Critical analysis is something so important that it forms an essential part of the curriculum of different exam boards. So, learning the skills to critically analyze would not just polish up your cognitive capacities but also directly help you to do well in your board exams! The skill exists as against taking things for granted and understanding them on a surface level. It aims to understand passages/literature on a deeper level by dissecting it into different parts. By looking at several components, the reader can comment on the strength and weakness of the writer’s skill. The following areas could be considered while deciding to think about and comment on the different components of the passage: Punctuation General Structure Well-intended Paragraph Breaks Word Connotations Literary Devices (like metaphor, allegory, imagery etc.) Figures of speech (like personification, simile, hyperbole etc.) The tone & Mood The Syntax & Diction (etc.) While the above list is not exhaustive, it does give away some of the main aspects that are mostly commented upon while engaging in a critical analysis. So, either the reader can appreciate the writer's use of such devices or he/she can offer some constructive criticism. The act of dissecting and criticizing the passage is known as critical analysis.