English 9: Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis in English 9

Key Concepts

• Literary Analysis: A close reading of a literary text to identify and interpret its meaning, themes, and literary devices.
• Analytical Thinking: Breaking down a text into its components to understand how they contribute to the overall meaning.
• Evidence-Based Argument: Supporting claims with textual evidence to build a persuasive argument.

Steps to Analyze a Literary Text

1. Close Reading: Read the text carefully, noting important details, quotes, and literary devices.
2. Identify Themes: Determine the central ideas or messages the text conveys.
3. Analyze Literary Devices: Identify and explain the use of literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
4. Develop a Claim: Formulate a clear and specific argument about the text.
5. Support with Evidence: Use quotes and examples from the text to support the claim.
6. Organize and Write: Structure the analysis into a clear and coherent written argument.

Effective Literary Analysis Techniques

• Contextualization: Consider the historical, cultural, and social context in which the text was written.
• Character Analysis: Examine the characters' motivations, actions, and relationships to understand their role in the text.
• Symbolism and Imagery: Identify and interpret the use of symbols, motifs, and imagery to uncover deeper meanings.
• Tone and Point of View: Analyze the author's tone and point of view to understand their perspective and message.

Tips for Writing a Strong Literary Analysis

• Use Textual Evidence: Support claims with direct quotes and examples from the text.
• Use Clear and Concise Language: Avoid using overly complex language and focus on clarity.
• Organize and Structure: Use a clear and logical structure to present the analysis.
• Avoid Summary: Focus on analysis and interpretation rather than simply summarizing the plot.

Literary Analysis in English 9

Key Concepts

• Literary analysis is a close reading of a literary text to identify and interpret its meaning, themes, and literary devices.
• Analytical thinking involves breaking down a text into its components to understand how they contribute to the overall meaning.
• An evidence-based argument supports claims with textual evidence to build a persuasive argument.

Steps to Analyze a Literary Text

• Close reading involves reading the text carefully, noting important details, quotes, and literary devices.
• Identify themes by determining the central ideas or messages the text conveys.
• Analyze literary devices by identifying and explaining the use of devices such as imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
• Develop a claim by formulating a clear and specific argument about the text.
• Support with evidence by using quotes and examples from the text to support the claim.
• Organize and write by structuring the analysis into a clear and coherent written argument.

Effective Literary Analysis Techniques

Contextualization

• Consider the historical context in which the text was written.
• Consider the cultural context in which the text was written.
• Consider the social context in which the text was written.

Character Analysis

• Examine the characters' motivations to understand their role in the text.
• Examine the characters' actions to understand their role in the text.
• Examine the characters' relationships to understand their role in the text.

Symbolism and Imagery

• Identify and interpret the use of symbols to uncover deeper meanings.
• Identify and interpret the use of motifs to uncover deeper meanings.
• Identify and interpret the use of imagery to uncover deeper meanings.

Tone and Point of View

• Analyze the author's tone to understand their perspective and message.
• Analyze the author's point of view to understand their perspective and message.

Tips for Writing a Strong Literary Analysis

• Use textual evidence to support claims with direct quotes and examples from the text.
• Use clear and concise language to avoid using overly complex language and focus on clarity.
• Organize and structure the analysis using a clear and logical structure to present the analysis.
• Avoid summary by focusing on analysis and interpretation rather than simply summarizing the plot.

Verb Tenses

Present Tense

• Describes actions that are true in general or happen regularly
• Formed using the base form of the verb (e.g. go, run, eat)
• Examples: I go to school every day, She eats breakfast at 7am

Past Tense

• Describes completed actions in the past
• Formed using the -ed ending for regular verbs (e.g. walked, ran, ate)
• Irregular verbs have unique past tense forms (e.g. went, took, made)
• Examples: I went to the store yesterday, They ate dinner at 6pm

Future Tense

• Describes actions that will happen in the future
• Formed using will + base form of the verb (e.g. will go, will run, will eat)
• Examples: I will go to the movies tonight, They will eat dinner at 7pm

Present Perfect Tense

• Describes actions that started in the past and continue up to the present
• Formed using has/have + past participle (e.g. has gone, have eaten)
• Examples: I have eaten breakfast already, They have lived in this house for 5 years

Past Perfect Tense

• Describes actions that happened before another action in the past
• Formed using had + past participle (e.g. had gone, had eaten)
• Examples: I had eaten dinner before I went to the movies, They had studied for 3 hours before the exam

Future Perfect Tense

• Describes actions that will be completed at a specific point in the future
• Formed using will have + past participle (e.g. will have gone, will have eaten)
• Examples: I will have finished my homework by 5pm, They will have lived in this house for 10 years by next year