How do I effectively analyse a passage from a text?

When provided with a passage, it is important that you focus on a close text analysis of the exerpt you are provided with rather than trying to write as much as you know about the studied piece (regardless of whether it is a novel, a play, etc.) or about the author. Background information is important, but detailed analysis of the methods and concerns is even more important. Attention to the literary devices employed by the author and the tone of the passage should always be the focus of such an essay. Wider knowledge of the text becomes relevant only when the main themes are exemplified in the exerpt provided.