Creative Writing

Also known as “the art of making things up,’ creative writing is a vital art of modern
society. Traditionally referred to as literature, creative writing is an art of sorts - the art of
making things up. It’s writing done in a way that is not academic or technical but still attracts an
audience. It can for the most part be considered any writing that is original and self-expressive.

Types of Creative Writing

 Poetry
 Plays
 Movie and television scripts
 Fiction (novels, novellas, and short stories)
 Song
 Speeches
 Memoirs
 Personal Essays

Techniques used in creative writing include:

 Character development
Character development is the process and execution of creating a fully rounded,
complex, and lifelike character within your fictional writing with the purpose of making
readers invested in them and their life or journey.
  Plot development

Figure 1. Parts of the Plot

 Vivid setting
 Underlying theme
 Point of View
 Dialogue
 Anecdotes
 Metaphors and Emotional appeal
 Similes
 Imaginative language
 Heavy description

Imaginative/Creative Writing vs Technical Writing

TECHNICAL WRITING CREATIVE WRITING

Factual Fictional and imaginative
Informative, instructional or persuasive Entertaining, provocative and captivating
Clear, precise and straightforward Artistic, figurative, symbolic or even vague
Objective Subjective
Specialized vocabulary Generalized vocabulary

Creative writing is written to entertain and educate. We enjoy reading novels and stories,
not because they are necessary to read or helpful for us, just because we get a certain pleasure
from reading them, the pleasure which can’t be got from reading technical writing.

In creative writing the most of the part is self-created, although the idea might be inspired
but in technical writing the facts are to be obliged and the note is delivered from leading on what
previously other greats have concluded.

Most commonly, the creative writing is for general audience or for masses but technical
writing is for specific audience.
 The creative writing entertains people as it has poetry or some illustrations or another
idea, whereas the technical writing causes boredom as it follows the strong pattern based on facts
and is just to transfer the information to the audience

In technical writing the specialized vocabulary, such like scientific terms and other are
used while in creative writing, one can go with slang or evocative phrases or even something
which can be perceived well by the audience.

Humor, satire might be the useful essences in creative writing but such thoughts or ideas
have no link with the technical writing.

Imaginative Writing vs. Academic Writing

Creative writing is different to academic writing. Writing for websites is different to writing
for newspaper columns.

Journal entries are different to writing press releases on behalf of a brand. Writing purposes
do vary. It’s important that when undertaking any writing you have a firm grasp on this concept.

The Principal Difference

 Style is the chief difference between academic and creative writing.

 Creative writing need not adhere to any specific style parameters. Academic writing
is different.
 Academic writing needs to be structured and executed adhering to a series of guidelines.
 Indeed, so stringent are these guidelines that academic institutions include these
guidelines as part of their curriculum.
 One kind of writing – academic writing – is rigid, procedural, purposed purely to convey
knowledge, data and information. It’s orderly, organized and follows a formula. It is
necessary. It can be dull. Anyone can master it. Everyone should master it.
 The other kind of writing – creative writing – is inspired, artistic and entertains with word
pictures, concepts and deep meaning. It is enjoyable to read. It touches us while teaching
us. It’s an art form. It’s not necessary to learn, but a joy to those who do.
 Academic writing will earn you A’s, creative writing may get you published. Academic
writing must be taught, but rarely is; creative writing is optional, but is almost always the
focus of writing curricula.
 Overall, creative writing allows for more personal expression whereas
academic/scholarly writing aims to explore an idea, argument, or
concept.
 Academic writing requires more factual evidence for support, and presents
challenges such as the pressure of time.
Sources:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-creative-writing-definition-types-examples.html

http://www.writerstreasure.com/creative-writing-technical-writing/

https://essaywritingserviceuk.co.uk/blog/the-differences-between-academic-and-creative-writing

Sensory Details in Writing: Definition

The writer's ability to create a gripping and memorable story has much to do with
engaging our five senses.

Sensory details include sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Writers employ the five
senses to engage a reader's interest. If you want your writing to jump off the page, then bring
your reader into the world you are creating. When describing a past event, try and remember
what you saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted, then incorporate that into your writing.

Sensory details are used in any great story, literary or not. Think about your favorite
movie or video game. What types of sounds and images are used? What do your favorite
characters taste, smell, and touch? Without sensory details, stories would fail to come to life.

Tips on using sensory details in your writing:

1. Identify the thing to describe. Keep it simple. It’s difficult to describe something that is
diffuse or abstract. If possible, name the thing you want to describe.
2. State what the thing does. Sometimes it’s not necessary to compare the smell or taste to
something else. A clear statement of what the thing does (cooking in its own grease)
can clearly evoke the thing—and sometimes it can suggest sensory details. So, explain
in close detail what the thing does. When and where do you find it? How do you know
it’s there? What is it doing? How do people react?
 3. Describe the thing with a few senses. Perhaps you can use more, or even all; if so, great.
But, very often, it’s effective to choose one or two senses and explore the different ways
to use them. Haider uses two different onomatopoeic words. He twice describes how the
smell sticks to different parts of his body. He finds two different visual descriptions of
bacon: color and texture. Try choosing a sense and finding different ways that the thing
looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes.
4. Connect the senses to story. You’re really just connecting the thing to story, which
should be easy; why else would you be describing it in the first place? Think about the
effect the thing has on you. How does it affect your behavior? As you consider this,
remember the sensory details. The smell of bacon made it difficult for Haider to hide the
fact that he’d eaten it. How does one of the sensory details you wrote make the thing
difficult to ignore?

