The Literatures of

the Philippines

LESSON 2
COMMON LITERARY
ELEMENTS
SETTING

❑ The time and location in which a story takes place is

called the setting.

❑ There are several aspects of a story’s setting to consider

when examining how setting contributes to a story. Some,
or all, may be present.
 ASPECTS IN SETTING

P l a c e – Where is the story taking place?

T i m e – When is the story taking place?
W e a t h e r conditions – Is it rainy or sunny?
S o c i a l conditions – What is the daily life of the characters
like?
M o o d or atmosphere – What feeling is created at the
beginning of the story?
SETTING
The Bread of Salt
by NVM Gonzalez (1958)

Usually, I was in bed by ten and up by five and thus was

ready for one more day of my fourteenth year. Unless
Grandmother had forgotten, the fifteen centavos for the
baker down Progreso Street - and how I enjoyed jingling
those coins in my pocket!
SETTING

The Lottery

The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the
fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were
blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.
 PLOT
❑ The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic
idea; it is the sequence of events.

❑ The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a

beginning, middle and end. The short story usually has one plot
so it can be read in one sitting.
 Five essential parts of plot

E x p o s i t i o n – the beginning of the story where the characters

and the setting is revealed
R i s i n g Action – This is where the events in the story become
complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed
C l i m a x – This is the highest point of interest and the turning
point of the story.
● Falling Action – The events and complications begin to
resolve themselves.

●The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict
was resolved or not.

• D e n o u e m e n t – This is the final outcome or untangling of

events in the story.
 Plot

Plot is how the author arranges events to develop his/her basic idea. It
is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned,
logical series of events having a beginning, middle and end.
CONFLICT
It is an issue in a narrative around which
the whole story revolves.
Types Of Conflict…a deeper look

1. Charactervs. Character
(problem with another character)
2. Character vs. Nature
(problem with force of nature)

3. Character vs. Society

(problem with the laws or beliefs of a group)
(character vs. community, society or culture)
4. Character vs. Self
(problem with deciding what to

do or think; “inner conflict”)

CHARACTER

This includes the person in a work of fiction and the characteristics

of a person.

In a work of fiction, one finds the protagonist and the antagonist. The
protagonist is the central character with all major events having some
importance to him/her. The opposer of the main character is the
antagonist.
The protagonist is the “good guy”
The antagonist is the “bad guy” or
force
 THEME
The theme is the controlling idea or its central insight.

It is the author’s underlying meaning or main idea that he is

trying to convey.

It may be the author’s thoughts about a topic or view of human

nature
Some simple examples of common themes from literature,
TV, and film are:

- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- Don't judge a book by its cover
NARRATOR
A person who tells the story.

DIALOGUE

Where characters of a narrative speak to

one another.
MOOD
A general atmosphere of a narrative
Literary Devices:
Interesting when you read, useful when you write!
 IMAGERY
is when a writer invokes the five
senses.
Examples:

The smell reminded him of rotting tomatoes.

The room was dark and gloomy. -The words “dark” and “gloomy” are
visual images.

The river was roaring in the mountains. – The word “roaring” appeals to
our sense of hearing.
 SIMILE
Is an expression comparing one thing to another using the
words “like” or “as”.

Examples:

He ran like a cat, lightly and quietly.

Her blue mood passed as quickly as an afternoon rain shower.

 METAPHOR
is a comparison of two unlike things without using the
words “like” or “as”.

Examples:

He was a statue, waiting to hear the news.

She was a mother hen, trying to take care of everyone around her.
 PERSONIFICATION
is when a writer gives human
qualities to animals or objects.
Examples:
My car drank the gasoline in one gulp.
The cat laughed.
The newspaper headline glared at me.
 HYPERBOLE
is an obvious exaggeration or
overstatement.
Examples:

I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!

Your bag weighs a ton!

I have got a million issues to look after!

 ALLITERATION
Is the repetition of the same consonant sound in
words occurring near one another.

Examples
:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

 IRONY
It is use of the words in such a way in which the intended
meaning is completely opposite to their literal meaning.

Examples:

The bread is soft as a stone.

So nice of you to break my new PSP!

 01
FOR POETRY
SOUND DEVICES
Some poems use techniques of sound such as rhythm,
rhyme, and alliteration.
 RHYTHM
The pattern of beats or stresses in a poem. Poets use patterns of
stressed and unstressed syllables to create a regular rhythm.

Example:
My heart was heavy, for its trust had been
Abused, its kindness answered with foul wrong;

—”Forgiveness” by John Greenleaf Whittier

 RHYME
The repetition of the same or similar sounds, usually in stressed
syllables at the ends of lines, but sometimes within a line.

Example: There are strange things done in the midnight sun.

 ALLITERATION
Is the repetition of the same consonant sound in
words occurring near one another.

Examples
:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

 ONOMATOPOEIA
is a word that imitates the sound it represents.

Examples:

crunch zap
tick-tock whoosh
zip!
Bang!
Literature uses Literary Devices which
refers to the typical structures used by
writers in their works to convey his or her
message(s) in a simple manner to his or her
readers.
References

Types of literature-121107222044
(power point presentation)
https;//literary devices.net/literary-devices
learn.lexicon.net/elements of poetry.htm
https:// www.slideshare.net/fherkastelan/element-of-
poetry