Each of us was once a schoolboy, and, perhaps, each, with all the love for such a wonderful subject as literature, did not really like to delve into the text trying to find something that, in fact, is not there. The operation of searching for hidden meaning has a wonderful and very interesting name - the analysis of a literary work. In this article, we will popularly explain how to do it.
First of all, in order to make a normal analysis of the work, it is necessary to read it. Ideally, you need to read the full version of the book, but if you are short on time and do not burn with the desire to read, an anthology is also suitable. Remember that your best friends while reading should be a small notebook and pencil, where you will methodically write down everything that is useful for analysis. And the following might come in handy.
The composition of the work - a breakdown into chapters, parts or other logical sections. It is important to understand what principle the division is based on - according to chronology, according to the logic of the plot, according to the place of action, or in some other way. When analyzing a work, you must first of all describe what parts it consists of.
However, when dividing a work into separate logical sections, one should not forget that you are still dealing with a single semantic whole, the storylines of which can run through the entire narrative. That is why you need to, when moving to the second section of this type of work as an analysis of a work, list all the main characters, and then briefly describe the storyline regarding each of them. This will help to quickly structure the content of the work both for yourself and for the person who will read your research.
And then ... Then creativity begins! Do not forget that literature is a free business, and you, by and large, are free to perceive the content of each book you read as you see fit. Describe how you felt reading the book (however, if the only feeling you have is a sense of hopelessly lost time, it is better not to mention it), but do not forget that your speech should still be logical and consistent with what you wrote in the first two sections. A combination of rigorous logic and a flight of fancy is what constitutes correct analysis.
You also need to pay attention to what the author uses in his creation. Yes, yes, you will have to remember and try to get out of memory the definitions of such words as "epithet", "metaphor", "hyperbole" and many others. Without this, in any way - if you do not mention how the author tried to influence the mind of the reader, do not explain how he tried to make us think about something that can only be found between the lines, then your work is not an analysis of the work, but only his retelling. Agree that a mere retelling of any book, even a very detailed one, will not reach a full analysis. And to better grasp the difference between analysis and retelling, we advise you to read examples of literary criticism.
And the last. Most often, such a voluminous work as the analysis of a work is set long enough before the deadline - as a rule, we are talking about two to three weeks allotted for writing the work. We advise you not to postpone the task until the last day - as soon as you were given an analysis, immediately read the book and make small notes, after which do not return to the work for several days, but let it “lie down” in your mind. This will help in the subsequent use of the text of the work while writing an analytical work to quickly navigate it, as well as make a holistic, established impression of what has been read. We wish you successful analytical work!
Comprehensive text analysis plan
(grades 9-11)
7. Determine the topic of the text.
14. Watch the vocabulary of the text:
Find unfamiliar or incomprehensible words and set their meanings according to the dictionary. Pay attention to the spelling of these words.
Find key words in each part of the text. Are people driven by their choice?
Watch for various repetitions (anaphora, epiphora, lexical repetitions, repetitions of cognate words). What are they due to?
Find lexical and contextual synonyms and/or antonyms in the text.
Find paraphrases. For what purposes are they used? K Find polysemantic words and words used in the text in a figurative sense.
Pay attention to the stylistic affiliation of the vocabulary, the use of archaisms, historicisms, neologisms of terms; into evaluative words, colloquial, colloquial or, conversely, an elephant of a sublime style. Why are they used by the author? V Select phraseological units. Why are they used?
Pay attention to the means of artistic expression and figures of speech, if they are used by the author (epithets, metaphors). (KL 9-11)
1. Read the text. When reading, use intonational underlining, highlighting both individual words and semantic segments.
2. Recall what you know about its author. (When did he live, in what era? What literary movement did he belong to? What did he become famous for?) If you don’t know, try to find out from the reference literature.
3. What functional style of speech does the text belong to? (To artistic, journalistic, scientific / popular science.)
4. What type of speech is the text? (Description, narrative, reasoning.)
5. What genre does the text belong to (an episode of a work of art, an essay, a memory, a parable, a legend, a poem in prose, etc.)?
6. What mood prevails in the text?
7. Determine the topic of the text.
8. If the text does not have a title, title it. If there is already a title, think about its meaning (why the author chose such a title).
9. Divide the text into semantic parts, draw up a text plan for yourself.
10. How are the parts of the text connected? Pay attention to lexical and syntactic means of communication (repetitive words, syntactic parallels or, conversely, a sharp change in syntactic constructions and intonation, on the order of words in sentences).
11. How do the beginning and end of the text relate?
12. What method(s) is the text based on (comparison, opposition; gradual strengthening of feeling, gradual development of thought; rapid change of events, dynamism; unhurried contemplation, etc.)?
13. Mark the main images of the text (do not forget about the image of the author).
14. Watch the vocabulary of the text:
- Find unfamiliar or incomprehensible words and set their meanings according to the dictionary. Pay attention to the spelling of these words.
- Find key words in each part of the text. Are people driven by their choice?
