What it Means to Analyze and Interpret Literature Part I

Last year, I passed a course in this subject so I will share some things here I have learned in the past year on and longer on this subject. Analyzing literature can be a hard task. Plot and Theme are not the same, with the latter being the message of the story whereas the former being how the characters interact with each other throughout. Understanding texts has more to do than even close reading. Understanding the linguistics of a story, its principal themes, its historical context and its purpose are important for readers to pick up on by reading any text. Today, many interpret The Bible or The Koran or The Constitution of the United States of America or Homer's the Iliad, without understanding the contexts of these stories.  It seems only logical to me for instance, to interpret Scripture as it was understood in first century eyes rather than twenty-first century eyes. I'm sure many would disagree. After all, religions that came about thousands of years later would know more about Christ than the historical teachings of Judaism or Christianity {I'm using satire}. Yes, I am getting into theology by saying this, and won't say any more of this here.
The more we understand about the writer behind particular works, the more we will understand the writing. Debates over whether Chaucer was a Lollard or a Catholic or if Shakespeare was a Catholic or a Protestant are important in helping us understand not only these men, but also the moral and religious themes of their works.
Some now see John Milton's Paradise Lost as sympathy with the devil's rebellion against God. But really? I mean, let's be serious. Milton was a Puritan. Why would he sympathize with the devil's rebellion? Such a claim seems truly against his own religious worldview.   
Understanding the difference between high and low comedy is at least one basic in understanding humor in literature. Also, that comedy doesn't have to be funny, though it can often be ironic, or satire. I have never heard someone say Dante's Divine Comedy is funny, if anything, it is dark, and brooding to its readers.
Denotation is often the dictionary understanding of a word. Connotation, in contrast, is often the emotional understanding that accompanies certain words.
Assonance sees the repetition of vowel sounds. Consonance sees the repetition of consonant sounds. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds within words. Repetition often just repeats the same word or phrase in a sentence, poem, etc.
When we watch movies about Cindarella and then explain it to others, we are giving a summary of the story. Of course, summary is not the same as theme. A theme of Cindarella would be dreams, though the summary would be much more. When we analyze and interpret literature, we find out parts in stories that point to the general or multilayered themes of the text.
Careful reading comprehension is important to understanding written works. This is never more true, than with dealing with poetry. Doctor Octopus said wisely in Spider Man 2 that reading T. S. Eliot is more complex than advanced science. Writing down notes about the text, as well as keeping a finger under every line one reads, can vastly improve one's reading comprehension. At the same time, discipline makes improvement, and the more one reads, probably the easier it will be to understand most texts.
Literature is usually divided into three groups: Poetry, Drama, Prose. It is important that readers familiarize themselves with all these forms of writing. I think most people will find Poetry the hardest of these. Drama is usually meant to be performed whereas prose and poetry to be read.
Rhyme Verse, Free Verse, Blank Verse are important terms for readers to know. Rhyme Verse has internal rhyme within the lines or sentences, and a often a rhyming pattern in the stanzas.  Free Verse has stanzas, but no formal rhyme at all. Blank Verse has internal rhyme only.
Allusion, not illusion, refers to other literary work, like when Hamlet references events in Virgil's The Aeneid. Illusion, on the contrary, is the stuff magicians do when they deceive our eyes by tricks of magic.
I have only got started! Much more to come!