Imaginative Writing, Technical Writing and Literary Writing differ in purpose, audience, subject, language, and tone.

IMAGINATIVE WRITING expresses the writer’s thoughts and feelings in a creative, unique, and poetic way.
Examples: Poetry, Short Stories, Novels and Creative- nonfiction like travel writing, nature writing, sports writing,
autobiography, memoir, interviews, comics, playscripts and hypertexts.
Purpose is to entertain and educate.

 Its content is imaginative, metaphoric and symbolic. Its language is informal, artistic and figurative
 Its language is informal, artistic and figurative.
 Vocabulary is written for general audience.
 Tone (mood, attitude, feelings, emotions) is subjective.

TECHNICAL WRITING is form of writing technical communication or documentation in Science and technology or applied
Science that helps people understand a product of service. Often, it is detail oriented and requires advanced knowledge in
the specific field.
Examples: User manuals for cellphones, computers, legal analysis, summary of experiments for journal publications,
marketing communications, training manuals, operation guides promotional brochures.

 Purpose is to inform and to trigger the person into action to purchase a product/service, to Instruct, or to persuade
but never entertain.
 Content is factual and straightforward.
 Formal, standard or academic language.
 Vocabulary is specialized and follows a set of standards and conventions.
 Organization of the write up is sequential or systematic.
 Tone is objective

LITERARY WRITING is usually fictional, and it makes use of figurative or symbolic language. Focus is on the conscious,
deliberate use and arrangement of words. And Purpose is to entertain; to give aesthetic pleasure.

Examples: Novels, short stories, poems, plays musicals, movie, TV scripts, parodies , satire, memoirs and
thoughtful essays.

 Usually fiction that displays a sense of reality

 Tension or conflict
 Artistic unity (a main idea is conveyed)
 Figurative language (similes, metaphors, irony, symbolism, analogy)
 POETRY ELEMENTS

Imagery
The only thing that will make your poetry powerful and enticing is great imagery. This goes along with
the line you always hear “show don’t tell.” Only with poetry, it’s ALL show and NO tell. For the love of god,
don’t just say that love hurts, give us a metaphor. Show us a weapon, maybe draw some blood. Make it appeal
to the five senses.

Rhythm
Yes, rhythm can include rhyme. No, it doesn’t have to. It’s not even recommended. In fact, the further
away you can get from Dr. Seuss, the better. (Of course not all poems that rhyme are obnoxious, but I think
you can use fair judgement here.)
There are other ways to make a poem rhythmic without rhyme. Stringing words with similar sounds together
in a line works very well.
(this is an example of assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words)
Simultaneous hate came with the pain
(this is an example of consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds at the end or middle of words)
the same rhymes are momentously timed

Sound
The rhythm of a poem goes along with the general sound of it as well as making it easier to remember.
There are two sound patterns to know here. One is soft and harmonious, I like to think of it like the sound of
angels humming. This is euphony.
In euphony, words are chosen for their soft consonant sounds and melodious quality.
(euphonious letters/sounds: L, O, S, SH, M, N, Y, W, U, PH, A)
Lulled minds like sunny lakes in summertime
The other sounds more like large metal machines clanging about in an empty warehouse. It’s much harsher
and the sounds kind of rattle off your tongue. This is cacophony.
In cacophony, words are chosen for their hard sounds and general obnoxiousness.
(cacophonic letters/sounds: K, J, T, Q, V, C, X, G, Z, CH)
Childish tales of gung-ho attitudes never results in progress

Density
Density is what sets poetry apart from prose (normal speech patterns/ the way fiction and nonfiction
books are written) Density is how much is said in how little of space. The ability to use metaphors, not
conform to traditional grammar styles, and incorporate sounds and rhythms is unique to poetry. All of these
allow for greater density.
As you describe an image, you’re actually underlying a metaphor, which expresses an idea about the
human condition, while simultaneously persuading the reader to feel a certain way through the sound and
rhythm of the words, and all of this is done in the same space. Pros can’t, and never will, be able to do that.
Line
In traditional poetry, you’re a prisoner to the line. The line owns you, telling you “Four lines there, five
there, then four again.” So as a poet in the hipster age, of course you don’t want to conform. Unless you’re so
against the grain that you actually want to write traditional poetry. But whatever the case may be, the line is a
very important part of poetry. In fact, that’s another thing that makes it unique to pros. In prose, you can
format the lines however you want and it has no impact on the writing. However, in poetry, that’s not the
case.
In poetry, the line is like one sentence. And since poetry doesn’t conform to grammar rules, and no one
is obliged to use a period, the end of a line is like a period would be in pros. It creates a natural pause, making
a break in the flow. This is a tool you can use to control the rhythm of your poetry. So keeping the way you
break your lines up in mind is crucial to writing great poems.
 POETRY TECHNIQUES