- Watch for various repetitions (anaphora, epiphora, lexical repetitions, repetitions of cognate words). What are they due to?
- Find lexical and contextual synonyms and/or antonyms in the text.
- Find paraphrases. For what purposes are they used?
- Find polysemantic words and words used in the text in a figurative sense.
- Pay attention to the stylistic affiliation of the vocabulary, the use of archaisms, historicisms, neologisms of terms; into evaluative words, colloquial, colloquial or, conversely, an elephant of a sublime style. Why are they used by the author?
- Highlight phraseological units. Why are they used?
- Pay attention to the means of artistic expression and figures of speech, if they are used by the author (epithets, metaphors).
Algorithm for comparative analysis of poetic text.
1.
- plot or motive
- figurative system
- vocabulary
- visual means
- syntactic constructions
- other parameters specified by the texts themselves.
2.
3. Explain the identified differences:
a) in the works of the same author;
-
-
-
- other reasons.
b)
-
- if they lived at different times, - the difference in historical conditions and features of literary development;
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4. Clarify the interpretation of each of the analyzed texts in accordance with the comparative analysis.
An approximate scheme for analyzing a poem
1. The place of the poem in the work of the poet. The history of the creation of the poem.
2. Genre features of the poem.
3. Themes and main motives.
4. Features of the composition, or the construction of a lyrical work.
5. The imagery of the poem. His lyric hero.
6. The mood prevailing in the poem.
7. Lexical structure of the text.
8. Features of poetic language. Figurative means (paths and figures)
9. Sound writing techniques.
10. Features of stanza and rhyme.
11. The meaning of the title of the work.
Preview:
1. Find the similarities of two texts at the level:
- plot or motive;
- figurative system;
- vocabulary;
- visual means;
- syntactic constructions;
2. Find differences at the same levels.
- the difference in the time of writing, which determined the change in views;
- difference in artistic tasks;
- contradictions of outlook and attitude;
- other reasons;
b) in the works of various authors:
- difference of artistic worlds;
- if they belong to different national cultures, - the difference is not only individual, but also national artistic worlds.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ALGORITHM
1. Find the similarities of two texts at the level:
- plot or motive;
- figurative system;
- vocabulary;
- visual means;
- syntactic constructions;
- other parameters suggested by the texts themselves.
2. Find differences at the same levels.
3. Explain the identified differences
A) in the works of the same author:
- the difference in the time of writing, which determined the change in views;
- difference in artistic tasks;
- contradictions of outlook and attitude;
- other reasons;
b) in the works of various authors:
- difference of artistic worlds;
- if they lived at different times, - by the difference in historical conditions and features of literary development;
- if they belong to different national cultures, - the difference is not only individual, but also national artistic worlds.
4. Clarify the interpretation of each of the analyzed texts in accordance with the comparative analysis.
Preview:
Analysis of a prose literary work
When starting to analyze a work of art, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the specific historical context of the work during the period of creation of this work of art. At the same time, it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of historical and historical-literary situation, in the latter case, it means
Literary trends of the era;
the place of this work among the works of other authors written during this period;
creative history of the work;
assessment of the work in criticism;
originality of perception of this work by contemporaries of the writer;
evaluation of the work in the context of modern reading;
Next, we should turn to the question of the ideological and artistic unity of the work, its content and form (in this case, the content plan is considered - what the author wanted to say and the expression plan - how he managed to do it).
Poem analysis plan
1. Elements of a commentary on a poem:
- Time (place) of writing, history of creation;
- Genre originality;
- The place of this poem in the poet's work or in a series of poems on a similar topic (with a similar motive, plot, structure, etc.);
- Explanation of obscure places, complex metaphors and other transcripts.
2. Feelings expressed by the lyrical hero of the poem; the feelings that the poem evokes in the reader.
3. The movement of the author's thoughts, feelings from the beginning to the end of the poem.
4. Interdependence of the content of the poem and its artistic form:
compositional solutions;
- Features of self-expression of the lyrical hero and the nature of the narrative;
- The sound range of the poem, the use of sound recording, assonance, alliteration;
Rhythm, stanza, graphics, their semantic role;
- Motivation and accuracy of the use of expressive means.
4. Associations caused by this poem (literary, life, musical, pictorial - any).
5. The typicality and originality of this poem in the poet's work, the deep moral or philosophical meaning of the work, which was revealed as a result of the analysis; the degree of "eternity" of the issues raised or their interpretation. Riddles and secrets of the poem.
6. Additional (free) reflections.
Analysis of a poetic work
(scheme)
Starting the analysis of a poetic work, it is necessary to determine the direct content of the lyrical work - experience, feeling;
Determine the "belonging" of feelings and thoughts expressed in a lyrical work: a lyrical hero (the image in which these feelings are expressed);
- to determine the subject of the description and its connection with the poetic idea (direct - indirect);
- to determine the organization (composition) of a lyrical work;
- to determine the originality of the use of visual means by the author (active - mean); determine the lexical pattern (vernacular - book and literary vocabulary ...);
- determine the rhythm (homogeneous - heterogeneous; rhythmic movement);
- determine the sound pattern;
- determine the intonation (the attitude of the speaker to the subject of speech and the interlocutor).
