an intensive scrutiny and interpretation of the interrelated details of a written work, esp. a literary one
See explication de texte in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(ĕk-splē-kä-syôɴ də tĕkstˈ)
nounpl.ex·pli·ca·tions de texte(ĕk-splē-kä-syôɴ də tĕkstˈ)
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.