ESSAY AND ITS ELEMENTS: VIGNETTE

Vignette – short and well written sketch of a person or a descriptive scene. It does not have a plot.

Personal Essay – addresses a topic with the own perspective of the writer. Gives true-to-life examples.

Essay – a written argument that is readable in one sitting, in which some ideas are developed and
supported. A literary composition on a particular subject. Short. Expresses the thoughts and personal
feelings of the author in his phase of life. Authors of essays are those who have enough time to reflect.
The following are the key parts of a good essay:

 Introduction
 Paragraph of details
 Evidence
 The Conclusion

Informal Essay – light, humorous, and entertaining.

Formal Essay – heavy, informative, and intellectually stimulating.

Introduction of an essay – talks about the issue and the writer’s purpose.

Final stand/position of an essay – discusses whether the author is for or against the issue being
discussed. Explains the views and plans of the writer.

Application part of an essay – discusses the significance of the issue to the reader’s life. This part
discusses the reader’s perception, response, reaction, and appreciation to the theme or issue.

Literary Journalistic Essay – is the literature of fact that may be about any topic such as drug addiction,
rape, unemployment, spirituality or crime. It is presented by the author with verifiable facts and true
information from persons, places, events and ideas. The purpose of this essay is to update and inspire
people with the latest information.

Lead – contains the reason and purpose why your literary journalistic essay must be read. It is the hook
of the essay that aims to convince the reader to read the article.

Body/Content – contains facts and details for support and reinforcement that will illustrate your main
points. This includes personal opinions, thoughts, and feelings. Vivid descriptions can also apply, by the
use of literary devices such as simile, metaphor, imagery etc.

Ending/Conclusion – closes the essay with the most important point. In this part, the author aims that
the reader would appreciate and comprehend the ideas.

ADVERBS OF NARRATION

Adverbs of narration – adverbs that provide information about how, where, when, to what degree, or
how often an action takes place. They can help us connect thoughts to form longer narratives.

 Adverbs in narration further definition and examples can be seen on page 181.

DRAMATIC POETRY: KINDS AND FEATURES OF SONNET

William Shakespeare – wrote 154 sonnets that exemplify his depths for compressed writing.

Dramatic monologue – an example of dramatic poetry that (1) is recited by a single person and not the
poet that makes up the whole of the poem, in a specific situation at a critical moment, (2) the speaker
addresses and interacts with one or more people. We know more about them by paying attention to the
clues in the discourse of the single speaker, (3) the poet reveals the speaker’s temperament and
character through his skillful and artistic use in the language.

- The monologue originated and evolved in Ancient Greece, but it still survives today especially in Opera
Librettos.

- a long piece of poetry that reveals to the reader the character’s innermost thoughts and feelings,
popularized by Percy B. Shelley and Robert Browning

Shakespeare’s sonnets - also known as Elizabethan sonnets or English sonnets. The following are the
features and characteristics of a sonnet:

 Has 14 lines broken down into four sections called quatrains.

 A strict rhyme scheme: ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG
 Written in iambic pentameter: having a poetic meter with 10 beats per line which is made up of
alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.
 Quatrain composition:
o First Quatrain: states the subject of the sonnet. Follows ABAB Scheme with 4 lines.
o Second Quatrain: develops the sonnet’s theme. Follows CDCD Scheme with 4 lines.
o Third Quatrain: rounds off the sonnet’s theme. Follows EFEF Scheme with 4 lines.
o Fourth Quatrain: serves as a conclusion to the sonnet. Follows GG scheme with 2 lines.

OTHER FORMS OF DRAMATIC POETRY

Soliloquy – the character speaks mainly to himself. Shows personal ideas and intentions.

Dramatic Monologue – tells something about the speaking Character. The actor is talking to someone’s
presence else in the play that makes the speech a little bit more believable. Revealed during critical
moments of a plot.

Character Sketch – the feeling can be sympathy, hatred, or anything in between that moves the
emotions of the audience burst and become emotionally connected to what is going on, that makes the
theater experience more memorable.

Notes:

 Formal and Informal language + Levels of utterances could be seen on page 167-174 and 279-
280.
 I think persuasive and argumentative texts are self-explanatory.
 Reader’s theatre information could be seen on pages 217-218 and 177-178.
 Kindly read all notes and review all you have typed here. Good luck! God bless!