Poetic vocabulary
It is necessary to find out the activity of using certain groups of words in common vocabulary - synonyms, antonyms, archaisms, neologisms;
- to find out the degree of proximity of the poetic language with the colloquial;
- to determine the originality and activity of the use of trails
EPITET - artistic definition;
COMPARISON - a comparison of two objects or phenomena in order to explain one of them with the help of the other;
ALLEGORY (allegory) - the image of an abstract concept or phenomenon through specific objects and images;
IRONY - hidden mockery;
HYPERBOLE - artistic exaggeration used to enhance the impression;
LITOTA - artistic understatement;
PERSONIFICATION - the image of inanimate objects, in which they are endowed with the properties of living beings - the gift of speech, the ability to think and feel;
METAPHOR - a hidden comparison, built on the similarity or contrast of phenomena, in which the word "as", "as if", "as if" are absent, but implied.
Poetic Syntax
(syntactic devices or figures of poetic speech)
- rhetorical questions, appeals, exclamations - they increase the reader's attention without requiring an answer from him;
- repetitions - repeated repetition of the same words or expressions;
- antitheses - oppositions;
Poetic phonetics
The use of onomatopoeia, sound recording - sound repetitions that create a kind of sound "pattern" of speech.
- Alliteration - repetition of consonant sounds;
- Assonance - repetition of vowel sounds;
- Anaphora - unity of command;
Composition of a lyrical work
Necessary:
- to determine the leading experience, feeling, mood reflected in the poetic work;
- to find out the harmony of the compositional construction, its subordination to the expression of a certain thought;
- determine the lyrical situation presented in the poem (the hero's conflict with himself; the hero's inner lack of freedom, etc.)
- to determine the life situation, which, presumably, could cause this experience;
- highlight the main parts of a poetic work: show their connection (determine the emotional "picture").
Analysis of a dramatic work
Scheme for analyzing a dramatic work
1. General characteristics: history of creation, vital basis, design, literary criticism.
2. Plot, composition:
- the main conflict, the stages of its development;
- the nature of the denouement /comic, tragic, dramatic/
3. Analysis of individual actions, scenes, phenomena.
4. Collecting material about the characters:
- character's appearance
- behavior,
- speech characteristic
- the content of the speech / about what? /
- manner / how? /
- style, vocabulary
- self-characteristics, mutual characteristics of the characters, author's remarks;
- the role of scenery, interior in the development of the image.
5. CONCLUSIONS: Theme, idea, meaning of the title, system of images. Genre of the work, artistic originality.
dramatic work
The generic specificity, the “borderline” position of the drama (Between literature and the theater) obliges it to be analyzed in the course of the development of dramatic action (this is the fundamental difference between the analysis of a dramatic work from an epic or lyrical one). Therefore, the proposed scheme is conditional, it only takes into account the conglomeration of the main generic categories of drama, the peculiarity of which can manifest itself in different ways in each individual case, namely in the development of the action (according to the principle of a untwisted spring).
1. General characteristics of the dramatic action (character, plan and vector of movement, tempo, rhythm, etc.). "Through" action and "underwater" currents.
2. Type of conflict. The essence of drama and the content of the conflict, the nature of the contradictions (two-dimensionality, external conflict, internal conflict, their interaction), the "vertical" and "horizontal" plan of the drama.
3. The system of actors, their place and role in the development of dramatic action and conflict resolution. Main and secondary characters. Off-plot and off-stage characters.
4. The system of motives and the motive development of the plot and micro-plots of the drama. Text and subtext.
5. Compositional-structural level. The main stages in the development of dramatic action (exposition, plot, development of action, climax, denouement). Assembly principle.
6. Features of poetics (the semantic key of the title, the role of the theater poster, stage chronotype, symbolism, stage psychologism, the problem of the finale). Signs of theatricality: costume, mask, game and post-situational analysis, role-playing situations, etc.
7. Genre originality (drama, tragedy or comedy?). The origins of the genre, its reminiscences and innovative solutions by the author.
9. Contexts of drama (historical and cultural, creative, dramatic).
10. The problem of interpretations and stage history.
In most cases, starting from the 8th grade, in literature lessons, when studying a large and significant work, students are asked to write an analysis for a story, novel, play, or even a poem. In order to write an analysis correctly and get something useful out of it, you need to know how to draw up an analysis plan correctly. In this article we will talk about that, and analyze according to this plan the poem "The Sea", written by Zhukovsky.
The history of the creation of the work
The history of the creation of a work is an important part in the analysis, so we will start the analysis plan from this. In this paragraph, we will have to indicate when the work was written, that is, started and finished (year and, if known, then dates). Next, you need to find out exactly how the author worked on this work, in what place, at what period of his life. This is a very important part of the analysis.
The direction of the work, its type and genre
This point is already more like an analysis of the work. The plan for analyzing a work of art must necessarily consist of determining the direction, type and genre of the work.
