QUERIES AND RESPONSES ON LITERATURE GENERAL 1. What is literature? Literanure is any writing which has the power to move the reader's heart or to stir her or his emotion. 2. What isthe difference between literature of pewer and literature of knowledge? Literature of power is literature that has'the power to move the hearts; that which appeals 10 the imagination rather than to the intellect and to the emotion rather than (0 the reasoning of the reader (To teach, 10 entcriain, and to change move). Literature of knowledge is literature that appeals to the intellect and reasoning of ‘the reader rather than her or his emotion, heart, and imagination, Literature of power feeds our hearts and literature of mowledge feeds our minds/imellects, 3. Why do we study literature? 4. It helps us understand human sentiments, interests, problems, etc. 4. It brings us closer to other human beings of other cultures, races/ethnicities, ‘and nationalities. ¢._ It makes our lives fuller and more balanced (hearts + intellects) | Addition 4. Studying/Reading for vicarious escape ©. Studying/Reading for learning | Jt. Studying/Reading for confronting experience & Studying/Reading for aesthetic pleasure | 4. Why do we study foreign literature? To deepen our understanding of the world: different human problems, aspirations from ours; to learn new emotions, values, norms. 5. Mention the three literary genres. Prose/Fiction, Poetry, Drama PROSE/FICTION 1. What is prose? The form of writte: language that is not organized according to the formal patterns of verse (a more natural term than poetry; a line of poetry: a stanza; poem), these are not organized by a regularly sustained formal arrangement, the significant unit being the sentence rather ihan the line. Prosaic or prosy = dullness and ordinariness; the neutral adjective is simply prose, e.g. prose writings. What ‘ fiction? Fiction is any narrative, in prose or in verse, that is wholly or in part the product of the imagination (this can include plays, narrative poems, folktales, parables, fables, legends, allegories, satires, and romances) (Pid by Aten, 3. Mention the elements of fiction, Se beat, Plot, Character, Setting, Point of View, Theme, Symbol and Allegory, Sole Gnd Senence vache Tone —n nance (nuansa) a 4. What is the difference between story and plot (2 aspects of novel)? 48F° ies NanguogStory is a narrative of events arranged in thetr time-sequence (And then? question); whereas, plot 1s a narrative events, the emphasis of which falls on jusality (cause-effect) (Why? question demanding more intelligence and memory) Mention the elements (distinct sections or stapes) of the plot of the traditional short story or novel Exposition (introduction), Complication (rising action), Crisis (clunay), Falling Achion, Resolution (comelusion) Exposition ts the beginning section or which the author provides the necessary background information, sets the scene, establishes the situation, and dates the action: introduces the characters, the conflict, or the potential for conflict Complication (the ris action) shows the underlying conflict, the development and intensity of 1 Crisis ts the mo ent at which the plot reaches us point of greatest emotional nutensiy: 118 the turning port of the plot, directly precipitating its resolution. Falling Action shows the subsided tension and the movement of the plot toward us appointed conclusion, afier reaching the crisis. Resolution (the conclusion or denouement=unknotting, untying) shows the outcomes of the conflict and establishes some new equilibrium or stability (however tentative or temporary). How is plot usually analyzed? a. What is the conflict (or conflicts) on which the plot turns? b._ Is the conflict internal, external, or some combination of the two? €. What are the principal incidents that make up the plot? 4. Is its development strictly chronological, or is the chronology rearranged in some way? Compare the plot's beginning and end. What essential changes have taken place? f Describe the plot in terms of its exposition, complication, crisis, falling action, and resolution. 