Explication de Texte


Explication de Texte is a French formalist method of literary analysis that allows for limited reader response, similar to close reading in the English-speaking literary tradition. The method involves a detailed yet relatively objective examination of structure, style, imagery, and other aspects of a work. It was particularly advocated by Gustave Lanson.
It is primarily a pedagogical tool, similar to a formal book report.
A simple format for writing an Explication de Texte is this:
  1. A brief summary of the literal, not the figurative, content;
  2. A description of the text's type and structure and its tone;
  3. The poetic devices used in the text
  4. Conclusion