Naming metaphor, irony or repetition is only the start. Analysis asks what the pattern does here and why that matters.
Faglig kvalitetssikret av lærere og toppstudenter · Følger læreplanen (LK20) · Sist oppdatert 2026-09-14
Learning goal
Analyse a literary device through mechanism and significance instead of stopping after identification.
How to read this model
- Anchor in evidence.
- Choose the relevant device label.
- Explain its mechanism.
- Describe textual or reader-facing pressure cautiously.
- Connect to significance.
Steps in the model
- Evidence – Quote or exact textual detail.
- Device / pattern – Name it only when the label improves precision.
- Mechanism – How does the wording, structure or contrast work?
- Effect / pressure – What does it foreground, delay, contrast or make salient?
- Meaning – How does the pattern support the larger interpretation?
Explanation
A literary device is a technique or pattern, not the final interpretation.
One quotation can contain several techniques; analyse the one most relevant to your argument.
Examples
- Weak: ‘The author uses repetition to make the reader interested.’
- Better: explain which idea repetition foregrounds and how the recurrence changes its significance.
- Tone and mood are usually effects/qualities, not automatically devices.
For the exam
If your sentence ends after naming a device, add the missing mechanism and significance clauses.