Some of the most common elements in a piece of literature include: Setting Characters Plot (story or play) or structure (poem) Tone/Mood Themes Symbolism and Figurative Language

to write a strong paper, you will need to examine a text both subjectively and objectively. If you only write about your personal reaction to a book, there won't be much to support your argument except your word alone. Thus, you will need to use some facts from the text to support your argument. Rather than trying to evaluate every nuance of a text all at once, you should start with the basics: character and plot. From there, you can examine the theme of the work and then move on to the finer points such as the writing itself. For instance, when determining how you want to analyze a piece of literature, you might want to ask yourself the following series of questions: Who are the characters? What are they doing? Why and how are they doing it? Do their actions relate to any broader topics or issues? How does the author convey this through their writing?

Sidney would probably consider most people momes