Republic of the Philippines

Romblon State University

Liwanag, Odiongan, Romblon

INSTITUTE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION

Module 3: Elements of
Literature and the
Combined Arts

In

EC 2

Arts and Humanities

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY

Prepared by:

MA. CRISTINA R. CAAGBAY, LPT, RPm

Introduction

In order for us to understand a good literary work, we should know first the
important elements of literature. It is unquestionable that the medium of literature is
language, and language is composed of words that are combined to make meaningful
messages and ideas. In this module, you will learn the important elements of literature
and the combined arts that will enable you to create a work showing a high sense of
value.

Learning Outcome:

As you explore the lesson, you are expected to:

 Demonstrate mastery of the classification and elements of literature and the
combined arts.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the elements of literature and the combined arts in selected literary
pieces.
2. Determine the theme of a selected literary piece and determine its use.

Exploring my Materials

Important Concepts:

Language is the medium of literature, and it is made up of words that are linked
into sentences to represent ideas, feelings, or wishes. In other words, a writer should keep
the following goals in mind:

1. To seek to raise the reader's humanity level, and

2. To achieve the goal of making one a better person, giving him a strong sense
of value.
The elements of literature:

1. Emotional appeal- is attained when the reader is emotionally moved

or touched by any literary work.

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.
-Elizabeth B. Browning
How Do I Love Thee?
 2. Intellectual appeal has both add knowledge or information and
remind the reader about what has forgotten.

Don’t you realize that it is a useless life which is not consecrated to a

great idea? It is a stone wasted in the fields without becoming part of
any edifice.
(Simoun to Basilio)

3. Humanistic worth is achieved when a literary work transforms the

reader into a better person with a positive attitude on life and a clear
awareness of his or her inner self.

Finds faults with things that are native – customs and living, food and
dress –were it not for his brown skin you’d think he was foreign and
born somewhere else.
-A Stanza from the poem Foreigner, written by Amado V. Hernandez and translated
by Cirilo F. Bautista into English

What would have happened if she had never lost those jewels? Who
knows? Who knows? How strange life is, how fickle! How little is
needed to ruin or to save!
-Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

Classification of Literature:

a. Escape literature is designed for entertainment purposes, to help us pass

the time in a pleasant way. It transports us away from reality and allows
us to temporarily forget our problems. Its main goal is to make you happy.
b. Interpretative literature is written to widen and sharpen our understanding
of the world. It transports us further into the real world and helps us
understand our problems through the use of imagination. It contains
pleasure as well as comprehension for its subject.

Uses of Literature:

1. Moralizing Literature- The goal of literature is to impart moral principles to

the reader so that they can comprehend and appreciate them; the
moral might be stated explicitly or indirectly.
2. Propaganda literature- This type of literature can be found not only in
history books and advertising and marketing publications, but also in
novels that describe a person's personal triumphs and achievements
in life.

3. Psychological continuum of the individual-therapeutic value- It may

be viewed as a sophisticated modern development of the concept
of catharsis—an emotional relief felt by the reader that aids in his
recovery from a previously pent-up feeling. Here are some examples
of therapeutic poems.
Elements of Poetry:

Poetry is a form of literature that is built on the interaction of words and

rhythm. It frequently employs rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the
number and arrangement of syllables in each line). Poetry writing is the most
difficult sort of literature to write for three reasons: first, the choice of correct words
or grammar; second, the denotative and symbolical significance of the chosen
grammar; and third, the limitations imposed by the structure and rhythm of sounds.

1. Denotation/ Connotation- The true meaning of a term taken from the

dictionary is referred to as denotation. The word "home," for example, denotes
a place where one resides. Connotation refers to a word's related or
associated meanings. The same word "home" connotes warmth, comfort,
security, love, and other connotative meanings.

“Thoughts“
Czarina Roldan

Unless a young one tries

Unless an old one tries
There'll always be a wall.
1. Imagery- language can be described as the representation of
sensory experience. We are wired to see what the author is talking
about, so visual imagery is the most typical.

2. Figurative Language- The simile and metaphor are the most

prevalent and important types of figurative language.

