Composing Literary Analysis – A Sample of the Process

Here is a sample of the process of engaging with a literary text, analyzing that text, and writing about that text.

Conventions for Writing Literature Analysis Essays

Every branch of writing has its own set of stylistic preferences and rules. Literary analysis is no different. Here is a brief guide to the conventions of literary analysis composition.

Applying Literary Terms

This page provides a run-down of how we might apply several terms to an analysis of a sample text, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

What is literary analysis?

Literary Analysis Literary interpretation is fundamentally interested in the question of what a text means. What is this text about? What ideas does this text communicate?  To answer the fundamental questions, we pursue a diagnostic analysis of the text, assessing the structure of a work and its component parts. Then we step back and analyze the text