Writing a literary essay - 3

Content of a literary analysis

A literature essay or literary analysis should include four levels of analysis:

1. comprehension – a clear awareness of the text’s general meaning

2. interpretation – a logical interpretation of specific words, ideas and values in the

text

3. analysis – the techniques and literary devices used by the author; patterns and
development of character or mood

4. insight – stepping out of the text to give a philosophical interpretation about human
nature and the world

1. Comprehension

Comprehension is the basic meaning of the text:

• What is the text about?

• What are the major themes?
• What is the tone/mood?
• What are the issues?

2. Interpretation

Interpretation of specific words, imagery and ideas posed in the text.

Go beyond the surface or literal meaning to the implied meaning.

How are the major themes supported by the words and imagery?

3. Analysis

1) Analyse literary techniques and devices used by the author.

What is the purpose of the technique?

How does it affect the reader?

2) Track patterns and development of character or mood in the text.

How does the character change/develop as the story progresses?

Does the language, tone or mood change?

Link your analysis back to the themes.

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4. Insight

Step out of the text to give a philosophical interpretation.

What is the text saying about human nature, society, experience?

How are the themes relevant today?

Structure of a literary essay

Introduction (first paragraph)

• title, author, publication date, e.g. Dracula is a novel written by Irish author Bram Stoker
and published in 1897.

• summary of plot, e.g. Dracula travels from Tranyslvania to London to spread his undead
curse.

• key themes, e.g. The novel’s themes include: the nature of the beast and that which
lurks within all civilised people; science vs. the supernatural; salvation and damnation;
and the threat of otherness.

• overall view of the issue or question

• summarise the key points of the response

Body (three or more paragraphs)

• topic sentence - begin with a key point

• evidence – direct quotes or references from the text

• explanation – interpret the text, literary techniques, effect on the reader, link back to
the themes

Conclusion (last paragraph)

• Reiterate the major issue or argument of your essay.

• Summarise the key points.

• Provide a philosophical insight and summative response to the issues raised in the text.

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Important tips

• Answer the question – e.g. “How does the author use symbolism to convey the
themes?”

• Themes – link your analysis back to the themes

• Evidence – The response must be supported by evidence – quote or paraphrase from

the text. Use TEE (topic sentence, evidence, explanation) paragraphs.

• Style / language – formal, objective, precise, third person. Avoid making the response
too personal or making subjective comments. A literary essay is not a book review.

e.g. if the text is about war, don’t give your personal opinions about war

e.g. don’t write “Dracula is a fantastic novel that readers will enjoy.”

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Faded, Alan Walker

Alan Walker (1997-) is an English-born Norwegian DJ and record producer. He received

international acclaim in 2015 with his single Faded, which received platinum certifications
in 14 countries. He released his debut solo album, Different World, in 2018.

Faded, Alan Walker

Lyrics by Alan Walker, Jesper Borgen, Anders Froen and Gunnar Pettersen

You were the shadow to my light

Did you feel us
Another star
You fade away
Afraid our aim is out of sight
Wanna see us
Alive

Where are you now

Where are you now
Where are you now
Was it all in my fantasy
Where are you now
Were you only imaginary

Where are you now

Atlantis
Under the sea
Under the sea
Where are you now
Another dream
The monsters running wild inside of me
I'm faded
I'm faded
So lost, I'm faded
I'm faded
So lost, I'm faded

These shallow waters, never met

What I needed
I'm letting go
A deeper dive
Eternal silence of the sea
I'm breathing
Alive

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Where are you now

Where are you now
Under the bright
But faded lights
You set my heart on fire
Where are you now
Where are you now

Where are you now

Atlantis
Under the sea
Under the sea
Where are you now
Another dream
The monsters running wild inside of me
I'm faded
I'm faded
So lost
I'm faded
I'm faded
So lost
I'm faded

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Analyse the lyrics of Faded by Alan Walker

Faded is a song released by Alan Walker in 2015. The song is a meditation on the themes of
separation and loss, and idealism and memory. The lyrics use metaphor, juxtaposition and
allusion to establish the themes and to convey a yearning, melancholic mood.

The lyrics begin with the narrator recalling a relationship. While the nature of this is not
specified, the language (“You set my heart on fire”, “shadow to my light”) and tone implies a
romantic partnering although the video clip suggests a place (home). There is a sense of
nostalgia of an experience so sublime that the narrator questions her memory of it – “Was it
all in my fantasy”, “Were you only imaginary”. The prevailing mood however is one of loss.
The relationship has ended and this is stated explicitly (“You fade away”, the faded “star”,
“Where are you now”) and implicitly (the narrator uses the past tense “were”).

This sense of loss intensifies in the third and fourth verse. The narrator feels “faded”, which
is a metaphor for the loss she feels. All colour has drained from her life and she feels “lost”
without the person. The emotional emptiness is conveyed by the “eternal silence of the
sea”. Without this person, her life is unfulfilled, leaving her in “shallow waters” when what
she yearns for are the deep waters of her past experience.