Difference between metaphor and simile:

A simile expresses the comparison by using words or
phrases such as like, as, than, comparable to, like, or seem; a
metaphor implies the comparison, that is, the figurative term
is substituted for or linked with a literal one.

3. Rhythm and Meter- Rhythm is a component of our life since there

is rhythm in the way we move, talk, swim, and do other
comparable actions. Meter in English refers to accents that are
placed in such a way that they appear at seemingly equal
intervals of time. Verse is the name given to metrical language.

4. Meaning and Idea- The meaning of a poem is the experience it

express.
 Total Meaning vs. Prose Meaning
The entire meaning in a poem is the notion that is only a portion of the
overall experience communicated, but the prose meaning does not
have to be an idea in and of itself. It could be a story, a description,
an emotional statement, a portrayal of human character, or a
combination of these.

Elements of the Short Story

1. Plot. It is the series of incidents or events that make up a story. It could just be a
series of related actions.

2. Character. Reading for character is harder than reading for story since character
is far more complicated, diverse, and ambiguous. Most short stories center on or
evolve around a single character.

3. Theme. It is the central idea or controlling idea in a literary work. It is the story's
unifying generalization about life, which is spoken or implied.

4. Symbol and Irony. A literary symbol is something that means more than its literal
meaning. It is an object, a person, a circumstance, an action, or some other item
in the story that has a literal meaning but also indicates or reflects additional
meanings. Irony has a variety of definitions, all of which involve some type of
disparity or incongruity. It is a contrast in which one term of the contrast in some
way mocks the other term.

Types of Irony:

a. Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the opposite of what is

meant is expressed. There is a chasm between what is said and what
is meant.
b. Dramatic irony is the disjunction between what a character says and
what the reader understands to be true.
c. Situational irony is the disparity between appearance and reality,
anticipation and fulfillment, or what is stated and what appears
suitable.

5. Language and Style- The term "language" refers to the idiom and how it is utilized.
Style, on the other hand, is a phrase that can relate to the precise use of language,
both literary and figuratively; it can also refer to the overall working out of the short
tale, taking into account all of the other components (character, plot, topic,
setting). (Edilberto Dagot and colleagues, 1974).
 Parts of a Short Story:

1. Exposition- This refers to start or

introduction of the story. It tells the
background information that the reader
must have in order to understand the
story. This is also where characters and
setting are introduced.

2. Rising Action- This is where the

reader is introduced to the conflict. All of
the events that take place leading up to
the climax.

3. Climax- It refers to the most

exciting part of the story. Here, the story
is turned in a different direction, toward
the conclusion.

4. Falling Action- The immediate reaction to the climax. All the

actions that occur after the climax and before the conclusion
of the story.

5. Denouement- (French: “unknotting”) - It refers to the conclusion

after the climax of a narrative in which the complexities of the
plot are unraveled and the conflict is finally resolved.

Elements of the Essay

An essay is merely a literary piece about a certain subject. It is usually

brief and presents the author's personal ideas, feelings, experiences, or
observations on a particular stage of life that has piqued his interest (Irene
Mabel Rich, 1965).

 Informal essay- when the essay is light, humorous, and entertaining.

 Formal essay- when it is heavy, informative, and intellectually
stimulating.

When reading an essay, the following elements should be considered:

1. The issue introduced. This reflects the actual purpose of the writer.
 2. The writer's viewpoint and thought. The final stand of the author,
whether he is for or against the issue he has discussed.
3. The relevance of the issue to the life of the reader. This refers to the
reader's perception, responsiveness, and enjoyment of the theme.

Elements of the Novel

A novel refers to a long work of prose fiction dealing with characters,

situations, and scenes that represent those of real life and setting and
action in the form of a plot.

1. Setting- covers the time, the place, and the background. It involves
not only geography but also the entire climate of beliefs, habits, and
values of a particular region and historical period (Van De Bogart,
1973).

2. Plot- is the novel's skeleton or structure, which gives it shape and

proportion. It can also be defined as the plot itself, the real events or
incidents in the novel, the most essential substance about human
action, and the changes that occur from beginning to finish of the
story.

