How do I make an effective analysis of a text?

When analysing a text, take a close first read through to ensure you understand what is being said. Don't make any notes as you read, and look up any terms you don't understand (in a dictionary or online). When you've read the section once, write a short one or two sentence summary of what the piece is about; this solidifies your understanding and could be used in your explanation of the text later on.

Now you have a general idea of what the text is saying, you need to read again whilst keeping language, form and structural devices in mind. You should already be able to identify many of  these - such as alliteration, similes and metaphors - so highlight and note down whenever you see a device you recognise. For more general structural and form notes, such as the tense and narration style, you could add these on a separate area of the page. (If you're struggling with finding and identifying specific language features, this is something we could work on in more detail). 

Now you've found as many possible language features as possible, start to think about the effect of these and how much they impact the text. This could be how the rhythm of a poem alters the tone and the mood, or how a metaphor helps show a character more clearly. Make notes about these effects, and then begin to think about which ones are the most noticeable, important or interesting to you. When analysing, it's important to focus on the best information available so you can say more about it, and access higher grades. Discussing a complex metaphor will gain more marks than simply identifying an example of alliteration, so make sure you always explain the device you have chosen in as much detail as you can. 

When writing your analysis, it helps to plan which areas you will focus on. It might work for you by numbering the points you want to make, or writing out a list. You should always include evidence where possible through quotations, or by naming the feature if it's one you can't quote. You would then explain its effect, impact on the text, or how it could be interpreted.  The more detailed, the more marks you will get. (Tips on writing up your analysis can be given in more detail in other lessons). Remember your interpretation does matter in an analysis, just ensure you say 'it could be interprete that....' or something similar, rather than 'I think' - academic style of writing will help you pick up extra marks and show that you understand how to show different interpretations in the correct way. 

This explanation aims to give a basic structure to analysis for those who struggle to get from a first read to an in depth analysis.