The following are examples of sensory details one might include in your writing:

Sight (the most utilized sense in writing; don’t forget the others!)
- flash of lights in the night sky
- deep blue of the ocean
- the roads had begun to glisten underneath headlights
- the sun was setting behind low, gray-blue storm clouds
- a heavenly hue to the layers of ice and snow accumulating on rooftops and tree limbs.
- her shadow shaky behind a slight flame stemming from a candle she carried
- sparks lit up the dusk of day
- a blinking red light from the truck’s turn-signal illuminated our darkened home
Sound
- The walls shook and vibrated like the tail of a rattle snake
- Ice crackled and pinged against the family room window
- Wind swirled around our beach house whistling loudly to a terrible tune
- The television buzzed as it shut off, and the furnace sighed one last time before the house
fell silent.
- The cracking of wood splitting punctuated each burst of fire like an exclamation point.
- the sounds of emergency sirens awakened the still roads
- the howling of wind and branches creaking under the weight of ice
Smell
- sweet aroma of baking corn bread
 - cinnamon-scented candle
- pungent odor of smoke.
- salty beach air
- rotting leaves and crispness of air
Touch
- We sat still, huddled underneath the quilt
- Car tires gripped the ice with fearful intensity
- The power lines, heavy from the thickness of ice had snapped
- soft tufts of fur
- stick my toes in the warm and grainy sand
Taste
- ice-cold strawberries
- tall, frosted glass of sweet yet bitter lemonade
- salty chips
- juicy tartness of orange
- rancid butter

Online Resources:

 https://study.com/academy/lesson/sensory-details-in-writing-definition-examples.html
 http://mrbeland.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/5/5/30558007/23-sensory-details1.pdf
 https://readtowritestories.com/2014/11/26/how-to-use-sensory-details/
What is Imagery?

 Imagery is language used by poets, novelists and other writers to create images in
the mind of the reader.
 Imagery includes figurative and metaphorical language to improve the
reader’s experience through their senses.

Examples of Imagery

a. Visual Imagery

Visual imagery describes what we see: comic book images, paintings, or images directly
experienced through the narrator’s eyes. Visual imagery may include:

1. Color, such as: burnt red, bright orange, dull yellow, verdant green, and Robin’s egg blue.
2. Shapes, such as: square, circular, tubular, rectangular, and conical.
3. Size, such as: miniscule, tiny, small, medium-sized, large, and gigantic
4. Pattern, such as: polka-dotted, striped, zig-zagged, jagged, and straight.

Imagery using visuals:

The night was black as ever, but bright stars lit up the sky in beautiful and varied constellations
which were sprinkled across the astronomical landscape.

In this example, the experience of the night sky is described in depth with color (black as
ever, bright), shape (varied constellations), and pattern (sprinkled).
b. Auditory Imagery

Auditory imagery describes what we hear, from music to noise to pure silence. Auditory
imagery may include:

1. Enjoyable sounds, such as: beautiful music, birdsong, and the voices of a chorus
2. Noises, such as: the bang of a gun, the sound of a broom moving across the floor, and the
sound of broken glass shattering on the hard floor.

Imagery using sounds:

Silence was broken by the peal of piano keys as Shannon began practicing her concerto.

Here, auditory imagery breaks silence with the beautiful sound of piano keys

c. Olfactory Imagery

Olfactory imagery describes what we smell. Olfactory imagery may include:

1. Fragrances, such as perfumes, enticing food and drink, and blooming flowers.
2. Odors, such as rotting trash, body odors, or a stinky wet dog.

Imagery using scent:

 She smelled the scent of sweet hibiscus wafting through the air, its tropical smell
a reminder that she was on vacation in a beautiful place.
 The scent of hibiscus helps describe a scene which is relaxing, warm, and welcoming.

d. Gustatory Imagery

Gustatory imagery describes what we taste. Gustatory imagery can include:

1. Sweetness, such as candies, cookies, and desserts.

2. Sourness, bitterness, and tartness, such as lemons and limes

Imagery using taste:

 The candy melted in her mouth and swirls of bittersweet chocolate and slightly sweet
but salty caramel blended together on her tongue.

Thanks to an in-depth description of the candy’s various flavors, the reader can almost
experience the deliciousness directly.
e. Tactile Imagery

Tactile imagery describes what we feel or touch. Tactile imagery includes:

1. Temperature, such as bitter cold, humidity, mildness, and stifling heat.

2. Texture, such as rough, ragged, seamless, and smooth.
3. Touch, such as hand-holding, one’s in the grass, or the feeling of starched fabric on one’s
skin.
4. Movement, such as burning muscles from exertion, swimming in cold water, or kicking
a soccer ball.

Imagery using touch:

 After the long run, he collapsed in the grass with tired and burning muscles. The
grass tickled his skin and sweat cooled on his brow.