8, Is the plot unified? Do the individual episodes/incidents logically relate 10 one another? h._Is the ending appropriate to and consistent with the rest of the plot? What is meant by character ina literary work? Character is any individual in a literary work What is/are the difference(s) between the following characters in fiction? a major (central) character and a minor (peripheral) character a protagonist (hero, heroine) and an antagonist (villain) a flat (minor) character and a round (major) character a dynamic (major) character and a static (minor) character Why are these characters termed differently? a. Their relationship to plot b. The degree of development they are given by the author c. Whether or not they undergo significant character change . Mention the two basic methods or techniques an author employs in presenting and establishing character (methods of characterization).Uke + ptowed by neve arin few < a vefou ie. Tale 4 a tite ve Ax — solayod by sentence POETRY % 1. What is poetry? rhanpytd. ado Poetry is a form of writing in which few lines run to the edge of the page (appearance perspective ~ too simplistic); Poetry is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (Wordsworth); Poetry is the Java of imagination whos eruption. prevents an earthquake (Lord Byron); Poetry is the form of writing that tak.s the _ greatest advantage of the personalities of words; it welcomes their eccentricities - lenoWan (Pickering and Hoeper). . dicin extra Poetry is language sung thatned” spoken, or written according to some pattern of recurrence that emphasizes the relationships between words on the basis of sound ‘as well as sense: this pattern is almost always a rhythm or meter, which may be supplemented by rhyme or alliteration or both. The demands of verbal patterning usually make poetry a more condensed medium than prose or everyday speech, often involving variations in syntax, the use of special words or phrases (poetic diction) peculiar to poets, and a more frequent and more elaborate use of figures of speech, principally metaphor and simile (Baldick, 1991). Poem is a piece of writing, arranged in patterns of lines and of sounds, expressing in imaginative language some deep thought, feeling, or human experience (Proctor, 1981; 837); a piece of creative writing in verse form, especially one expressing deep feclings or noble thoughts in beautiful language, composed with desire to communicate an experience (Hornby, 1977: 654), 3. What are the major stages in the development and history of poetry? a, Poetry as elevated or lofty expression (Aristotle in his Poetics, 4"" century B.C.) > poetry is a serious matter, has high style: rhetorical devices, inverted syntax, unfamiliar terms, and “everything that is remote from the ordinary”, b. The didactic purpose of poetry (15-16 centuries A.D. (Medieval period and early renaissance)> moral reformation emphasis: to teach and to delight (to teach, to entertain, and to move/change); Poetry communicating philosophy, moral values c. Metaphoric and metaphysical purposes of poetry (the last decade of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I ~ 17” century-> Shakespeare, John Donne); Poetry was again redefined. Metaphysical analogies: metaphor , simile d. Poetry as concentrated prose (18"" century); smooth, witty, and gracious in keeping with the century ideal of decorum and restraint; emphasis on craft than creativity; known as neoclassical period; poetry is nothing more than a crafted and refined version of standard language. c. Poetry as a vent of emotion (19" century > an age of rebellion in literature); Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings f Poetry as an organic structure (early 20” century); free verse > shaking poetry free from its dependence on tixed pattems of rhyme and meter, substituting balanced and parallel phrases for syllabig counting andreplacing the rhyming words at the end of each line with other musical effects (alliteration, assonance, and dissonance), 4. The five types of poetic forms are Formula Poems, Free-Form Poems, Syllable- and Word-Count Poems, Rhymed Verse Forms, and Model Poems. 5. a, Formula Poems ‘A formula poem is a poem in which every line is begun in the same way or 2 particular kind of word in every line is inserted; a poem that employs repetition, ie. a stylistic device that is more effective for young poets than thyme, Formula poems may include: (1) “I Wish .... “poems Subyurtebve ~ comebiBanat cantence - (2) Color poems (3) Five-senses poems (4) “If I Were ....poems (5) “1 Used to ..., But Now...” poems (6)... 