In total, there are 3 directions in literature: classicism. It is necessary to read the work and determine which of them it relates to (there may even be two directions).
The plan of analysis also consists of determining the kind of work. In total, there are 3 types of works: epic, lyrics and drama. An epic is a story about a hero or a story about events that do not concern the author. Lyrics are a transmission through high feelings. Drama is all works built in a dialogic form.
It is not necessary to define, because it is indicated at the beginning of the work itself. There are a lot of them, but the most popular are the novel, the epic, etc.
Themes and problems of a literary work
The plan for compiling an analysis of a work is not complete without such important features in the work as its subject matter and problems. The theme of a piece is what the piece is about. Here you should describe the main themes of the work. The issue is based on the definition of the main problem.
Paphos and idea
The idea is the definition of the main idea of the work, that is, for which it was, in fact, written. In addition to what the author wanted to say with his work, it should be noted how he treats his heroes. Paphos is the main emotional mood of the author himself, which should be traced throughout the entire work. It is necessary to write with what emotions the author describes certain events, heroes, their actions.
Main heroes
The plan for analyzing the work also provides for a description of its main characters. It is necessary to say at least a little about the secondary characters, but at the same time describe the main ones in detail. The character, behavior, author's attitude, the significance of each character - this is what must be said.
In the poem, you need to describe the lyrical hero.
The plot and composition of a work of art
With the plot, everything is very simple: you only need to briefly, in just a few sentences, describe the main main and key events that occurred in the work.
Composition is how the work itself is built. It includes the plot (the beginning of the action), the development of the action (when the main events begin to grow), the climax (the most interesting part in any story or novel, the highest tension of the action occurs), the denouement (the end of the action).
Artistic originality
It is necessary to describe the properties of the work, its unique features, features, that is, what distinguishes it from another. There may be some characteristics of the author himself when writing.
The meaning of the work
The analysis plan of any work should end with a description of its meaning, as well as the attitude of the reader himself to it. Here you need to say how it influenced society, what it conveyed to people, whether you liked it as a reader, what you yourself took out of it for yourself. The value of the product is like a small conclusion at the end of the plan.
Features of the analysis of the poem
For lyrical poems, in addition to all of the above, it is necessary to write their poetic size, determine the number of stanzas, as well as the features of the rhyme.
Analysis of the poem "The Sea" by Zhukovsky
In order to consolidate the material and remember how the analysis of the work is done, we will write an analysis of Zhukovsky's poem according to the plan given above.
- This poem was written by Zhukovsky in 1822. The poem "Sea" was first published in a collection called "Northern Flowers for 1829".
- The poem is written in the spirit of early romanticism. It is worth noting that many works were sustained in this spirit. The author himself believed that this direction is the most attractive and exciting. The work belongs to the lyrics. This poem belongs to the genre of elegy.
- In this poem by Vasily Zhukovsky, not only the sea is described, but a real landscape of the soul, bright and intriguing, has been created. But the importance of the poem lies not only in the fact that the writer created a real psychological landscape and expressed the feelings and sensations of a person when describing the sea. The real feature of the poem is that the sea becomes for a person, for the reader, a living soul and a real hero of the work.
- The work consists of 3 parts. The first part is introductory, the largest and most informative. It can be called "The Silent Sea", because Zhukovsky himself calls the sea that way in this part of the poem. Then follows the second part, which is characterized by violent emotions and is called "The Storm". The third part barely begins, as the poem ends - this is "Peace".
- The artistic originality of the poem is manifested in a large number of epithets (light sky, dark clouds, hostile haze, etc.)
- This poem did not go unnoticed in Russian poetry. Following this author, other poets began to paint a picture of the sea in their poems.
Analysis of the poem "Sea" according to the plan of this analysis will help to easily and quickly disassemble the work of art.
Methodists distinguish 4 types of analysis of a literary work:
Type 1: analysis of the development of the action - it is based on work on the plot and its elements, that is, parts and chapters. It involves working on the plot of a literary work and its elements (episode, chapter), while the task of the teacher is to find, together with the children, the features of integrity in each part of the work and the organic connection of the part with the whole.
Type 2: problematic analysis - a problematic question is put at the head of the analysis; in the course of searching for an answer to it, different points of view may arise, which are confirmed by reading the text. To turn a problematic question into a problematic situation, it is necessary to sharpen the contradictions, to compare different answers. The formulation of questions of a problematic nature is appropriate when reading those works where there are situations that involve a different understanding of the characters, their actions, deeds, ethical problems raised by the writer.
Issues of concern:
1) the presence of a contradiction and the possibility of different answers;
2) children's interest in the topic;
3) the ability to compare different answers to the question.
Type 3: analysis of artistic images - in the center of the analysis are images of heroes or a landscape. Analysis of artistic images.
Basic principles.
1. When analyzing, we bring to the attention of children that the character is a representative of a certain social group of people, an era, and at the same time this is a living concrete person.
2. in the character of the hero, we determine the leading features.
4.promotes empathy for children, their personal attitude towards the hero.
