Formalism (literature)

In literature, formalism is sort of like focusing on the way something is written instead of just what it is about. Imagine you're coloring a picture. Formalism is like paying attention to how neat or messy your coloring is, using different colors and shading, instead of just coloring in the picture however you feel like without really thinking about it. Formalists look at the writing style, grammar, and structure of a story to better understand the thoughts and feelings the author is trying to convey. Basically, formalism is a way to analyze stories by paying close attention to how they are written.