How should I analyse a text?

First and foremost, you must read the entire text. As you go through the text, you should think about any devices the author is using, for example pathetic fallacy, periphrasis, and foreshadowing. You should also try to understand what genre the text belongs to. If you are aware, for example, that you are reading a satirical poem, it will become much easier to pick up on the literary techniques the poet has used and to what intended effect. It is also important to think about what role the characters or narrators play, what traits they have, and why the author wrote of them in this way. Finally, you should trust your gut. If something seems out of place to you, it is worth exploring whether this was intentional, and if so, what impact it is having on you, the reader.