In this example, imagery is used to describe the feeling of strained muscles, grass’s tickle, and
sweat cooling on skin.

The Importance of Using Imagery

a) Because we experience life through our senses, a strong composition should appeal to them
through the use of imagery.

b) Descriptive imagery launches the reader into the experience of a warm spring day, scorching
hot summer, crisp fall, or harsh winter.

c) It allows readers to directly sympathize with characters and narrators as they imagine
having the same sense experiences.

d) Imagery commonly helps build compelling poetry, convincing narratives, vivid plays, well-
designed film sets, and descriptive songs.

Imagery in Literature

Imagery is found throughout literature in poems, plays, stories, novels, and other creative
compositions.

Example #1: Romeo and Juliet (By William Shakespeare)

Imagery of light and darkness is repeated many times in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Consider an example from Act I, Scene V:
“O, she doth teach the torches to burn
bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek
of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s
ear …”
Romeo praises Juliet by saying that she appears more radiant than the brightly lit torches in
the hall. He says that at night her face glows like a bright jewel shining against the dark skin of
an African. Through the contrasting images of light and dark, Romeo portrays Juliet’s beauty.

Example #2: To Autumn (By John Keats)

John Keats’ To Autumn is an ode rich with auditory imagery examples. In the last five lines
of his ode he says:
“Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly
bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble
soft The redbreast whistles from a garden-
croft, And gathering swallows twitter in the
skies.”

The animal sounds in the above excerpt keep appealing to our sense of hearing. We hear the
lamb bleating and the crickets chirping. We hear the whistles of the redbreast robin and the
twitters of swallows in the skies. Keats call these sounds the song of autumn.

Example #3: Once More to the Lake (By E. B. White)

In prose, imagery aids writers to accomplish a vivid description of events. Below is an example
of an effective use of imagery from E. B. White’s Once More to the Lake:

“When the others went swimming my son said he was going in, too. He pulled his dripping
trunks from the line where they had hung all through the shower and wrung them out.
Languidly, and with no thought of going in, I watched him, his hard little body, skinny and bare,
saw him wince slightly as he pulled up around his vitals the small, soggy, icy garment. As he
buckled the swollen belt, suddenly my groin felt the chill of death.”

The images depicting the dampness of clothes, in the above lines, convey a sense of the chilly
sensation that we get from wet clothes.

Example #4: Great Expectations (By Charles Dickens)

In Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, Pip (the hero of the novel) uses many images
to describe a damp morning in a marsh:
 “It was a rimy morning, and very damp. I had seen the damp lying on the outside of my little
window… Now, I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and spare grass, … On every rail
and gate, wet lay clammy; and the marsh-mist was so thick, that the wooden finger on the post
directing people to our village—a direction which they never accepted, for they never came
there—was invisible to me until I was quite close under it.”

The repeated use of the words “damp” and “wet” makes us feel how miserable it was for him
that damp and cold morning. The thick “marsh-mist” aids our imagination to visualize the scene
of morning in a marshland.

Example #5: Goodbye Mr. Chips (By James Hilton)

“Brookfield he had liked, almost from the beginning. He remembered that day of his
preliminary interview—sunny June, with the air full of flower scents and the plick-plock of
cricket on the pitch. Brookfield was playing Barnhurst, and one of the Barnhurst boys, a chubby
little fellow, made a brilliant century. Queer that a thing like that should stay in the memory so
clearly.”

This is an excellent example of the use of imagery in Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton. First
the word sunny refers to the visual imagery. The flower scent refers to the sense of smell, and
then the plick-plock refers to the sense of hearing.

Sources:
https://literaryterms.net/imagery/

https://literarydevices.net/imagery/
Figures of speech are words or phrases that depart from
straightforward literal language. Figures of speech are often used
and crafted for emphasis, freshness, expression, or clarity.
Some types of Figures of Speech

1. Simile
A simile is the comparison of two unlike things using like or as.

Examples:

 She smiles like a flower.

 He follows any order as obedient as a dog.

2. Metaphor
A metaphor is the comparison of two unlike things or expressions, sometimes using the
verb “to be,” and not using like or as (as in a simile).

Examples

 She is my favorite flower in the garden.

 He is a dog.
 Figure 1. Example of metaphor

3. Alliteration

Alliteration is derived from Latin’s “Latira”. It means “letters of alphabet”. It is a stylistic device
in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a
series.The repetition of an initial consonant sound.

Examples:

 Sally sells seashells.

 But a better butter makes a batter better.
 A big bully beats a baby boy.
 Dunkin’ Donuts
 PayPal
 Best Buy
 Coca-Cola

Figure 2. Example of Alliteration

 4. Anaphora

The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
Anaphora is a literary and rhetorical device in which a word or group of words is repeated at the
beginning of two or more successive clauses or sentences. This technique adds emphasis and
unity to the clauses.

Examples:

 I came, I saw, I conquered – Julius Caesar

 With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right
Abraham Lincoln

5. Antithesis

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. Antithesis, which literally means
“opposite,” is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to
achieve a contrasting effect.

Examples:

 Many are called, but few are chosen.

 Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing
 It’s better to be late then never; never be late.
6. Assonance
Identity and similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words. Assonance takes
place when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same vowel sound, but start with
different consonant sounds.