1s" poems (7) Preposition poems Example (Five-Senses Poem) Being Heartbroken Sounds like thunder and lightning Looks like a carrot going through a blender Tastes like sour milk Feels like a splinter in your finger ‘Smells like a dead fish It must be horrible b, Free-Form Poems Free-form poems are poems in which words are chosen to describe something and put together to express a thought or tell a story, without concer for thyme or other arrangements. The number of words per line and the use of punctuation vary. Free-form poems may include: : {8) Concrete poems (words, phrases, sentences written in the shape of an objec!) {G) Found poems (culling words from other sources: songs, articles, stories) Example (Found Poem) Fast Moving Moving down the track, faster than fast, is Richard Petty seven-time winner of the crowned jewel Daytona 500. ‘At 210 mph- dangerous- pushing his engine to the limi. Other NASCARs running fastbut Richard Petty takes the lead at last. Running across the line with good time. ¢, Syllable- and Word-Count Poems Syllable- and word-count poems are poems that provide a certain structure consisting certain syllables or words. Syllable- and word-count poems may inchide (1) Haiku (17 syllables arranged in three lines, 5, 7, and 5 > nature) (2) Tanka (31 syllables arranged in five lines, 5-7-5-7-7 > nature) (3) Cinguain (22 syllables arranged in five lines, 2-4-6-8-2 -> something, story) (4) Diamante (seven-line contrast poem written in a shape of a diamond) Example (Diamante) BABY wrinkled tiny crying wetting sleeping rattles diapers money house caring working loving smart helpful ADULT 4. Rhymed Verse Forms Rhymed Verse Forms are forms of poems that utilize both rhyme and rhythm as their poetic devices. These include: (1) Limerick (5 lines, 1*, 2°4, s* lines rhyme; 3%, 4" rhyme > rhyme scheme -b-a; last line contains a funny, surprising ending) (2) Clerihews (4 lines describing historical figures. characters of stories; rhyme scheme: a-b-a-b) Example (Limerick) ‘There once was a frog named Pete Who did nothing but sit and eat He examined each fly With so careful an eye And then said, “You're dead meat.” e, Model Poems ‘Model poems are poems that are modeled on poems composed by adult/renown poets. Model poems include: jos Williams’s “This is Just to Say”) (1) Apologies (Model of William Carl (2) Invitations (Model of Shakespeare’s “Come Unto These Yellow Sands”) (3) Prayers from the Ark (Model of Carmen Bernos de Gasztold’s “Prayers from the Ark”) (4) If were in Charge of the World (Judith Viorst’s “If | Were in Charge of theWorld”) ample (Invitation) The Golden Shore Come unto the golden shore Where days are filled with laughter, And nights filled with whispering winds. Where sunflowers and sun Are filled with love. Come take my hand As we walk into the sun. 6. Poetic devices are the techniques employed by poets, such as repeating sounds within a line or a stanza, imitating sounds, repeating words and phrases, and utilizing comparisons, to create powerful images 7. The poetic devices commonly employed by poets inciude rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopocia, repetition, and comparison a. Rhyme Rhyme is the repetition of sounds as they are heard in a stanza and consists of the last stressed vowel and of all the speech sounds following that vowel (Abrams, 1981); the repetition at regular intervals in a line or lines of a poem of similar or identical sounds based on the correspondence between the vowels and succeeding consonants of accented syllables (Pickering and Hoeper, 1981). Employed, it is able to create pleasurable and soothing effects and has an organizing function. ‘Types of rhymes: (1) End rhyme (at the end of a stanza-line) (2) Internal rhyme (within a stanza-line) (3) Perfect rhyme/Exact rhyme (the stressed vowels following differing consonant sounds are identical and any following sounds are identical) (4) Approximate rhyme/Half rhyme (the final consonant sounds of rhyming words are identical) (5) Masculine rhyme (the final syllables of the rhyming words are stressed) (6) Feminine rhyme (the rhyming of stressed syllables is followed by unstressed syllables) (7) Visual rhyme (words rhyming to the eye but not to the ear; spelling is similar but pronounced differently) Rhyme scheme is the pattern in which the rhymed line-endings are arranged in a poem or stanza. Ris is a recognizable though variable pattern in the beat of the stresses of f stresses is structured into a recurrence of regular — that is sound. If this rhythm o} recur a approximately equal — unit, itis called meter. The lines in a poem can be divided into a number of repeated units combining the same number of accented and unaccented syllables. This unit is known as a poetic foot (metrical unit).ea v / vivid vi The sword, the banner, and the field How vainly men themselves amaze To win the palm, the oak, or bays And their incessant labors see Crowa’d from some single herb or tree Whose short and narrow verged shade Does prudently their toils upraid Kinds of poetic feet lambic 1 unaccented followed by 1 accented Trochaic 1 accented followed by | unaccented Dactylic 1 