3. Conflict- It may be caused by the physical environment, such as

hostile nature, the community, or other characters, or it may be a
physical, emotional, and mental handicap cultural social
environment, such as the conventions, customs, or traditions that exist
inside the main character himself.

4. Theme- is analogous to the subject of a painting. It is the novel's

universal truth, the major theme or issue. A topic does not imply moral
value, as the latter is the message that instructs the reader.

 Characters- They not only act, but also demonstrate the author's
moral, emotional, and intellectual traits. They involve two
characteristics: morals and personality.
 Morality- has the older status as a technical concept in literary
criticism. This will tell us the good guys from the bad guys.
 Personality is a newer idea. Speech, hairdo, interest, attitude
toward work, and all of the complex attitudes and feelings that
characterize the individual are all examples of character.
 5. Consistency of Character Traits- is important in the plot, but that
doesn't imply a character can't evolve as a result of the
circumstances he encounters.

The Elements of Drama

Drama, like prose fiction, employs story and character,

develops a theme, arouses emotion or appeals to comedy, and can be
either escapist or interpretative in its approach to life. It, like poetry, may
use all of the resources of language, including verse. Much of drama is
poetry, yet drama has one distinguishing feature. It is written primarily to be
performed, not read. It normally presents its action 1) through actors, 2) on
a stage, and 3) before an audience.

Despite the immense diversity of drama as a cultural activity, all

plays have certain elements in common.

1. Plot- It is a term that is occasionally used to refer to a synopsis of a play's

plot. It is concerned with the events of the story. The author simply and
swiftly introduces the characters and provides information about
previous events and the current situation at the start of the play. This is
referred to as the exposition.

2. Character- Characters must be formed to match the plot's needs, and

all aspects of characterization must work together. The audience will not
be interested in the play unless the characters in it appear to be real
people. As a result, the author must make the characters credible to the
audience. The protagonist is the primary character, the person who is
seeking to solve the problem. The conflict he/she faces, frequently
involves a struggle with some force outside himself/herself (external
conflicts) as with an antagonist, and/or a struggle within himself/herself
(internal conflict).

3. Thought- thoughts in dramatic structure include the concepts and

emotions conveyed by the general meaning of the play, which is
frequently referred to as the theme. Not all plays address significant
themes, but every play makes some reflection on human experience,
either directly or by implication.
4. Language (dialogue) - Language in the theater refers to the dramatic
dialogue, which may be in prose or in verse. Dialogue is the conversation
between two or more characters in a
play.

• The dialogue in prose might be

naturalistic or rhetorical.
• Naturalistic discourse is how people
actually communicate.
• Rhetorical discourse is commonly
described as florid, high-flown, and
oratorical.
• Verse dialogue employs poetic
traditions for dramatic purposes.

5. Theme- It is a conviction about the real world we live in, and it may be
stated in several ways. Theme tends to be complex, and may include
contradictory evaluations (Colwell, 1968). Theme may be directly or
indirectly stated.

6. Climax/Denouement- The climax is the scene or incident that is the

culmination of the suspense and evokes the most powerful feelings or
emotions. It differs from the previous major episodes in terms of intensity
and structural relevance to the denouement and development.
Following the climax, the story is worked out in the denouement. The
playwright concludes the struggle and explains how and why things
turned out the way it did in this final act, which is usually brief but can be
a full act.

7. Costume and Make-Up- Every

costume should be
comfortable and firmly put
together so that the performer
does not have to be concerned
about it once it is on. Before the
dress rehearsal, all costume
elements should be hung
together and marked. A
costume committee dressing
staff should be on hand to assist.
When not in use, everything in the make-up box should have its own
space and be covered.

8. Scenery and Lighting- Realistic

scenery and lighting, as well as
furniture-painted backdrops or
massive objects, should be used.
The scenery may be basic, as it is
just intended to convey the
situation. Proper lighting can
greatly enhance the reality of the
play. When lighting the play, keep
brightness, color, and direction in
mind. White, yellow, amber, and
pink lights brighten and cheer up
the stage. Blue and green dull the
scene and produce a cold effect.
Red and purple are mysterious.