Examples:

 The crumbling thunder of seas.

 Go and mow the lawn.
 the engineer held the steering to steer the vehicle.

7. Onomatopoeia
An onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it represents.

Examples:

 The chiming of the bells…

 The boom of the explosion…
 Figure 3. Example of Onomatopoeia

8. Irony

A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by

negating its opposite. Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their
intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. In simple words, it is a
difference between appearance and reality.

Example:

 “Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”

 The doctor is as kind hearted as a wolf.

9. Oxymoron

A figure of peech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side. Oxymoron is
a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common
oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting
meanings, such as “cruel kindness,” or “living death”.

Examples:

 Dark light
 Living dead
 Open secret
 Tragic comedy
 Seriously funny
10. Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a literary device in which a part of something represents the whole, or it may use a
whole to represent a part. Synecdoche may also use larger groups to refer to smaller groups, or
vice versa. It may also call a thing by the name of the material it is made of, or it may refer to a
thing in a container or packaging by the name of that container or packing.

Examples:

 His parents bought him a new set of wheels. (new car)

 He has many mouths to feed. (to look after many)
 The word "bread" can be used to represent food in general or money

Figure 4. Example of Synechdoche

Sources:
https://literarydevices.net http://www.thomas.k12.ga.us/userfiles/490/Classes/1539/FiguresofSpeech

%202.ppt
WORKS OF WELL-KNOWN LOCAL AND FOREIGN WRITERS
Figure 1. Robert Frost
Figure 2. Robert Frost's Book
FOREIGN
Fire and Ice
By Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
 Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Grief
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I tell you, hopeless grief is passionless;

That only men incredulous of despair,
Half-taught in anguish, through the midnight air
Beat upward to God’s throne in loud access
Of shrieking and reproach. Full desertness,
In souls as countries, lieth silent-bare
Under the blanching, vertical eye-glare
Of the absolute heavens. Deep-hearted man, express
Grief for thy dead in silence like to death—
Most like a monumental statue set
In everlasting watch and moveless woe
Till itself crumble to the dust beneath.
Touch it; the marble eyelids are not wet:
If it could weep, it could arise and go.
Figure 3. Elizabeth's Famous Poem Compilation

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's
faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Figure 4. Elizabeth Barrett- Browning
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God
choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
LOCAL

Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa by Andres Bonifacio was hailed as

the best of these poems. Bonifacio was the founder of Katipunan
and the leader of the revolution of 1896 against Spanish
colonialism.

PAG-IBIG SA TINUBUANG LUPA

Andres Bonifacio

Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya

Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa,
Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga wala.
Walang mahalagang hindi inihandog
Ng may pusong wagas sa bayang nagkupkop.
Dugo, yaman, dunong, katiisa’t pagod:
Buhay ma’y abuting magkalagot-lagot
Ang nakaraang panahon ng aliw
Ang inaasahang araw na darating
Ng pagkatimawa ng mga alipin
Liban pa sa bayan saan tatanghalin?
Sa aba ng abang mawalay sa bayan
Gunita ma’y laging sakbibi ng lumbay
Walang alaalang inaasam-asam
Kundi ang makita lupang tinubuan.
Kayong nalagasan ng bunga’t bulaklak
Kahoy niyaring buhay na nilanta’t sukat
Ng bala-balaki’t makapal na hirap
Muling manariwa’t sa baya’y lumiyag
Ipakahandog-handog ang buong pag-ibig
Hanggang sa may dugo’y ubusing itigis
Kung sa pagtatanggol buhay ang kapalit
Ito’y kapalaran at tunay na langit
Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya
Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa
Aling pag-ibig pa wala na nga wala
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa
Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga wala

Amado Hernandez’s Kung Tuyo na Ang Luha Mo, Aking Bayan, one of the poems
often read during anti-imperialist rallies. Hernandez was a poet and labor organizer. He
served as an intelligence officer of the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap), an
armed group against Japanese invasion during World War II. During the US’s direct
colonial rule, Hernandez was detained for rebellion.
 Lumuha ka, aking Bayan; buong lungkot mong iluha
Ang kawawang kapalaran ng lupain mong kawawa:
Ang bandilang sagisag mo’y lukob ng dayong
bandila, Pati wikang minana mo’y busabos ng ibang
wika, Ganito ring araw nang agawan ka ng laya,
Labintatlo ng Agosto nang saklutin ang Maynila,

Lumuha ka, habang sila ay palalong nagdiriwang,

Sa libingan ng maliit, ang malaki’y may libingan;
Katulad mo ay si Huli, naaliping bayad-utang,
Katulad mo ay si Sisa, binaliw ng kahirapan;
Walang lakas na magtanggol, walang tapang na lumaban,
Tumataghoy, kung paslangin; tumatangis, kung
nakawan!

(Excerpt from Hernandez’s Kung Tuyo na Ang Luha Mo, Aking Bayan)

Another classic poem written in 1896, Mi Ultimo Adios by Jose Rizal, was an
inevitable choice. The original poem has been translated to Filipino and foreign languages
by various poets.