accented followed by 2 unaccented Anapestic 2 unaccented followed by I accented Spondaic 2 accented Names of lines 1 foot Monometer 2 feet Dimeter 3 feet Trimeter 4 feet Tetrameter 5S feet Pentameter 6 feet Hexameter 7 feet Heptameter 8 feet Octanieter Alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in consecutive words or in words in close proximity to one another. Tongue twisters are an exaggerated type of alliteration in which every word (or almost every word) in the twister begins with the same letter, eg. The D got dunked by the duck, The T was totally terrified Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is a device in which poets use sound words (¢.y. animal, machine, people sounds) to make their writing more sensory and more vivid. eg. Elephant Noses Elephant noses Elephant noses Elephants have big noses Big noses Big noses Elephants have big noses Through which they drink SCHLURRPe. Repetition Repetition of words and phrases is another device writers use to structure their writing as well as to add interest. eg. A Man Tam a little man standing all alone In the deep, dark wood. Tam a little man standing all alone In the deep, dark wood Tell me quickly, if you can, What to call this little man Standing all alone in the deep, dark wood. Who ar 1? Comparison ‘Comparison of images, feelings, and actions to other things is frequently utilized by poets to describe something. Comparison includes simile, metaphor, ‘metonymy, personification, apostrophe, animism, and juxtaposition). eg People People are like birds who are constantly getting their feathers ruffled. People are like alligators who find pleasure in evil cleverness. People are like bees who are always busy. People are like penguins who want to have fun, People are like platypuses Unexplainable! 8, Versification is the techniques, principles, and practice of composing verse, especially in its technical aspects of meter, rhyme, and stanza form; or the conversion of a prose passage or work into metrical verse form. 9. Kinds of stanza forms include (1) Couplet (two lines; a pair of rhymed lines) (2) Triplet or Tercet (three lines) (G) Quatrain (four lines) (4) Quintet (five lines) (5) Sestet (six lines) (6) Septet or Rhyme Royal (seven lines) (7) Octave or Octet (Bight lines) (8) Sonnet (fourteen lines) 10. Style simply means a writer’s characteristic way of using language. It covers such concepts as diction, imagery, and syntax.11, What is poetic diction? Iti, in the most general sense, the choice of words and figures in poetry. The term is more often used, however, to refer to that specialized language which is peculiar to poetry in that it employs words and figures not normally found in ‘common speech or prose. 12. Explain each of the following terms (meaning of words): denotation, connotation, allusion, parody, repetition, ambiguity, pun (see homonym), paradox, @nd irony (1) Denotation is the ‘straightforward’ dictionary meaning of a wort the meaning a word gives to a sentence, (2) Connotation is the range of further associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its denotation; the verbal coloring a word takes on from the sentences in which it is commonly used (3) Allusion is a brief, indirect or passing reference to some event, person, place, or artistic work, the nature and relevance of whi¢h js tit pxplained by the writer but relies on the reader's familiarity with what fs thus mentioned, (4) Parody is a mocking imitation of the style of a literary work or works, ridiculing the stylistic habits of an author or school by expggeisted mimicry, (5) Repetition (see #7.¢) (6) Ambiguity is the use of a word or phrase in such a way as to give it two or more competing meanings - (7) Pun is an ambiguous statement that is intended to be JRamorous. (8) Paradox is a statement that is true in some sense, eveti though at first it appears self-contradictory and absurd. When it is expressed in only two words (e.g. living death, wise fool, little giant), itis called as an ‘oxymoron. (9) Irony refers to a contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality, The kinds of irony are dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony, understated irony, overstated irony (hyperbole) 13, Explain each of the following terms (imagery: figures of speech): simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, apostrophe, synecdoche, animism, metonymy, juxtaposition. a. Simile is a direct comparison between two things using words ‘like’ or ‘as’, e.g. A teacher with a hundred students is as busy as a bee. 