Writing a Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis

How to Properly Understand What You're Reading

Poll

Have you ever read for fun and not as a requirement?

• Yes, always

• Yes, sometimes

• Maybe, I'm not sure

• Not really

Literary Analysis

This is the evaluation or study of a work of literature, from books to essays, poems to stories.

Before we analyze literature...

Let us try to understand first - why should we read literary works?

Click on the external link for a short explanation of what literature is and its importance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neRyi3i3K20

So.. Literary Analysis.

What do we need to remember when reading and understanding a literary work?

Pre-reading

• Make sure you get enough light (avoid reading in the dark!)

• Be mentally ready

• Have paper and pen (or a device) ready to take notes

• Remove distractions in your surroundings (loud noise, etc)

Multiple Choice

Which one should you NOT DO before reading?

• read in a dark place

• remove distractions such as loud music

• prepare yourself mentally

• have something to write notes in

While Reading

• Note down unfamiliar words

• Read carefully

• Highlight or note down important details

• Enjoy!

Analyzing What You Read

• Write down as you think.

• Note the theme, conflict, characters, and setting of what you read.

• Try to think about the purpose of what you read - why do you think it was written? Is there a message it wants to say?

• Review and edit your analysis.

When Editing...

• Check if your sentences make sense

• Remember your rules on capitalization, and don't forget punctuations

• Remove unnecessary comments

• Keep long, flowery words to a minimum

• Read the whole thing again

More importantly...

Ask yourself whether or not you liked what you've read.

Multiple Select

Should I have fun while reading?

• Definitely!

• Absolutely not

• I have mixed feelings about this.

Multiple Choice

Which one should you keep to a minimum?

• Opinions

• Punctuations

• Long, flowery words

• rereading the literary work

Open Ended

Review: Why is reading literature important?