“Farewell, dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caress’d,

Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!
Gladly now I go to give thee this faded life’s
best, And were it brighter, fresher, or more blest,
Still would I give it thee, nor count the cost.”
(My Last Farewell, Mi Ultimo Adios English Translation)
 Jose Corazon de Jesus’s Ang Bayan Ko is a popular song in almost every struggle, from
the anti-U.S. protests of the 1920s and ‘30s, to the resistance movement against the Japanese
invasion in the ‘40s, the First Quarter Storm of the ‘70s and the 1986 People Power. De Jesus,
also known as Huseng Batute, is popular for his traditional forms of poetry.

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas

Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak
Pag-ibig ang sa kanyang
palad Nag-alay ng ganda't
dilag.
At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa.
Ibon mang may layang
lumipad Kulungin mo at
umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag
Ang di magnasang
makaalpas!
Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha ko't dalita

Sources:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org
https://poets.org/poem/how-do-i-love-thee-sonnet-43
https://www.bulatlat.com/news/

DICTION AND REDUNDANCY

Definition of Diction
As a literary device, diction refers to the choice of words and style of expression that an author
makes and uses in a work of literature. Diction can have a great effect on the tone of a piece of
literature, and how readers perceive the characters.
One of the primary things that diction does is establish whether a work is formal or informal.
Choosing more elevated words will establish a formality to the piece of literature, while
choosing slang will make it informal. For example, consider the difference between “I am much
obliged to you, sir” and “Thanks a bunch, buddy!” The former expression of gratitude sounds
much more formal than the latter, and both would sound out of place if used in the wrong
situation.

Common Examples of Diction

We alter our diction all the time depending on the situation we are in. Different communication
styles are necessary at different times. We would not address a stranger in the same way as a
good friend, and we would not address a boss in that same way as a child. These different
choices are all examples of diction. Some languages have codified diction to a greater extent. For
example, Spanish is one of many languages that has a different form of address and verb
conjugation if you are speaking to a stranger or superior than if you are speaking to a friend or
younger person. Here are more examples of different diction choices based on formality:
 “Could you be so kind as to pass me the milk?” Vs. “Give me that!”
 “I regret to inform you that that is not the case.” Vs. “You’re wrong!”
 “It is a pleasure to see you again! How are you today?” Vs. “Hey, what’s up?”
 “I’m a bit upset,” Vs. “I’m so pissed off.”
 “I would be delighted!” Vs. “Sure, why not?”
 “I’ll do it right away, sir,” Vs. “Yeah, just a sec.”
Significance of Diction in Literature
Authors make conscious and unconscious word choices all the time when writing literature, just
as we do when speaking to one another. The diction in a piece establishes many different aspects
of how we read the work of literature, from its formality to its tone even to the type of story we
are reading. For example, there could be two practically identical spy novels, but in one we are
privileged to the main character’s innermost thoughts about the situation while in the other we
only see what the main character does. The author has chosen verbs either of introspection or
action, and this type of diction thus determines what kind of story the book presents. This is the
difference between spy novels by, for example, John le Carré (Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy; A
Most Wanted Man) and Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code; Inferno).

Examples of Diction in Literature

Example #1
MACBETH: Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch
thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?
VS

MACBETH: I have done the deed. – Didst thou not hear a

noise? LADY MACBETH: I heard the owl scream and the
crickets cry.
Did not you speak?
MACBETH: When?
LADY MACBETH: Now.
MACBETH: As I descended?
LADY MACBETH: Ay.
(Macbeth by William Shakespeare)

This is an interesting example of diction from Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Macbeth.

As modern readers, we often consider Shakespeare’s language to be quite formal, as it is filled
with words like “thou” and “thy” as well as archaic syntax such as in Macbeth’s questions “Didst
thou not hear a noise?” However, there is striking difference in the diction between these two
passages. In the first, Macbeth is contemplating a murder in long, expressive sentences. In the
second excerpt, Macbeth has just committed a murder and has a rapid-fire exchange with his
wife, Lady Macbeth. The different word choices that Shakespeare makes shows the different
mental states that Macbeth is in in these two nearby scenes.
Example #2
It seemed to me that a careful examination of the room and the lawn might
possibly reveal some traces of this mysterious individual. You know my
methods, Watson. There was not one of them which I did not apply to the
inquiry. And it ended by my discovering traces, but very different ones from
those which I had expected.
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This diction example is quite formal, even though Sherlock Holmes is speaking to his
close friend Dr. Watson. He speaks in very full sentences and with elevated language (“might
possibly reveal some traces” and “not one of them which I did not apply to the inquiry”). When
speaking to such a close acquaintance, most people would choose other constructions and less
formal language. However, this diction employed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shows that
Sherlock Holmes is always a very formal character, no matter the situation.

