Literary Analysis
THEME
What is Theme?
 When a work raises questions or explores a certain
issue in addition to telling a story, that is the theme
 The theme is revealed through the piece’s plot,
character, setting, point of view, and symbols
 Usually many themes exist for any particular piece of
literature
To Discover Theme
 find portions of he work that seem important or
meaningful and explain why they are significant
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Plot – what elements have a deeper significance
Characters – What changes occur in the characters because of
the events in the plot
Setting – Describe the setting in terms of importance to the
characters
Point of View – Who is telling the story and how can their
views be biased, skewed, truthful, etc.
Symbols – How do the symbols in the text relate to the
characters or hold value in the plot.
Close Reading of a Text
First Reading – Circle or highlight words or
phrases that are interesting or unfamiliar, and any
elements of style – mark reasons why
2. Second Reading – Make large scale observations:
look for patterns, note shifts in tone or view, circle
important defining passages, identify possible
themes
3. Third Reading – Reread for final pieces of the
pattern then write about what strikes you as the
most appealing, in part and in its entirety.
1.
From Close Reading to Analysis
Identify requirements from the prompt
(assignment)
2. Write a working thesis (an interpretation), which is
an argument about the meaning of the work that
you will support with evidence from the text.
1.
Read “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”
by Yusef Komunyakaa
Fast breaks. Lay ups. With Mercury's
Insignia on our sneakers,
We outmaneuvered to footwork
Of bad angels. Nothing but a hot
Swish of strings like silk
Ten feet out. In the roundhouse
Labyrinth our bodies
Created, we could almost
Last forever, poised in midair
Like storybook sea monsters.
A high note hung there
A long second. Off
The rim. We'd corkscrew
Up & dunk balls that exploded
The skullcap of hope & good
Intention. Lanky, all hands
& feet...sprung rhythm.
We were metaphysical when girls
Cheered on the sidelines. Tangled up in a falling,
Muscles were a bright motor
Double-flashing to the metal hoop
Nailed to our oak.
When Sonny Boy's mama died
He played nonstop all day, so hard
Our backboard splintered.
Glistening with sweat,
We rolled the ball off
Our fingertips. Trouble
Was there slapping a blackjack
Against an open palm.
Dribble, drive to the inside,
& glide like a sparrow hawk.
Lay ups. Fast breaks.
we had moves we didn't know
We had. Our bodies spun
On swivels of bone & faith,
Through a lyric slipknot
Of joy, & we knew we were
Beautiful & dangerous.
Prompt: Write an essay in which you discuss how the style and structure
of Yusef Komunyakaa’s “Slam, Dunk, & Hook” convey the speaker’s
attitude toward the game of basketball.
 Poor Thesis Statements
 Don’t just restate the
prompt

Yusef Komunyakaa uses style
and structure to convey the
speaker’s attitude toward the
game of basketball in his
poem, “Slam, Dunk, &
Hook.”
 Don’t narrow too much
 In “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,”
Yusef Komunyakaa uses
classical allusions.
 Good Thesis Statements
should be expressed clearly
and should inform the read
of the essay’s purpose.
 In “Slam, Dunk, & Hook,”
Yusef Komunyakaa uses
vivid images, classical
allusions, and metaphors to
characterize the game that
offers both escape and
transcendence for its
players.
From Close Reading to Analysis
Identify requirements from the prompt
(assignment)
2. Write a working thesis (an interpretation), which is
an argument about the meaning of the work that
you will support with evidence from the text.
3. Identify the passages from the text to use for
support in the essay
4. Begin writing the essay and follow the writing
process to complete the assignment
1.
Example
 Read, “The Beauty and Danger of Basketball” by
Carlton Curtis
Theme Analysis Assignment
 In a 1 double-spaced page, analyze the theme of
Antigone.