Rhyming is the most obvious poetic technique used. It helps to make poems flow. Poems do not have to rhyme, however;
there are many poems that are free verse—a style that allows poets the flexibility to write their thoughts and ideas without
the constraint of following a particular rhyming pattern. There are several different rhyming patterns and schemes. Which
one a poet uses will depend on the topic, style, and theme of the poem.

Repetition involves repeating a line or a word several times in a poem. Poets use this to emphasize a point, to bring
attention to a particular item or theme, to achieve a particular effect, or to provoke an emotional reaction from the reader.

Onomatopoeia is not an easy word to say or spell, but it is one of the most fun and common techniques used in poetry.
Onomatopoeia is simply the use of a word that imitates a sound, like bam, crash, boom, splash. Words like these appeal to
the reader’s senses and bring the reader into the poem.

Alliteration involves the use of two or more words that begin with the same sound. For example, “The drizzling, drippy drain
drove me crazy.” Alliteration is a great way to grab the reader’s attention at a particular moment in the poem. It also
provides the poet an opportunity to describe things in a creative way that is memorable to the reader.

Assonance is when vowel sounds are repeated in two or more words that are close to each other in the poem and have
different consonants. An example of this would be “The octopus flopped on the cot – kerplop!” Several words in the example
contain the short “o” sound, but the words contain different consonants.

Similes are a type of figurative language that compare an object, person, or event to something else. They help readers to
better understand the characteristics of something by showing a relationship between the two things. Similes use the words
“like” or “as” in the comparison, such as “The dog ran as fast as a race car.” Or “His words cut through my heart like a knife.”

Like similes, metaphors show the relationship or commonality between two objects or actions. Unlike similes, however,
metaphors do not contain the words “like” or “as” in the comparison. In addition, metaphors describe the object or action in a
non-literal way. In other words, metaphors equate two objects or actions just for the sake of comparing, even though the two
things are not literally the same. Some examples of metaphors would be “The shark’s teeth were daggers ripping through
flesh.” Or “Her hair was a winding path of intrigue.”

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration in a text. This can be used for emphasis or humor, such as “He practiced for a million
hours.”

Symbolism is when a poet uses objects, colors, sounds, or places to represent something else. For instance, snakes are
often associated with evil, while white doves are related to peace.
 POETIC DEVICES

SOUND DEVICES ~
Poems are meant to be heard

Alliteration: the neighbouring words begin with the same letter or sound.
“So busy singing your songs” ~ Emma LaRocque
Assonance: Similarity of vowel sounds.
“Some day go back
so all can gather again” ~ Chief Dan George
Cacophony: The harsh, discordant sound.
“gulls chatter and scream” ~ Duncan Mercredi
Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds.
“The song that brings to life
The hunt” ~ Susan Aglukark
Euphony: The inherent sweetness of the sound.
“Chinook, Chinook, tender and mild
Sings a sage-brush lullaby . . . “ ~ Leonora Hayden McDowell
Onomatopoeia: The sound of the word mimics the sound to which it refers.
“With a mighty crash,
They seethe, and boil, and bound, and splash” ~ Pauline Johnson
Rhyme: Similarity of sounds between words.
“West wind, blow from your prairie nest,
Blow from the mountains, blow from the west.
The sail is idle, the sailor too;
O! wind of the west, we wait for you.” ~ Pauline Johnson
Rhythm: The flow of the poem created by alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.
“Blow, Blow!
I have wooed you so,
But never a favor you bestow.
You rock your cradle the hills between,
But scorn to notice my white lateen.” ~ Pauline Johnson

IMAGERY ~
Poetic pictures created with the five senses and figurative language. Imagery both creates atmosphere and signifies
meaning.