Example #3
You just hold your head high and keep those fists down.
No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ’em get
your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is a quote from Atticus Finch, the father of To Kill a Mockingbird’s narrator, Scout.
Atticus uses very formal language in his profession, as he is a celebrated lawyer. When speaking
to his daughter, though, he changes his diction and uses short, simple phrases and words. He also
uses the clichés “hold your head high” and “don’t you let ‘em get your goat.” This informal
diction shows his close relationship to his daughter and makes him seem more approachable than
if we only saw him in his lawyerly role.
Example #4
His adolescent nerdliness vaporizing any iota of a chance he had for young love. Everybody else
going through the terror and joy of their first crushes, their first dates, their first kisses while Oscar sat
in the back of the class, behind his DM’s screen, and watched his adolescence stream by. Sucks to be left
out of adolescence, sort of like getting locked in the closet on Venus when the sun appears for the first
time in a hundred years.
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot
Díaz
Contemporary writer Junot Díaz is noted for using a very distinct diction in his books. He
often sprinkles in Spanish words and phrases in his works to make his characters—many of
whom are from the Dominican Republic—seem more authentic. In this excerpt from his
novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Díaz uses very informal language, even creating
the word “nerdliness.” He uses the slang term “sucks” to reinforce the sense of his character
Oscar’s youth.

Definition of Redundancy
Redundancy means superfluity or using words unnecessarily or using words for a second
time. Redundancy in English usually happens when an adjective is added to a verb or noun that
means the same thing. A speaker or writer is often trying to add emphasis or attempting to
thoroughly explain something when they make the common mistake. In general speaking a
redundancy might be overlooked, but it could cause you problems in a school paper or business
letter.
 Figure 1. Example of Redundancy

Example-1:
• If all of us cooperate together, we will succeed.

In this sentence, the words cooperate and together have been used. But both these words
convey the same meaning.

One of the two words should be dropped in order to make the sentence a correct one.

• If all of us cooperate, we will succeed.

• If all of us work together, we will succeed.

Both these sentences are correct ones.

Example-2:
• The accused was guilty of false misstatement.

This sentence uses false and misstatement whereas both these words convey the same meaning.

The correct sentence is:

• The accused was guilty of misstatement.

Example-3:
• It was the general consensus of opinion that we must go to the movie.

The two words which convey the same meaning are consensus and opinion.

One word should be removed to make this sentence correct one.

The correct sentence is:

• It was the general opinion that we must go to the movie.

Example-4:
• The three brothers had nothing in common with each other.
Here also two phrases in common and with each other have been used to convey the
same meaning.

The correct sentence is:

• The three brothers had nothing in common.

These examples might have made it clear for you how to avoid Redundancy in your sentences.

Example-5:
• I am enclosing herewith my bio-data.

Enclosing and herewith are the two words which convey the same meaning.

The correct sentence is:

• I am enclosing my bio-data. Example-6:

• There was an ovation when the minister rose up to speak.

The two words (rose and up) convey the same meaning.

The correct sentence is:

• There was an ovation when the minister rose to speak.

Sources:
http://www.literarydevices.com/di
ction/
http://www.english-for-students.com/Redundancy.html
ELEMENTS OF GENRE
A genre refers to the type or category of story you are writing. There are many different
genres – action, fantasy, science fiction, drama, romance, to name but a few. Some genres have
become more complex in response to readers becoming more discerning about the types of books
they like and want to read. Some authors focus specifically on a particular genre and may
achieve notoriety within that genre, whereas others are less concerned with appealing to a
specific genre and write books which fit into different categories.

Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines genre as “a

category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or
content.”

Genre consists of four elements or parts: character, story, plot and setting. An equation
for remembering the genre is: Story (Action) + Plot + Character + Setting = Genre. This
becomes an easy way to remember the elements of a genre.
 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

1. Theme: It is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work

that may be stated directly or indirectly.
2. Tone: It is defined the poet’s attitude toward the poem’s speaker, reader, and subject
matter, as interpreted by the reader. Often described as a “mood” that pervades the
experience of reading the poem, it is created by the poem’s vocabulary, metrical
regularity or irregularity, syntax, use of figurative language, and rhyme.

ELEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC

FORMS
Conventional forms:
Depending on the language you write, conventional includes:

 Metric rules for amount of words, amount of paragraphs, amount of rhymes. As

in Sonnets, Tanaga or Haikus, both ancient.
 Grammatical rules, as types of rhymes.
 Syntax, as how words relate themselves to the sentence.
 Onomatopoeia, or words intended to describe a natural sound.
 Use of words as graphics, like in good old-fashioned concrete poems.

Example:
(Haiku)
Haiku's are composed of 3 lines, each a phrase. The first line typically has 5 syllables,
second line has 7 and the 3rd and last line repeats another 5.

From across the lake,

Past the black winter
trees,
Faint sounds of a flute.
- Richard Wright
(Tanaga)
The Tanaga consists of four lines with seven syllables each with the same rhyme at the end
of each line --- that is to say a 7-7-7-7 Syllabic verse, with an AAAA rhyme scheme
Sa mga tala tagos
Ang aking pusong
upos Nasunog man ng
lubos
Tahimik na natapos

Translation:
Way beyond the stars
My heart’s reduced to
ashes
Though completely burned
up I ended in silence.

MAIN CATEGORIES OF GENRE

1. Non-fiction: real, factual, deals with actual people, places, and events
2. Fiction: unreal, not true, not factual, a made up story
3. Poetry: literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or
a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its
meaning, sound, and rhythm.

