The first rule of reading literature for the purpose of analysis, whether it’s a novel, a poem, a play, an essay, or a non-fiction book is to read it through more than once.
On your first read through, have a pen and paper to hand. If you prefer to take notes on a computer, fine; the point is to create a notebook.
On your first read through, your notes should be basic. Keep a list of characters as you read through the book a second time. Note the main events and themes of each chapter. Make notes on passages that are interesting to you or that seem to stand out for one reason or another.
Once you’ve read through the book once, identify the central characters and the most important events.
On your second read through, you should take your reading to a deeper level, what is sometimes called the logic-stage reading. Think about what type of work you are reading: is it a love poem, perhaps? A chronicle? A Gothic novel? Is the work realistic or fantastical? What is the point of view? This is particularly important in novels and poems, of course.
For novels, the most common points of view are:
1. First-person point of view (“I”)
2. Second-person (“you”)
3. Third-person limited/subjective
4. Third-person objective
5. The omniscient point of view
Note where the story is set (location and time-frame). How important is the chronological context?
What images and metaphors are used? What themes are used?
Taking your reading deeper still, think about characters or themes: which ones strike you as the most important; which ones do you sympathize with. Is the work in any way self-reflective?
Finally, what is the argument? What idea is the writer putting forward? Do you agree with it or not? Why?