Hyperbole: Exaggeration.
“The perch were shoving and swimming
shoving and swimming” ~ Trevor Cameron
Juxtaposition: Two or more things are placed side by side, even though they usually aren’t associated with each other.
“Lightning and feathers mark her trail” ~ Buffy Sainte-Marie
Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things.
“Rainbow’s my yarn
The sky is my loom” ~ Buffy Sainte-Marie
Metonymy: Symbolism through association.
“the eye of the raven” ~ Wayne Keno
Mood: The emotional environment of the poem, also called atmosphere. These words from “Farewell” create a quiet,
reflective mood:
“What is life
It is a flash of a firefly . . . “ ~ Isapo muxika (Chief Crowfoot)
Oxymoron: Two words are placed side by side even though they usually have opposite meanings.
 “gorgeous beast” ~ Trevor Cameron
Personification: To give human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas.
“August is laughing across the sky.” ~ Pauline Johnson
Simile: A direct comparison between two unlike things introduced by like or as.
“Red light of evening
falls like rain” ~ Buffy Sainte-Marie
Symbolism: To represent something abstract with something concrete.
“Who hold the pens of power” ~ Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm
Synecdoche: A part represents the whole.
“The sail is idle.” ~ Pauline Johnson

OTHER POETIC TECHNIQUES

Allusion: a reference to some well known cultural or historical person, place, or event. (It is often a subtle reference.)
“Lovely Miss Johnson
and will you have tea now?” ~ Joan Crate
Apostrophe: To address something animate or inanimate as an audience for one’s innermost thoughts and feelings.
“West wind, blow from your prairie nest,
Blow from the mountains,
Blow from the west.” ~ Pauline Johnson
Enjambment: The running on of a sentence from one line or couplet of poetry to the next, with little or no pause.
“When the bear emerges onto the bank
to dip its muzzle and drink” ~ Randy Lundy
Humour: When an element of surprise occurs because our assumptions about a familiar situation or perspective are
challenged. Humour exposes contradictions and often relies on irony (e.g. the image of an First Peoples dancer in cowboy
boots and spurs).
“it is a double-beat dance,
lows and prowls of spurs”~ Garry Gottfriedson
Irony: What is said or done takes on the opposite meaning of what is literal or expected.
“There are times when I feel that if I don’t have a circle or the number four or legend in my poetry, I am lost, just a
fading urban Indian . . .” ~ Marilyn Dumont
Parallel Structure: Repetition of grammatical structures to create rhythm and emphasis.
“everybody everybody everybody’s lookin’ for lookin’ for sammy”
down by the river
down by the river side” ~ Gunargie O’Sullivan
Voice: A poet doesn’t always write from the point of view of his or her own personal feelings and experience as poetry is
created through the imaginative powers of a poet. The voice of a poem might be that of an invented character, a loved one,
an historical figure who once lived, or even a spirit of nature.
“ You know dah big fight at Batoche?
Dah one where we fight dah Anglais?” ~ Maria Campbell
 She Walks in Beauty
by Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Summary of She Walks in Beauty

 Popularity: “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron is a marvelous poem published in 1815. The poem offers a
bewitchingly romantic description of a charming woman with whom the speaker seems familiar. It deals with her
exceptional inner and outer beauty. The secret of the popularity of this poem lies in the way it has presented the
beauty of “A mind at peace.”
 “She Walks in Beauty” an Admiration of Inner and Outer Beauty: The poem celebrates the enchanting beauty
of the women, and the poet is captivated by it. Lord Byron gives a critical message to the readers that perfect
beauty is the combination of outward looks as well as inner beauty. According to him, the lady is blessed with
attractive looks and also possesses a physical and spiritual harmony. Her innocent and pure thoughts further
illuminate her beauty. It is through her graceful walk and pleasant face, Byron gives a clue of her innocent soul.
The expression of beauty remains at the core of the poem.
 Major Themes: The major themes of the poem include beauty and harmony of mind and body. Lord Byron
describes and compares beauty with a variety of phrases such as – “tender light” as he creates beautiful imagery
for her charming features, the eloquence of speech and purity of love. Byron focuses on the beauty with classical
diction as well. He believes that beauty lies within and that the body only projects that beauty. Also, the balance
between light and dark clearly indicates the perfection of that beauty where even a slight change can damage the
prettiness. The thematic strand of beauty and harmony runs throughout the poem.

Analysis of Literary Devices in “She Walks in Beauty”

Literary devices serve as tools the writer uses to make their poetic pieces not only powerful descriptions but also strong
compositions. Byron has also given this poem depth and clarity with appropriate use of these literary devices. The analysis
of some of the devices used in this poem is given below.

