[ek-splee-kah-syawn duh tekst] 
[ek-splee-kah-syawn duh tekst] . French. | an approach to literary criticism involving close examination, analysis, and exposition of the text of a work, and concentrating on language, style, content, and the interrelationships of the parts to the whole in regard to meaning and symbolism. |
| ex·pli·ca·tion de texte (ěk-splē-kä-syôɴ də těkst') n. pl. ex·pli·ca·tions de texte (ěk-splē-kä-syôɴ də těkst') A method of literary criticism in which the interrelated details of a written work are examined and analyzed in an effort to understand its structure and discover meanings. [French : explication, explanation + de, of + texte, text.] |
explication de texte
a method of literary criticism involving a detailed examination of each part of a work, such as structure, style, and imagery, and an exposition of the relationship of these parts to each other and to the whole work. The method was originally used to teach literature in France and has since become a tool for use by literary critics in other countries, particularly by practitioners of New Criticism
Learn more about explication de texte with a free trial on Britannica.com.