SUB-CATEGORIES OF GENRE
1. Biography
 Story of a real person’s life
 Form of nonfiction (true)
 Bios means life
 Graphe means to write
  Author must do research by interviewing the subject or those who knew
the subject

2. Realistic Fiction
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Accurately reflects life as it could be lived today
 Everything in the story could happen to real people living in our natural physical
world
 The characters have normal human characteristics
 Story may be set in real places, but the story is NOT based on history

3. Autobiography
 Form of nonfiction (true)
 Story of a real person’s life
 Auto means self
 Bios means life
 Graphe means to write
 Written by the person the story is about
 Author does not need to do research
 Author shares how he/she feels and what he/she thinks

4. Historical Fiction
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Based on historical events
 Authentic settings
 Characters portrayed in realistic manner
 Some characters may be actual people from history, but the story is fictional
 Artistic mix of fiction and historical fact
5. Science Fiction
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Contains some sort of scientific element, such as
 Outer space
 Medicine
 Technology
 Within the realm of possibility
 Characters have some believable traits/qualities

6. Fantasy
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Contains one or more of the following:
 supernatural occurrences
 characters with magical powers
 things with magical powers
 animals with human characteristics
 real people in fantastic places
 fantastic creatures or characters in real situations
7. High Fantasy
 Form of fiction (not real)
 Good vs. evil (supernatural/evil forces)
 Story written in a series of books/ volumes
 Coming- of- age themes
 Include fantastical elements, such as:
 Elves and dwarves
 Magic
 Wizards
 Invented languages
 quests
 8. Mystery
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Story revolves around a puzzle/problem
 Characters deal with the solution to a puzzle/problem, such as
 finding a missing item/person
 unraveling a secret
 rationalize an event that is not explained
 Contains clues/hints that help the characters and readers solve
the puzzle/problem
9. Folktales
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Story that teaches a lesson
 Contain the beliefs and customs of a region or country
 Original story is modified to make it more interesting or more humorous
 Present larger-than-life characters and very unusual happenings
 Fables
 Form of fiction (not true)
Type of folktale
 Ends in a moral or lesson
 Characters are animals that talk and act like humans
 A character usually represents a single human characteristic, such as a fox
being symbolic of a trickster

10. Legend
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Stories written about a real life hero and his/her mighty deeds
 Mix of fiction and historical facts that have been creatively altered to encourage
moral conduct and right choices
 Leaves questions/wonder in the reader’s minds (Did Mike Fink really wrestle a
grizzly bear?)
 11. Myths
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Pertains to the actions of the gods and/or goddesses
 Characters are super-natural beings with human emotions and qualities
 Plot may involve interplay between worlds (this world and previous/original
world)

12. Classics
 Form of fiction (not true)
 Timelessness: enjoyed by readers from generation to generation
 Deals with universal themes and experiences that relate to readers, such as:
 love conquers all
 good vs. evil
 rags to riches
 Communicates ideas across cultures
 Unforgettable characters

COMMON TYPES OF POETRY

Poetry, in its own way, is a form of artistic expression. But, did you know there are over
50 different types of poetry? Outside of upper-level poetry seminars or in-depth studies, we
mostly tend to focus on seven common types of poetry.

Popular poetry types include haiku, free verse, sonnets, and acrostic poems, etc. It's one
thing to define each type; it's another to enjoy a sample platter. Ready to open the doors to a
world of verbal artistry? Let's dive into some of the more prominent forms of poetry while we
savor a few samples.

1. Haiku

Traditionally, haiku poems are three-line stanzas with a 5/7/5 syllable count. This form of poetry
also focuses on the beauty and simplicity found in nature. As its popularity grew, the 5/7/5
formula has often been broken. However, the focus remains the same - simple moments in life.
For more, take a look at these rules for writing haiku. Now, let's enjoy two short samples.

First, "Sick on a Journey" by Basho is a great example of a haiku:

Sick on a journey
- Over parched
field Dreams
wander on
Next, "5 & 7 & 5" by Anselm Hollo demonstrates the 5/7/5 haiku syllable count across
three stanzas:

night train whistles

stars over a nation
under mad temporal
czars

round lumps of cells

grow up to love porridge
later become The
Supremes

lady I lost my
subway token we must
part
it's faster by air
2. Limeric
k
A five-line witty poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines, the
longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme. (A-A-B-B-A).

3. Sonnet
A short rhyming poem with 14 lines. The original sonnet form was invented in the 13/14th
century by Dante and an Italian philosopher named Francisco Petrarch. The form remained
largely unknown until it was found and developed by writers such as Shakespeare. Sonnets
use iambic meter in each line and use line-ending rhymes.
4. Free Verse - A Free Verse Poem does not follow any rules. Their creation is completely
in the hands of the author. Rhyming, syllable count, punctuation, number of lines, number of
stanzas, and line formation can be done however the author wants in order to convey the idea.
There is no right or wrong way to create a Free Verse poem.
 A line break refers to where an author has chosen to end one line in a poem and begin
another. A line break can either be an example of enjambment, which means the author
has chosen to end a line without completing a sentence or clause, or can be an end
stopped line, which is a line that completes a sentence or clause. The presence or
absence of punctuation is usually an indication as to whether the line break is an
example of enjambment or an end stopped line.
 Common Examples of Line Break
 Though generally line breaks matter most in poetry, they also can be found in music.
Songwriters, rappers, librettists, and so on choose where to end lines to create rhyme or
fit in a certain beat. Here are some examples of songs in which line breaks have a
particular aesthetic function:
Cutie the bomb
Met her at a beauty salon
With a baby Louis
Vuitton Under her
underarm
She said I can tell you
rock I can tell by your
charm Far as girls you got
a flock
I can tell by your charm and your
arm But I’m looking for the one
Have you seen her?
(“Gold Digger” by Kanye West)
Hello, can you hear me?
I’m in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our
feet
(“Hello” by Adele)

