Analyzing the Effect of Techniques in Literature

What does alliteration actually do in a poem? Why did the writer use ‘the train roared’ instead of ‘the train was loud’?

For many students, English involves being able to identify and discuss language features / language devices in what they read. This is tricky if you don’t know how to approach it. Language features are a part of the writer’s choices and are chosen because they support the reader’s experience.

A language feature is like a part of a bigger machine – the text.

To analyze a language feature, you need to take it apart, see how it works, and see how it helps the bigger machine do its job. Here’s some key questions to ask yourself when you need to describe how a technique changes the reader’s experience.

How does this technique actually work?

If you don’t know what the technique does, how can you say why the writer uses it? Deepen your knowledge of language features by examining how they actually work.

For instance, a simile works by comparing something in a text to something else in a way that helps us see the something from a fresh perspective. Her eyes were as bright as headlights on a dark road compares this person’s eyes with the headlights of a vehicle, made extra bright by dark surroundings.

Another common technique is listing. Listing combines three or more items into a list, either in the same sentence or in a sequence of sentences, so that we have these items grouped together. The assignment was frustrating, difficult, long, and complicated groups a collection of negative adjectives and applies them to an assignment.

What extra information am I getting from this technique?

This builds from the previous question. The technique will give us information either explicitly (as in a simile which has extra words), or implicitly (as in a list which joins three or more things together).

Explicit information

This tends to be the easiest kind to work out. Examine the extra words that are brought into the text by the language feature, and ask yourself what they mean.

Implicit information

Many language features, however, are not giving actual extra words, but rely on the placement of words and punctuation to affect the sound or structure of a phrase. In this case, look at the extra implications behind the language feature. Remember you have just examined how that language feature works.

How does this extra information fit with the situation in the text?

We also often need to connect the technique to the wider text, in order to discuss a broader topic such as a passage the technique appears in, a depiction of a character, exploration of a theme etc.

To do this, ask yourself how the information we gathered in the previous step fits with the general situation in the text at that point. Does it add to a general impression of a character, place, mood, or event? If it doesn’t fit, why might the writer be doing that?

For example, we might be reading a passage about a student meeting a new classmate in their Maths class. Perhaps our student isn’t good at Maths. The writer uses both the simile and the list to emphasize how hard the student found Maths (The assignment was frustrating, difficult, long, and complicated), and how much they hoped the new classmate would be able to help them (Her eyes were as bright as headlights on a dark road). The writer’s list helps to create a mood of negativity in the Maths class, also telling us about how the student feels. The simile describes how the student cheers up when they start talking to the new classmate and feels better.

Final tips

In summary, your analysis of language features depends on how well you understand how they work. There can be many language features that students need to know. Here are some ways to improve your ability to understand language features and analyze them:

• Keep your own reference source for language features. In this, name each feature, describe how they work, and give an example. Creating your own reference will reinforce your memory and understanding much more thoroughly than simply using one you find online or are given by your teacher.
• Group similar kinds of language features together. This helps remember not just what techniques exist, but also how they work. For example, grouping all sound-based features together helps to remind you to focus on how the words sound when you analyze them.
• Practice identifying language features and asking yourself why they are used. When you are reading, take some time to pick out a few techniques and go through the questions listed here. Identify which techniques you find harder to analyze and practice these more.