Work sequence:
1. emotional perception of the characters:
After the initial reading, what can you say about the hero? Did you like it or not? How?
2. The analysis of images takes place in the course of repeated reading:
1) reading an episode or words that say something about the hero - a conversation: how does this characterize the hero, his words, deeds. The choice of words naming the trait of the hero is a generalization conclusion, that is, a story about the hero.
2) the teacher or students name the quality of the hero - confirmation of the text and conclusion - drawing up a story about the hero.
Hero story plan.
1. who is he? (when, where he lived, lives, his age, gender)
2. appearance of the hero.
3. what actions he does and how it characterizes him
6. my attitude.
Methods for working on the characterization of the hero:
1. the teacher calls the quality of the hero, the children confirm with the text.
2. children independently name the property of character and confirm with the text.
3. heroes of the same work or those close in subject matter are compared.
6. linguistic experiment: exclusion from the text of words containing the author's assessment.
7. conclusion (the main idea is the meaning of the work)
in the process of analysis, students must understand both the characteristics of the image (hero, landscape), and the meaning of this image, that is, the load that it carries in the overall structure of the work.
Type 4: stylistic (linguistic) analysis is an analysis of the visual means of the language used by the author in this work.
The purpose of the analysis: to help children understand the thoughts and feelings of the author, expressed primarily in figurative words, the development of imagination, expressive reading.
Working Method:
1. highlighting a word or figurative expression.
2. definition of the thought and feeling contained in them (why does the poet call it that ...., what picture do you present at the same time? What feeling does the author experience? What does the author compare with what? Why?)
3. techniques of stylistic analysis:
1. comparison of poetry and prose on the same topic
2. comparison of different works of the same author. Purpose: highlighting the characteristic features of creativity.
So, work on the word should be aimed at helping children understand the figurative meaning of the work, the thoughts and feelings of the writer, which are embodied in the selection of vocabulary, in the rhythm of the phrase, in every artistic detail. Therefore, for linguistic analysis, words and expressions are chosen that help to better understand the figurative meaning of the work (draw pictures of nature, reveal the author's feelings) and at the same time are the most expressive and accurate. After highlighting a word or expression, their role in the text is realized, they determine what feelings (thoughts) are contained in them.
The main method of all types of analysis is a conversation over the text.
Which analysis to choose depends on the nature (genre) of the work, on the abilities of students, but still the analysis of artistic images can be considered more common and appropriate.
Analysis of the images of heroes
In elementary literary education, when analyzing a work of art, the attention of younger students is focused on the analysis of the image of a character. The term "image" is not used in elementary school, it is replaced by the words "hero of the work", "character", "character".
There is no detailed definition of the term "character" in literary criticism.
A character is not the sum of the details that make up the image of a person, but a holistic personality that embodies the characteristic features of life and evokes a certain attitude of the reader. This attitude is "given" by the creative will of the author. “The characters of a work of art are not just twins of living people,” noted B. Brecht, “but images outlined in accordance with the ideological intent of the author.
“A literary character, as L. Ginzburg notes, is, in essence, a series of successive manifestations of one person within a given text. Throughout one text ... it can be found in a variety of forms: the mention of other characters about him, the narration of the author or narrator about the events associated with the character, the analysis of his character, the depiction of his experiences, thoughts, speeches, appearance, scenes in which he takes participation in words, gestures, actions. E.V. Khalizev believes that the term "hero" emphasizes the positive role, brightness, unusualness, exclusivity of the depicted person.
“A character, a character,” according to L.I. Timofeev, - the concepts by which we designate the person depicted in the work ... "
In the book "Introduction to Literary Studies" ed. G.N. Pospelov says: “The characters, in their totality, making up the system, are, apparently, the side of the literary and artistic work, most closely associated with the content. And when understanding the idea of an epic or dramatic work, it is important to understand, first of all, the function of the system of characters - its meaning and meaning. It is with this that it is natural to begin the consideration of a short story or a novel, a comedy or a tragedy.
A.G. dwells on some aspects of the character system. Zeitlin in The Work of a Writer. First, the characters of a work of art act in some way, that is, they perform actions, and therefore are in certain relationships. Further: "The writer strives ... to ensure that the state of mind of the characters would become clear from his actions." The system of characters is "continuously changing", while a certain "hierarchy of actors" is observed. In addition, there is a grouping that "within the system of characters each time corresponds to the correlation of certain social forces"; this is how the principle of "representativeness" of characters is implemented.!
The concept of a system of characters is used by many researchers without a special definition, although it should be noted that we are talking mainly about a system of images, as A.G. Zeitlin, where the image means the image of a person in a work of art.
Without using the term "character system", Yu.V. Mann writes about various kinds of character connections. Paying attention to the importance of "the motive of leaving, leaving". In his work, it is important to note, firstly, the identification of various connections between the characters, and secondly, the establishment of a connection between the "ideological confrontation" and a wide range of relationships that make up the event-psychological basis of the system of characters.