'b, Metaphor is an analogy or comparison between two different things, without the words “like” and ‘as’, e.g. John is a rising star. c. Personification is giving human qualities to a thing or an abstraction, e.g. The ‘fox spoke in a soft, inviting voice. d. “Hyperbole is an exaggeration or overstatement, €.g. / am so hungry; I could eat a horse. e. Onomatopoeia is the use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning or sense (see also #7.d), e.g, Hiss went the snake.16. £ Oxymoron is the use of words together as a unit but that are opposite in meaning, €.g, James Brown was called a little giant. g. Apostrophe is a limited form of personification and occurs when a pa¢f gr one of his characters addresses a speech to a person, animal, idea, or object eg, To you, my pr.rse, and to non other wight ao Complayne I, for ye be my lady dere! h, Synecdoche is using a part of thing to suggest the entire or whole thiag, ¢.g. ‘She wept with waking eyes. Obviously, the woman is awake other at “waking eyes” i, Animism is giving life to inanimate objects. sete eg. O my luve is like a red red rose ‘That's newly sprung in June agro te O my luve is like the melodie ‘That's sweetly played in tune PB is j. Metonymy (meaning “change of name”) is replacing what tpgant with something associated with an object or idea, e.g. the, “gtves to airy nothing; a local habitation and a name. As if it were the pen that did something; actually it is the poet. 7 . k. Juxtaposition is an overt comparison between two items sUURYEY * + inferences drawn, These two items are placed side.by side. eg Richard Cory, one calm summer night, ‘Went home and put a bullet through his head. ‘The calm, warm weather is juxtaposed with the cold, actin to prod us into pondering possible reasons for Richard Cory‘6: What does the term tone mean in poetry? Tone is the poet's attitude toward the subject or audience. A poem’s tone can be evaluated by examining the emotional effects of its words, images, figures of speech (particularly overstatement, understatement, irony, paradox, and ambiguity) ‘What are symbol and allegory in poetry? ‘Symbol is something that stands for something else. Private symbol: its meaning known to one person, : Original symbol: its meaning defined by its context in a particular work ‘Traditional symbol: its meaning defined by a common culture and heritage Allegory is a narrative that uses a system of implied comparisons — often including symbols- to develop two or more simultaneous levels of meaning, How is a poem generally evaluated and analyzed? : Before analyzing, read the poem carefully (aloud at least once), making sure that you understand the denotative meaning of each word. Be sure to use both your dictionary and the editor’s notes, if any. (1) Does the poet manipulate the meaning of words using any of the following poetic devices: connotation, allusion, repetition, ambiguity, punning, paradox, irony, etc.?Simile P COMparon +rat use due words “like "or “as” Yetapher —* Comparison belween Huo aigperant Wings vithoud Fhe words “We or “an! Petsorinicahorn oo Aphestwpne A Wiesainy device tn which dhe sPeakor addresses eter om absent Perron of a Mor n. human object, tMeq 1 ot bewig and is Commonly Pound ‘tn Player and poems |(2) Examine the poem’s j emphasized? Does th imagery. Are any images repeated or otherwise pattern? Can yo, © imagery in the poem develop according to a Jogical ae «determine why the poet uses the images that he or she (3) What forme of poetic comparison are used and what do they add to the poem's imagery aad meaning? (4) Does the poem make use of symbol or allegory? (S) What is the general mood or tone of the poem? Is it consistent throughout or is there a shift? (6) What is the situation or occasion of the poem? What is the setting of time and space? (7) Paraphrase and summerize the poem. What’s the theme, argument, central idea and how is it developed? (8) What is the meter and rhyme scheme of the poem? What other significant repetitions of sounds occur in the poem? How do they contribute to the effect of the poem? What is the form of the poem? Are the meter, thyme scheme, and form appropriate? (9) Criticize and evaluate. How well do you think the poet iss achieved a tatal integration of his materials? What is your reaction to the poem? Do you like the poem? If so, why? If not, why not? 17. What is lyric poetry? It is the study of poems showing an emotional or reflective soliloquy. For the ancient Greeks, a lyric was a short and usually expressed 4 single emotion, such as joy or sorrow. It was a song accompanied by a lyre 18. What is an American songbags? It is a treasure trove of songs and ballads.