A formal approach–which examines one (or more) of the literary elements in a work and explains how it relates to the whole, thus contributing to a text””?s overall meaning or significance. Possible elements to consider include plot, character, theme, setting, conflict, structure, point of view, genre, style, tone, imagery, symbolism, irony, narrator, foreshadowing, paradox, allusion, metaphor, rhythm, rhyme, etc.