Find specific, brief passages that support your interpretation; then analyze those passages in terms of their lan- guage, their context, and your reaction to them as a reader. An author depicts the ups and downs of the protagonist with the help of characterization. Likewise, in a drama, theme represents the brief idea of the drama. W-11a Key Elements of a Literary Analysis. In The Avengers Tony Stark makes a comment about one of the ship’s engineers playing a game called Galaga as they all get together for the first time. This is seen in Harry Potter whenever Harry gets to see a memory of the past from Dumbledore or even Snape. Many times, authors will use juxtaposition in order to create a stronger emotional reaction from readers. It might seem like extra work, but we promise—practice tests are one of the best ways to help you improve your score! This is the most popular literary device that has to be used with caution because if used too much, metaphors and similes can reek of cliches and amateur writing. Trace the development and expression of themes, characters, and language through the work. There are various kinds of poetry, such as a ballad, sonnet, etc. Yet his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded me. MLA style. Using these devices will help your writing become stronger and better. How has the author evoked your response? For example, a first person point of view lets readers get to know the main character in detail, since they experience the main character's thoughts, feelings, and actions. For example, a historical book set in America in the 1940s will likely have a much different atmosphere and plot than a science fiction book set three hundred years in the future. Narrative fiction, that is, the telling of a story, must follow certain patterns. Look for words that say what to do: analyze, compare, interpret, and so on. Conversely, literary elements—especially the elements that qualify both works as "books"—are what keep them shelved next to each other at Barnes & Noble. are achieved, what the pieces are and how they fit together, where different patterns emerge, and how the author crafted the work. It is alternatively significant and non-significant in short stories. I built this catalog from my inside knowledge as a writer, and from what has moved me as a reader. (Stick with us, here.) setting. In this example, the narrator is using Deadpool as the allusion by referencing the person they’re describing as being like the super-hero (if you can call him that) Deadpool. The Harry Potter series, for example, has tons of memorable locations, like Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and Gringotts. This backdrop could be in any geographic location, and in any time period (real or imagined). If a narrator’s diction is loose and unpolished, that creates an informal mood. But great writing has single lines that get underlined: such texts offer quotable philosophies that are equally revealing even when they’re extracted from the page.