When analyzing epic and dramatic works, much attention has to be paid to the composition of the system of characters, that is, the characters in the work. For the convenience of approaching this analysis, it is customary to distinguish between the main characters (who are at the center of the plot, have independent characters and are directly related to all levels of the content of the work), secondary ones (also quite actively participating in the plot, having their own character, but who receive less authorial attention; in in a number of cases, their function is to help reveal the images of the main characters) and episodic (appearing in one or two episodes of the plot, often having no character of their own and standing on the periphery of the author's attention; their main function is to give impetus to the plot action at the right time or set off certain or other features of the main and secondary characters).
1. Analysis of a work of art 1. Determine the theme and idea / main idea / of this work; the issues raised in it; the pathos with which the work is written; 2. Show the relationship between plot and composition; 3. Consider the subjective organization of the work /artistic image of a person, methods of creating a character, types of images-characters, a system of images-characters/; 4. Find out the author's attitude to the topic, idea and heroes of the work; 5. Determine the features of the functioning of the visual and expressive means of the language in this work of literature; 6. Determine the features of the genre of the work and the style of the writer.Note: according to this scheme, you can write an essay-review about the book you read, while also presenting in the work:
1. Emotional and evaluative attitude to what is read.
2. A detailed justification for an independent assessment of the characters of the heroes of the work, their actions and experiences.
3. Detailed substantiation of the conclusions. 2. Analysis of a prose literary work When starting to analyze a work of art, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the specific historical context of the work during the period of creation of this work of art. At the same time, it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of historical and historical-literary situation, in the latter case it means
literary trends of the era;
the place of this work among the works of other authors written during this period;
creative history of the work;
assessment of the work in criticism;
originality of perception of this work by contemporaries of the writer;
evaluation of the work in the context of modern reading; Next, we should turn to the question of the ideological and artistic unity of the work, its content and form (in this case, the content plan is considered - what the author wanted to say and the expression plan - how he managed to do it). Conceptual level of a work of art
(themes, problems, conflict and pathos) Subject- this is what the work is about, the main problem posed and considered by the author in the work, which unites the content into a single whole; these are those typical phenomena and events of real life that are reflected in the work. Does the theme resonate with the main issues of its time? Is the title related to the topic? Each phenomenon of life is a separate topic; a set of topics - the theme of the work. Problem- this is the side of life that is of particular interest to the writer. One and the same problem can serve as the basis for posing different problems (the theme of serfdom is the problem of the internal lack of freedom of the serf, the problem of mutual corruption, mutilation of both serfs and serfs, the problem of social injustice ...). Issues - a list of issues raised in the work. (They may be complementary and subject to the main problem.) Idea- what the author wanted to say; the writer's solution to the main problem or an indication of the way in which it can be solved. (The ideological meaning is the solution of all problems - the main and additional ones - or an indication of a possible solution.) Pathos- the emotional-evaluative attitude of the writer to the narrated, which is distinguished by a great strength of feelings (maybe affirming, denying, justifying, elevating ...). The level of organization of the work as an artistic whole
Composition- construction of a literary work; unites the parts of the work into one whole. The main means of composition: Plot- what happens in the work; system of major events and conflicts. Conflict- clash of characters and circumstances, views and principles of life, which is the basis of action. The conflict can occur between the individual and society, between characters. In the mind of the hero can be explicit and hidden. Plot elements reflect the stages of development of the conflict; Prologue- a kind of introduction to the work, which tells about the events of the past, it emotionally sets the reader up for perception (rare); exposition- introduction into action, depiction of the conditions and circumstances that preceded the immediate start of actions (it can be expanded and not, whole and “broken”; it can be located not only at the beginning, but also in the middle, end of the work); introduces the characters of the work, the situation, time and circumstances of the action; tie- the beginning of the plot; the event from which the conflict begins, subsequent events develop. Development of action- a system of events that follow from the plot; in the course of the development of the action, as a rule, the conflict escalates, and the contradictions appear more and more clearly; climax- the moment of the highest tension of the action, the pinnacle of the conflict, the climax presents the main problem of the work and the characters of the characters very clearly, after which the action weakens. denouement- the solution of the depicted conflict or an indication of possible ways to resolve it. The final moment in the development of the action of a work of art. As a rule, it either resolves the conflict or demonstrates its fundamental insolubility. Epilogue- the final part of the work, which indicates the direction of further development of events and the fate of the characters (sometimes an assessment is given to the depicted); this is a short story about what happened to the characters of the work after the end of the main plot action.
The plot may be:
In direct chronological sequence of events;
With digressions into the past - retrospectives - and "excursions" into
future;
In a deliberately changed sequence (see artistic time in the work).