 Simile: A simile is a device used to compare two different objects to understand meanings by comparing these
object’s qualities. There is one simile used in the opening line of the poem, “She walks in beauty, like the night.”
Lord Byron compares the walk of that lady with a dark and clear night which also means that her footsteps are not
heard.
 Metaphor: There are two metaphors in the poem, in lines eleven and twelve. “Where thoughts serenely sweet
express / How pure how dear their dwelling place.” Here the poet compares thoughts with people and “dwelling
place” with the mind. Similarly, “Raven Trees” represents the dark hair of the lady that adds further to her beauty.
 Personification: Personification is to attribute human qualities to animals or inanimate objects. The poet has
personified “dwelling place” with the human He also personifies the lady’s “cheek” and “brow” with persons as if
they can speak about the good days.
 Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers feel things through their five senses along with their Byron has used
images appealing to the sense of sight such as, “night”; “starry sky”; “cloudless climes”; “cheek” and “brow.” These
images speak for themselves and allow the readers to feel the same beauty that has delighted the poet.
  Sibilance: It is a device used to stress consonant sounds through their fricative and affricative types coming after
each other. The letter “s” is permanent in lines eleven and second that creates a special effect. Check the /s/ sound
in these four lines.

“One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o’er her face;”

 Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /a/ in “Had half
impaired the nameless grace” and sound of /e/ in “where thoughts serenely sweet express.”
 Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds such as the sound of /s/ in “where thoughts
serenely sweet express” and /c/ sound in “Of cloudless climes and starry skies”.

A careful glimpse of this analysis shows that with the help of the above literary devices, Byron has given this poem a
romantic feel and touch, making it an eternal literary piece.

Analysis of the Poetic Devices in “She Walks in Beauty”

Poetic and literary devices share similar attributes, but a few of them are exclusively used in poetry. The analysis of some of
the poetic devices is stated below.

 Stanza: A stanza is the poetic form of some lines. In this poem, there are three stanzas with six lines in each.
 Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABABAB in the first six lines. In the second stanza it is CDCDCD, and in the
last stanza, the rhyme scheme is EFEFEF.
 Iambic Tetrameter: The poem follows Iambic Tetrameter which means there are four feet per line or each
unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable as in the first line of this poem “She walks in beauty, like the ”

The analysis shows that this simple romantic poem has a deceptive attraction to catch the attention of the readers because
of iambic tetrameter that is mostly not used in lyric poems. Moreover, the poetic devices have helped the poet paint the
perfect harmony of the outer and inner beauty of the lady.

Quotes to be Used

 The below lines can be used for children when teaching them about the sky and fairy tales. The expressions like
“cloudless clime” and “starry sky” will help them visualize the subject more clearly.

“She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright.”
 These lines can be used when discussing any personal experience of a place that is a source of satisfaction.
“Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.”
 FICTION ELEMENTS

The Elements of Fiction

Plot, Setting, Character, Conflict, Symbol, and Point of View are the main elements which fiction writers use to develop
a story and its Theme.

Because literature is an art and not a science, it is impossible to specifically quantify any of these elements within any story
or to guarantee that each will be present in any given story. Setting might be the most important element in one and almost
nonexistent in another.

Just as a Crime Scene Investigator cannot approach a crime scene looking for a specific clue (e. g., shell casings), you as a
reader cannot approach a story deciding to look for a specific element, such as Symbol. To assume could blind you to
important elements. Both the CSI team and you must examine the entire “area” carefully to determine what is present and
how it is important.

With that understanding, let’s examine the elements.

PLOT
Literature teachers sometimes give the impression that plot is not important, that anyone interested in plot is an immature
reader.

Of course plot is important. It was what got us interested in reading in the first place. It was the carrot on the string that
pulled us through a story as we wanted to see what would happen next.

That said, let me emphasize that plot is rarely the most important element of a good story. As much as I’ve always loved
surprise endings, if the only thing a film or a story has is a great twist ending, it doesn’t have anything on a second look.

And it’s worth noting that recent fiction and film have deemphasized plot, frequently stressing character or conflict for
example. In film, for example, think David Lynch or Pulp Fiction.

SETTING
Stories actually have two types of setting: Physical and Chronological.

The physical setting is of course where the story takes place. The “where” can be very general—a small farming
community, for example—or very specific—a two story white frame house at 739 Hill Street in Scott City, Missouri.

Likewise, the chronological setting, the “when,” can be equally general or specific.

The author’s choices are important. Shirley Jackson gives virtually no clues as to where or when her story “The Lottery” is
set. Examination suggests that she wants the story to be universal, not limited by time or place. The first two stories you
will read each establish a fairly specific physical setting; consider what each setting brings to each story.

