Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LITERATURE
• The collected ORAL and WRITTEN works of a society that reflects the
people’s beliefs, values, mores, and aspirations as well as their struggles in life.
• Today, the word LITERATURE often refers to the written works – stories,
poems, and essays – which, in earlier times was developed from ORAL
traditions such as MYTHS and LEGENDS. Oral literature is now called
ORATURE by critics.
WHAT IS WORLD LITERATURE?
• A literary work that has READERSHIP and IMPACT beyond its original
language and cultural area. Examples include the Bible and the plays of
William Shakespeare, both of which have been translated into more than a
hundred languages and are being read or performed in almost every
continent.
THE FIVE LITERARY GENRES:
• Short Story
• Novel These five genres are classified
under two general types of
• Drama or Play literature – PROSE and
• Essay POETRY.
• Poetry
PROSE – literary works in the form of sentences and paragraphs.
It has two kinds: FICTION and NON-FICTION.
EXPOSITION – the setting and characters are introduced as well as other essential
information necessary for the development of the plot.
RISING ACTION – the unraveling of the conflict/s
CLIMAX – the story’s most decisive crisis, the highest point or the surprising turn of
events.
FALLING ACTION – events leading to the resolution, a relief from the climax.
DENOUEMENT – the final resolution, untying of the plot, indicating the end of the
story.
Theme – the underlying message. It is the author’s statement of purpose,
philosophy, or an attitude toward life.
Point of View – the perspective or the position from which the story is
presented, the one who tells the story. It is also known as the narrative
technique. It may be in the first person or the third person.
Style – refers to the way the writer chooses words; the verbal identity of the
author.
Symbolism – pertains to the use of an object to stand for or represent a
person, thing, or an idea.
NOVEL
• An extended narrative that includes more characters and a more complicated
plot.
TYPES OF NOVELS:
MYSTERY – events are not explained until the plot or conflict is resolved. E.g.
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
EPISTOLARY – told in a series of letters. E.g. Daddy Long Legs by Jean
Webster, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
ADVENTURE – emphasis on the set of adventures by the main character.
E.g. Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Introduction / Beginning
The opening part of the write up that shows the topic sentence of the
essay or the thesis statement.
• Body / Middle
Explain, illustrate, discuss, or provide evidence to support the main idea
(thesis or claim) of the essay.
• Ending / Conclusion
Recapitulation of the ideas in the whole essay which brings it to a logical
end.
POETRY – writing in a language chosen and arranged to create specific
emotional effect and is written in the form of lines and stanzas. There are three
basic types of poem:
• VOICE – the persona or speaker in the poem. A poet can either use his own
voice or use an imaginary voice and act as an imaginary speaker.
Simile – a comparison of two objects with the use of “as” “like” or “than”.
E.g. O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.
“A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns
Metaphor – a comparison that is made directly without the use of “as” “like”
or “than”.
E.g. A man looked out of the window to see the storm intensify. He turned to
his friend and said, “Wonderful weather we’re having!”
Hyperbole – uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. It is
perfect to use in creative writing to add color to your work.
E.g. The sky weeps while the fire swallowed the entire forest.
The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.
The wind whispered through dry grass.
Look at my car, she is a beauty, isn’t she?
• SYMBOLISM – objects in the poem that are meant to represent abstract
concepts, like a rose symbolizes love
TYPES OF RHYME
Perfect Rhyme – occurs when differing consonant sounds are followed by
identical stressed vowel sounds.
E.g. FOE – TOE
Half-Rhyme – only the final consonant sounds are identical
E.g. SOUL – OIL , MIRTH – FOURTH
Rime Riche – words that sound exactly the same but have different spellings
and meanings.
E.g. NIGHT – KNIGHT