Non-plot elements are:
Insert episodes;
Lyrical (otherwise - author's) digressions. Their main function is to expand the scope of what is depicted, to enable the author to express his thoughts and feelings about various phenomena of life that are not directly related to the plot. Some elements of the plot may be missing in the work; sometimes it is difficult to separate these elements; sometimes there are several plots in one work - in other words, storylines. There are various interpretations of the concepts of "plot" and "plot": 1) the plot is the main conflict of the work; plot - a series of events in which it is expressed; 2) plot - the artistic order of events; plot - the natural order of events
Compositional principles and elements:
Leading compositional principle(the composition is multifaceted, linear, circular, "string with beads"; in the chronology of events or not...).Additional composition tools:
Lyrical digressions- forms of disclosure and transmission of the writer's feelings and thoughts about the depicted (they express the author's attitude to the characters, to the life depicted, may represent reflections on any occasion or an explanation of his goal, position); Introductory (insert) episodes(not directly related to the plot of the work); Artistic previews- the image of scenes that, as it were, predict, anticipate the further development of events; Artistic framing- scenes that begin and end an event or work, complementing it, giving additional meaning; Compositional techniques- internal monologues, diary, etc. The level of the internal form of the work The subjective organization of the narration (its consideration includes the following): The narration can be personal: on behalf of the lyrical hero (confession), on behalf of the hero-narrator, and impersonal (on behalf of the narrator). 1) Artistic image of a man- typical phenomena of life reflected in this image are considered; individual traits inherent in the character; reveals the originality of the created image of a person:External features - face, figure, costume;
The character of the character - it is revealed in actions, in relation to other people, manifested in a portrait, in descriptions of the feelings of the hero, in his speech. Depiction of the conditions in which the character lives and acts;
An image of nature that helps to better understand the thoughts and feelings of the character;
Image of the social environment, the society in which the character lives and acts;
The presence or absence of a prototype. 2) 0 basic techniques for creating an image-character:
Characterization of the hero through his actions and deeds (in the plot system);
Portrait, portrait characteristic of the hero (often expresses the author's attitude to the character);
Direct author's characteristic;
Psychological analysis - a detailed, in detail recreation of feelings, thoughts, motives - the inner world of the character; here the depiction of the “dialectics of the soul” is of particular importance, i.e. movements of the hero's inner life;
Characterization of the hero by other characters;
Artistic detail - a description of objects and phenomena of the reality surrounding the character (details that reflect a broad generalization can act as symbolic details); 3) Types of images-characters: lyrical- in the event that the writer depicts only the feelings and thoughts of the hero, without mentioning the events of his life, the actions of the hero (found mainly in poetry); dramatic- in the event that the impression arises that the characters act "on their own", "without the help of the author", i.e. the author uses the technique of self-disclosure, self-characteristics (found mainly in dramatic works) to characterize the characters; epic- the author-narrator or narrator consistently describes the characters, their actions, characters, appearance, the environment in which they live, relationships with others (found in epic novels, short stories, short stories, short stories, essays). 4) The system of images-characters; Separate images can be combined into groups (grouping of images) - their interaction helps to more fully present and reveal each character, and through them - the theme and ideological meaning of the work. All these groups are united in the society depicted in the work (multidimensional or one-dimensional from a social, ethnic, etc. point of view). Artistic space and artistic time (chronotope): space and time depicted by the author. Artistic space can be conditional and concrete; compressed and voluminous; Artistic time can be correlated with historical or not, intermittent and continuous, in the chronology of events (epic time) or the chronology of the characters’ internal mental processes (lyrical time), long or instantaneous, finite or endless, closed (i.e. only within the plot , out of historical time) and open (against the background of a certain historical epoch). The position of the author and ways of expressing it:
Author's estimates: direct and indirect.
The way of creating artistic images: narration (image of the events taking place in the work), description (consistent enumeration of individual features, traits, properties and phenomena), forms of oral speech (dialogue, monologue).
The place and significance of the artistic detail (artistic detail that enhances the idea of the whole). External form level. Speech and rhythm-melodic organization of a literary text Character speech - expressive or not, acting as a means of typing; individual features of speech; reveals the character and helps to understand the attitude of the author. Narrator's speech - evaluation of events and their participants The peculiarity of the word use of the national language (active inclusion of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, archaisms, neologisms, dialectisms, barbarisms, professionalisms). Figurative techniques (tropes - the use of words in a figurative sense) - the simplest (epithet and comparison) and complex (metaphor, personification, allegory, litote, paraphrase). Analysis of a poetic work
Poem analysis plan 1. Elements of a commentary on a poem:
- Time (place) of writing, history of creation;
- Genre originality;
- The place of this poem in the poet's work or in a series of poems on a similar topic (with a similar motive, plot, structure, etc.);
- Explanation of obscure places, complex metaphors and other transcripts. 2. Feelings expressed by the lyrical hero of the poem; the feelings that the poem evokes in the reader. 3. The movement of the author's thoughts, feelings from the beginning to the end of the poem. 4. Interdependence of the content of the poem and its artistic form:
- Compositional solutions;
- Features of self-expression of the lyrical hero and the nature of the narrative;
- The sound range of the poem, the use of sound recording, assonance, alliteration;
- Rhythm, stanza, graphics, their semantic role;
- Motivation and accuracy of the use of expressive means. 4. Associations caused by this poem (literary, life, musical, pictorial - any). 5. The typicality and originality of this poem in the poet's work, the deep moral or philosophical meaning of the work, which was revealed as a result of the analysis; the degree of "eternity" of the issues raised or their interpretation. Riddles and secrets of the poem. 6. Additional (free) reflections. Analysis of a poetic work
(scheme) Starting the analysis of a poetic work, it is necessary to determine the direct content of the lyrical work - experience, feeling; Determine the "belonging" of feelings and thoughts expressed in a lyrical work: a lyrical hero (the image in which these feelings are expressed); - to determine the subject of the description and its connection with the poetic idea (direct - indirect); - to determine the organization (composition) of a lyrical work; - to determine the originality of the use of visual means by the author (active - mean); determine the lexical pattern (vernacular - book and literary vocabulary ...); - determine the rhythm (homogeneous - heterogeneous; rhythmic movement); - determine the sound pattern; - determine intonation (the attitude of the speaker to the subject of speech and the interlocutor. Poetic vocabulary It is necessary to find out the activity of using separate groups of words in common vocabulary - synonyms, antonyms, archaisms, neologisms; - to find out the degree of proximity of the poetic language with the colloquial; - to determine the originality and activity of the use of trails EPITHET- artistic definition; COMPARISON- comparison of two objects or phenomena in order to explain one of them with the help of the other; ALLEGORY(allegory) - the image of an abstract concept or phenomenon through specific objects and images; IRONY- hidden mockery; HYPERBOLA- artistic exaggeration used to enhance the impression; LITOTES- artistic understatement; PERSONALIZATION- the image of inanimate objects, in which they are endowed with the properties of living beings - the gift of speech, the ability to think and feel; METAPHOR- a hidden comparison, built on the similarity or contrast of phenomena, in which the word "as", "as if", "as if" are absent, but implied. Poetic Syntax
(syntactic devices or figures of poetic speech) - rhetorical questions, appeals, exclamations- they increase the reader's attention without requiring an answer from him; - repetitions- repeated repetition of the same words or expressions; - antitheses- opposition; Poetic phonetics The use of onomatopoeia, sound recording - sound repetitions that create a kind of sound "pattern" of speech.) - Alliteration- repetition of consonant sounds; - Assonance- repetition of vowel sounds; - Anaphora- unity of command; Composition of a lyrical work Necessary:- to determine the leading experience, feeling, mood reflected in the poetic work; - to find out the harmony of the compositional construction, its subordination to the expression of a certain thought; - determine the lyrical situation presented in the poem (the hero's conflict with himself; the hero's inner lack of freedom, etc.) - determine the life situation that, presumably, could cause this experience; - highlight the main parts of a poetic work: show their connection (determine the emotional "picture"). Analysis of a dramatic work Scheme for analyzing a dramatic work 1. General characteristics: history of creation, vital basis, design, literary criticism. 2. Plot, composition:
- the main conflict, the stages of its development;
- the nature of the denouement /comic, tragic, dramatic/ 3. Analysis of individual actions, scenes, phenomena. 4. Collecting material about the characters:
- character's appearance
- behavior,
- speech characteristic
- the content of the speech / about what? /
- manner / how? /
- style, vocabulary
- self-characteristics, mutual characteristics of the characters, author's remarks;
- the role of scenery, interior in the development of the image. 5. CONCLUSIONS: Theme, idea, meaning of the title, system of images. Genre of the work, artistic originality. dramatic work The generic specificity, the “borderline” position of the drama (Between literature and the theater) obliges it to be analyzed in the course of the development of dramatic action (this is the fundamental difference between the analysis of a dramatic work from an epic or lyrical one). Therefore, the proposed scheme is conditional, it only takes into account the conglomeration of the main generic categories of drama, the peculiarity of which can manifest itself in different ways in each individual case, namely in the development of the action (according to the principle of a untwisted spring). 1. General characteristics of dramatic action(character, plan and vector of movement, pace, rhythm, etc.). "Through" action and "underwater" currents. 2 . type of conflict. The essence of drama and the content of the conflict, the nature of the contradictions (two-dimensionality, external conflict, internal conflict, their interaction), the "vertical" and "horizontal" plan of the drama. 3. System of actors, their place and role in the development of dramatic action and conflict resolution. Main and secondary characters. Off-plot and off-stage characters. 4. System of motives and motivational development of the plot and microplots of the drama. Text and subtext. 5. Compositional-structural level. The main stages in the development of dramatic action (exposition, plot, development of action, climax, denouement). Assembly principle. 6. Features of poetics(the semantic key of the title, the role of the theater poster, stage chronotype, symbolism, stage psychologism, the problem of the finale). Signs of theatricality: costume, mask, game and post-situational analysis, role-playing situations, etc. 7. Genre originality(drama, tragedy or comedy?). The origins of the genre, its reminiscences and innovative solutions by the author. 8. Ways of expressing the author's position(remarks, dialogue, stage presence, poetics of names, lyrical atmosphere, etc.) 9. Drama contexts(historical and cultural, creative, proper dramatic). 10. The problem of interpretations and stage history.