 Significance Of Line Break In Literature

Though the definition of line break may seem relatively straightforward, the place
at which a poet chooses to break a line is extremely important to the meaning and
strength of a particular line (once referred to as a verse), as well as to a poem’s overall
integrity. A poet might choose, for example, to break lines in certain places to preserve
the correct meter or to create rhyme. Poets may even break lines in the middle of a word.

The choice of where to break a line also affects the way a reader feels about a
poem; enjambment works to speed the poem up and end stopped lines slow the poem
down. These breaks may also feel natural and soothing, or jagged and unpredictable; the
poet may choose line breaks to reflect the tone or environment of the poem. Poets can
also choose to begin each new line with or without capitalization, independent of whether
the previous line is end-stopped. We will see examples of both of these cases below.
 Furthermore, when scholars analyze a poem they first look to how each line
functions independently from the rest of the poem; it can be very aesthetically pleasing
when a line works one way on its own, but has a different meaning when considered with
the lines that precede or follow it.

5. Epic – A form of lengthy poem, often written in blank verse, in which poet shows
a protagonist in action of historical significance, or a great mythic.
6. Ballad – A type of narrative poem in which a story often talks about folk or legendary
tales. It may take the form of a moral lesson or a song.
7. Elegy – A melancholic poem in which the poet laments the death of a subject, though he
gives consolation towards the end.
8. Epitaph – A small poem used as an inscription on a tombstone.
9. Hymn – This type of a poem praises spirituality or God’s splendor.
10. Villanelle – A French styled poem with nineteen lines, composed of three–line stanza,
with five tercets and a final quatrain. It uses refrain at the first and third lines of each
stanza.

Examples of Poem in Literature

Example #1: While you Decline to Cry (By Ō no Yasumaro)

Haiku Poem
“While you decline to cry,

high on the mountainside

a single stalk of plume grass wilts.”

(Loose translation by Michael R.

Burch)
This poem contains three lines, which is the typical structure of a haiku poem. It does not
follow any formal rhyme scheme or proper rhythmical pattern.
Example #2: The Song of Hiawatha (By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Epic Poem
“By the shore of Gitchie Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water,

At the doorway of his wigwam,

In the pleasant Summer

morning, Hiawatha stood and

waited…”
These are a few lines from The Song of Hiawatha, a classic epic poem that presents an
American Indian legend of a loving, brave, patriotic, and stoic hero, but which bears resemblance
to Greek myths of Homer. Longfellow tells of the sorrows and triumphs of the Indian tribes in
detail in this lengthy poem. Therefore, this is a fine example of a modern epic, though other epics
include Paradise Lost by John Milton and Iliad by Homer.

Example #3: After the Sea-Ship (By Walt Whitman)

Free Verse Poem

“After the Sea-Ship—after the whistling winds;

After the white-gray sails, taut to their spars and ropes,

Below, a myriad, myriad waves, hastening, lifting up

their necks,

Tending in ceaseless flow toward the track of the ship:

Waves of the ocean, bubbling and gurgling, blithely

prying…”

This poem neither has rhyming lines, nor does it adhere to a particular metrical plan.
Hence, it is free of artificial expression. It has rhythm and a variety of rhetorical devices used for
sounds, such as assonance and consonance.
Example #4: La Belle Dame sans Merci (By John Keats)

Ballad
“O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,

Alone and palely loitering?

The sedge has wither’d from the lake,

And no birds sing …

And this is why I sojourn

here Alone and palely

loitering,

Though the sedge is wither’d from the lake,

And no birds sing.”

This poem presents a perfect example of a ballad—a folk-style poem that typically
narrates a love story. The language of this poem is simple. It contains twelve stanzas, with four
quatrains and a rhyme scheme of abcb.

Example #5: “The Waking” by Theodore Roethke

Villanelle
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to
go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly
there, And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively
air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
 Theodore Roethke’s poem “The Waking” is another famous and lovely example of a
villanelle. He is somewhere between Thomas and Bishop in terms of how closely he sticks to the
villanelle rules. Generally his lines rhyme with either “slow” or “fear,” though he also chooses
near rhymes of “you,” “how,” “do” and “there,” “stair,” and “air.” He also slightly varies the
second repeating line of “I learn by going where I have to go.”

Sources:

https://www.acs.edu.au/info/writing/creative-writing/what-is-creative-writing.aspx

https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/exploring-movie-construction-and-
production/chapter/2- what-is-genre-and-how-is-it-determined/

https://www.quora.com/How-does-conventional-poetry-differ-from-non-conventional-

poetry https://examples.yourdictionary.com/types-of-poetry-examples.html

https://www.britannica.com/art/poetry

http://www.literarydevices.com/line-break/