagery, literary devices and the tone and atmosphere.

Just remember though, this is a LOT of stuff. I wouldn't recommend you do all of this in one analysis. While you're reading the poem a couple of times, eventually some stuff will jump out at you. Those are likely very rich in analytic content, so attack them with everything you've got; because not everything listed her will be significant in every poem. So basically, trust your gut, pick the important bits, and rave on about them.

Good luck!

[YellowSpider]

I use the same method as pointed out above: Point, Evidence, Explanation. [PEE.]

As far as poetry goes, our teacher gave us some really good advice for handing unseen poetry, but I suppose you could adapt it to your use:

Aspects of poetry you should explore: content, technique, style, structure, theme, language ... etc.

Look at:

The human impulse behind the poem

Is it recapturing a personal experience?

Is it expressing a point of view?

Is it an attempt to open up a reader's mind to an idea?

Logic of development

Look at the sequence of the images or scenes; the description of the experience... Do you find the work narrative?

Development can be visual, emotional, intellectual or a combination of the lot.

Does it move towards a certain point or does it take a dramatic turn?

Literary features

This one is pretty well known, and I believe there is a link somewhere up there.

Just remember, it isn't enough to state the literary feature, you need to elaborate on the effect it has on the reader and the poem, so don't worry if you don't catch it all in a poem. Pick a couple that jumped out at you, and detail them properly.

Tone and syntax

The tone is how the poem feels to you, for example, it can be sad and nostalgic or mocking and ironic.

Long story short:

Try to keep these questions in mind while you analyse:

What is the poem about?

Where and when is it set?

Who is speaking? [it could be the poet or someone else]

What purpose is the poem serving?

How is the poem structured? Regularly? Irregularly?

Also keep in mind the vocabulary, imagery, literary devices and the tone and atmosphere.

Just remember though, this is a LOT of stuff. I wouldn't recommend you do all of this in one analysis. While you're reading the poem a couple of times, eventually some stuff will jump out at you. Those are likely very rich in analytic content, so attack them with everything you've got; because not everything listed her will be significant in every poem. So basically, trust your gut, pick the important bits, and rave on about them.

Good luck!

okay, this sounds great. thanks

[amarsuchak]

Heyyaa fellow IB survivor!

I would most definitely really suggest the PEA method to find out how to work things. This works mainly for all poems, it's fairly simple, and it is bound to get you some marks. I would suggest you to practice more and more and think about texts. Give them multiple readings -- first one to figure out important parts of the text, second get into greater detail, and third and fourth readings to go the deepest and looking at the text from a global perspective.

I am facing the same problems as you, my friend. We share the same subjects, except I have SL physics and HL English. Yes, I have read Waiting For Godot,,, It's one of the texts that my class is working on for part 3 of the English Language and Literature course. Frankly speaking, I didn't enjoy the piece as much as I did my others. I've only read the book once (chootiya jaisi book hai, kisi ko kuch bhi nei samaj nei aata hai, sabh sirf tukkad marte rehte hai). But yes, I have seen the movie and I have read enough of sparknotes (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/godot/) to understand the book. If you're planning to work on a written task with Waiting For Godot, I would strongly suggest you read the entire sparknotes and you'll find points that you haven't thought about for sure.

[YellowSpider]

Heyyaa fellow IB survivor!

I would most definitely really suggest the PEA method to find out how to work things. This works mainly for all poems, it's fairly simple, and it is bound to get you some marks. I would suggest you to practice more and more and think about texts. Give them multiple readings -- first one to figure out important parts of the text, second get into greater detail, and third and fourth readings to go the deepest and looking at the text from a global perspective.

I am facing the same problems as you, my friend. We share the same subjects, except I have SL physics and HL English. Yes, I have read Waiting For Godot,,, It's one of the texts that my class is working on for part 3 of the English Language and Literature course. Frankly speaking, I didn't enjoy the piece as much as I did my others. I've only read the book once (chootiya jaisi book hai, kisi ko kuch bhi nei samaj nei aata hai, sabh sirf tukkad marte rehte hai). But yes, I have seen the movie and I have read enough of sparknotes (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/godot/) to understand the book. If you're planning to work on a written task with Waiting For Godot, I would strongly suggest you read the entire sparknotes and you'll find points that you haven't thought about for sure.

Hey, thanks for responding. although, I'm sort of done with the WA. and yes i did check the sparknotes link out. but thanks anyway