The writer uses juxtaposition to contrast her memory of the past with her present emotional
state. The “fantasy” and “imaginary” of the second verse is contrasted with the nightmare
dream of the third verse – “the monsters running wild within me”. These references to
fantasy and dream also suggest that the narrator’s thoughts and emotions are detached
from reality. This establishes the theme of idealism and memory – that the narrator’s
positive memories of the person might not be based on truth.

The narrator undertakes a metaphorical quest to reunite with the person, to recover the lost
relationship – the deep dive “under the sea”. The allusion to Atlantis – a mythical, perfect
civilisation – suggests however that the search is a futile one. It is a quest for an impossibility
- an unrealisable dream.

Faded speaks about a deeply human experience – the loss of an intimate relationship and
the grief that follows separation. The song questions the role of idealism and memory in this
grief. The narrator doesn’t reveal why the relationship has ended, fixating instead on an
idealised memory of the person. While the narrator might not recognise this in her current
state, we know from human experience that, in time, this grief too will “fade away”.

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Strong, London Grammar

London Grammar are an English indie pop band formed in Nottingham in 2009. The band
consists of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic Major. Reid and Rothman were
originally from London and met at the University of Nottingham in their first year of study.
They were joined by Nottingham native Dominic Major.

After completing their university studies, the trio moved to London to pursue a music
career, playing low-key gigs in local pubs. They released their debut album, If You Wait, in
2013. The album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double
platinum. Their second album, Truth is a Beautiful Thing, was released in 2017, reaching
number one on the UK Albums Chart. The song Strong is from their first album.

Strong, London Grammar

Lyrics by Daniel Rothman, Dominic Major and Hannah Reid

Excuse me for a while

While I'm wide-eyed and I'm so down caught in the middle
I've excused you for a while
While I'm wide-eyed and I'm so down caught in the middle

And a lion, a lion

Roars would you not listen?
If a child, a child
Cries would you not give them?

Yeah, I might seem so strong

Yeah, I might speak so long
I've never been so wrong
Yeah, I might seem so strong
Yeah, I might speak so long
I've never been so wrong

Excuse me for a while

Turn a blind eye with a stare caught right in the middle
Have you wondered for a while
I have a feeling deep down, you're caught in the middle?

If a lion, a lion
Roars would you not listen?
If a child, a child
Cries would you not give them?

Yeah, I might seem so strong

Yeah, I might speak so long
I've never been so wrong
Yeah, I might seem so strong
Yeah, I might speak so long
I've never been so wrong

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Excuse me for a while

While I'm wide-eyed and I'm so down caught in the middle
Have you wondered for a while
I have a feeling deep down you're caught in the middle

Yeah, I might seem so strong

Yeah, I might speak so long
I've never been so wrong
Yeah, I might seem so strong
Yeah, I might speak so long
I've never been so wrong

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Analyse the lyrics of Strong by London Grammar

Strong is a song released in 2013 by British band London Grammar. The theme is
disappointment or lost expectations. The lyrics use metaphor and juxtaposition to convey
the theme and the melancholic mood.

The lyrics express the thoughts and feelings of the narrator whose idealised picture of
someone has proven false or illusory. This idealised picture is referenced by “turn a blind
eye” (to the person’s flaws or shortcomings) and “I’ve never been so wrong”. From being
blind, the narrator is now “wide-eyed” with realisation. The shattering of illusion has left the
narrator conflicted and confused. She is “caught in the middle”.

The narrator is ambiguous about the object of her disappointment. It might be interpreted
as a romantic relationship gone bad and her realisation of the flaws of her idealised partner.
However, as the video clip of the song features a father and daughter, it might also be about
growing up and realising that our parents are not the super-humans we perceive them to be.
As we grow up, our parents’ flaws become more apparent; we realise they are only human
and that they need us as much as we need them.

There is juxtaposition of human strength and vulnerability – “I might seem so strong … I’ve
never been so wrong”. This is also conveyed by the diametric images of a lion roaring and a
child crying. This strength and vulnerability exist on the emotional and physical level, and
mirrors the juxtaposition of idealism and disappointment.

The theme of Strong is one that goes to human experience. All people grow, mature and
gain knowledge and sometimes this knowledge can be disappointing. Yet the song is
ultimately a hopeful one. As the title suggests, the narrator by drawing on her inner strength
will overcome her disappointment and attain a more stable state of being, one grounded in
reality.

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Homework – writing a literary essay

Select one of the following songs and write a literary essay. Alternatively select one of your
own songs.

• Clocks, by Coldplay

• Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin

• Radioactive, by Imagine Dragons

• Titanium, by David Guetta

• Diamonds, by Rihanna

• Where the Streets Have No Name, by U2

You can search analyses of song lyrics at www.genius.com

Four levels of analysis:

• Comprehension - Begin with an overview of the general meaning of the song and
major themes

• Interpretation – Interpret the meaning of the words and the major themes

• Analysis – What literary techniques or devices are used? Are there any patterns of
development?

• Insight – What does the text say about philosophy, the human condition, human
experience?

Don’t forget to quote or paraphrase the lyrics to support your statements.

If the song has an accompanying video clip, do the images offer any clues about the meaning
of the lyrics?

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