CHARACTER
What type of individuals are the main characters? Brave, cowardly, bored, obnoxious? If you tell me that the protagonist
(main character) is brave, you should be able to tell where in the story you got that perception.

In literature, as in real life, we can evaluate character three ways: what the individual says, what the individual does, and
what others say about him or her.

CONFLICT
Two types of conflict are possible: External and Internal.

External conflict could be man against nature (people in a small lifeboat on a rough ocean) or man against man.

While internal conflict might not seem as exciting as external, remember that real life has far more internal than external
conflict.
Film and fiction emphasize external conflict not simply because “it’s more interesting” but also because it’s easier to write.
In a film script, you merely have to write “A five minute car chase follows” and you’ve filled five minutes. How long would it
take to write five minutes worth of dialogue?

SYMBOL
Don’t get bent out of shape about symbols. Simply put, a symbol is something which means something else. Frequently it’s
a tangible physical thing which symbolizes something intangible. The Seven/Eleven stores understood that a few years ago
when they were selling roses with a sign saying, “A Rose Means ‘I Love You.’”

The basic point of a story or a poem rarely depends solely on understanding a symbol. However important or interesting
they might be, symbols are usually “frosting,” things which add interest or depth.

It’s normal for you to be skeptical about symbols. If I tell you that the tree in a certain story symbolizes the Garden of Eden,
you may ask “Is that really there or did you make it up?” or “How do you know what the author meant?”

Literature teachers may indeed “over-interpret” at times, find symbols that really aren’t there. But if you don’t occasionally
chase white rabbits that aren’t there, you’ll rarely find the ones that are there.

In the film 2001, a computer named HAL is controlling a flight to Jupiter. When the human crew decides to abort the
mission, HAL—programmed to guarantee the success of the mission—“logically” begins to kill off the humans. Science
fiction’s oldest theme: man develops a technology which he not only cannot control, it controls him.

Consider HAL’s name. Add one letter to each of the letters in his name. Change the H to I, the A to B, and the L to M.
When you realize how close HAL is to IBM, the first response is disbelief. But clearly the closeness of the names is either
an absolute accident or an intentional choice. As much as we are startled by the latter, we probably agree that the odds
against the former—it being an accident—are astronomical.

Somebody thought that up. Or maybe a computer.

POINT OF VIEW
Point of View is the “narrative point of view,” how the story is told—more specifically, who tells it.

There are two distinctly different types of point of view and each of those two types has two variations.

In the First Person point of view, the story is told by a character within the story, a character using the first person
pronoun, I.

If the narrator is the main character, the point of view is first person protagonist. Mark Twain lets Huck Finn narrate his
own story in this point of view.

If the narrator is a secondary character, the point of view is first person observer. Arthur Conan Doyle lets Sherlock
Holmes’ friend Dr. Watson tell the Sherlock Holmes story. Doyle frequently gets credit for telling detective stories this way,
but Edgar Allan Poe perfected the technique half a century earlier.

In the Third Person point of view, the story is not told by a character but by an “invisible author,” using the third person
pronoun (he, she, or it) to tell the story. Instead of Huck Finn speaking directly to us, “My name’s Huckleberry Finn” and
telling us “I killed a pig and spread the blood around so people would think I’d been killed”, the third person narrator would
say: He killed a pig and spread the blood…..

If the third person narrator gives us the thoughts of characters (He wondered where he’d lost his baseball glove), then he is
a third person omniscient (all knowing) narrator.

If the third person narrator only gives us information which could be recorded by a camera and microphone (no thoughts),
then he is a third person dramatic narrator.
In summary, then, here are the types of point of view:

First Person Narrator

Protagonist
Observer

Third Person Narrator

Omniscient
Dramatic

Different points of view can emphasize different things. A first person protagonist narrator would give us access to the
thoughts of the main character. If the author doesn’t want us to have that access, he could use the first person observer, for
example, or the third person dramatic.

THEME
Theme isn’t so much an element of fiction as much as the result of the entire story. The theme is the main idea the writer of
the poem or story wants the reader to understand and remember.

You may have used the word “Moral” in discussing theme; but it’s not a good synonym because “moral” implies a positive
meaning or idea. And not all themes are positive.

One word—love, for example—may be a topic; but it cannot be a theme.

A theme is a statement about a topic.

For example: “The theme of the story is that love is the most important thing in the world.” That’s a cliché, of course, but it
is a theme.

Not all stories or poems (or films) have an overriding “universal” theme.