Direction: Read each question carefully and encircle the correct 2.
2. Compare and contrast how the elements are used in the
answer.
1. What element in fiction or drama shows the overall message of
the story?
a. plot b. setting c. character d. theme
2. What part of a plot introduces the conflict in the story or play?
a. exposition b. rising action c. climax d. falling action
3. What narrative device uses the past event to better understand
the
present?
a. Flashback b. conflict c. Deus Ex Machina d. Irony
4. What narrative device provides a hint on what will happen next
in the
story
a. Foreshadowing b. conflict c. Deus Ex Machina d. Conflict
5. Determine among the choices below the type of fiction that
covers several
plots complications and is composed of chapters.
a. Short story b. Flash fiction c. Novella d. Novel
Directions: Let us see how well you can recall some important
facts about literature. Write AGREE if you think the statement is
true and DISAGREE if it is not.
1. Literature encompasses works of varying forms from student9s
classroom essays to famous writers masterpieces.
2. Fiction is an imaginative work.
3. A poem could have an unusual shape on the page.
4. A drama is intended to be performed before an audience.
5. Speeches are not literary works.
6. Both poetry and fiction utilize the same literary elements.
7. There are various literary genres.
8. Journals and diaries are also considered literary genres.
9. Any artistic literary work can be considered literature.
10. Since nonfiction work is based on truth, it makes use of
different literary elements
when written.
Learning Competencies:
1. Identify dominant literary conventions of a particular genre;
different genres.
VOCABULARY LIST
1. Literature is an art form, usually written. It includes prose and
poetry.
2. Fiction uses ordinary language that depicts significant human. It
has its elements such character, setting, plot, and point-of-view.
Its kinds are short stories and novels.
3. Poetry uses figurative language. It may be lyric, narrative or
dramatic.
4. Drama refers to a life story of actors and actresses, usually is
performed on a stage.
5. Other literary genres are speeches, diary entries, memoirs, etc.
Rexroth (2020) defines literature as <those imaginative works of
poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors
and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution.
= Citing the 11th edition of Merriam-Webster Collegiate
Dictionary, Rexroth adds that literature are <writings having
excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of
permanent or universal interest.= These definitions point out two
important aspects of literature: excellence and expression.
Various academics have classified it based on its different aspects
such as content, technique, tone, or simply definition.
On the basis of content, literature is divided into two major forms
– fiction and nonfiction. As to techniques used, literature is also
classified into prose and poetry.
In literature, there are four literary genres: poetry, drama,
fiction, and nonfiction.
Example:
(1)On July 15, Rivermaya will have a concert at the Araneta
Coliseum. The band has just arrived from a successful tour in China
and Indonesia. Tickets for the concert are selling quickly. (Ordinary
news) While the said news is factual and true, it appears dull and
lacks interesting details. By using the genre of creative nonfiction,
this new can be transformed into a more interesting piece of
information.
(2) Fans of Philippine musical band Rivermaya are in for a real
thrill. On July 15, their idol, fresh from their sold-out tour in China
and Indonesia, will be at the Araneta Coliseum for a single concert.
Marie Andrada, 18, a Communication Arts major in UST, says this
one concert she would rather die for than miss. Judging from
tickets sales so far, at least 10,000 other people agree with her.
Creative nonfiction combines the validity of facts and imaginative
stance of storytelling.
The word “creative” in creative nonfiction refers to the use of
literary craft in the writing of nonfiction-to produce factually
accurate essays or narrative about actual events and people in a
compelling and interesting way.
According to Leo Gutkind, a text can be classified as creative
nonfiction when the writer “communicate information just like a
reporter, but shape in a way that reads like fiction.”
LESSON1: Understanding the Genres of Fiction and Drama
Fiction: defined as “a series of imagined facts which illustrates
truths about human life.” It is commonly called “stories,” and can
either be short (short story) or rather long (novella or novel).
Drama: also uses the traditional conventions of fiction but has an
additional distinctive characteristics of being performed and
mounted on stage.
Comparison and Contrast of the Conventions
and Devices between Fiction and Drama
1. Fiction is generally classified as a short story or novel.
 Short story- a brief artistic prose form that centers on a single
main incident and intends to produce a single dominant
impression.
 Novel- an extensive prose or narratives that contains chapters
and interludes.
Plays (drama), however, are generally classified into acts or major
divisions.
 One-act play- has one unit of time, one unit of place, and one
unit of action and play
 Three-act –play- showcases a longer exposition of the theme
and conflict.
2. All stories must have a point of view. Point of view is the
vantage point or the angle from which the readers can see how
the story unfolds. It can be told from the perspective of a narrator,
a main supporting character, or an observer. It can also come
from an omniscient (all
knowing) being.
Drama also employs point of view but this is not apparent and
evident in a play. What is visible is the interplay of dialogue
between and among the characters. This component that moves
the action of the play. A
dialogue is what the viewers see and hear in a performance and
these
are the words uttered by the characters in a dramatic play.
3. The development of plot in both fiction and drama has a
pattern.
Generally, it contains the following:
Exposition
Introduces the characters and dramatic situation of the story or
play
Rising Action Introduces the conflict of the story or play
Climax
Introduces the central movement of crisis that defines the
conflict
Falling Action Introduces the aftermath of conflict (whether it is
resolved or not)
Resolution/ denouement
Introduces the moment of insight, discovery, or revelation
of the character after the falling action.
More popular and modern types of fiction and drama divides the
plot into three general parts: the beginning, the middle, and the
end.
Narrative Devices
1 Foreshadowing I used in fiction and drama as a guide or hint at
what is to happen next in the story.
2 Irony is also used both in fiction and drama when words that are
uttered, either by the author or characters in the story, are
opposite of what they really mean. The intention here is to
present a difference
between what is imagined will happen and what actually happens.
3 Flashback is employed by the author or playwright through the
use of past events that will help the readers understand the
present. This is
generally utilized to achieve a dramatic effect or impact on the
readers and audiences.
4 A conflict is both present in fiction and drama. It provides and
showcases the opposing objectives of the protagonist and the
antagonist, or inside the protagonist.
5 The use of deus ex machina in both fiction and drama was once elegies, and pastoral poems are examples of this
a noble strategy. Today, it is a sign of weakness in the written
work.

Once referring to the Greek practice of physically lowering a “god”

to the stage at the end of the play to solve all the problems, today
it refers to a contrived element in the plot to solve a problem
Understanding the Elements and Conventions of

Poetry
The language of poetry is quite different from the language of
prose (fiction and drama). Poetry uses a more intensified, focused,
Since poetry makes use of intensified and exulted language, its
and intricate language than prose.
elements are quite different from plays and stories.
In ancient times and periods, poetry was the language of people.
So poetry developed way before prose did. 1 Imagery. The use of images in a constant in poetry. It is the

Poetry is always characterized according to the following: essential representation of an experience or object that is
perceived through the sense. It is presented in language in a way
1 Poetry attempts to achieve beauty.
that we can see, smell, hear, taste, touch, or feel is as our
imagination allows.
2 Poetry is imaginative, or makes use of strength of imagination.
2.Figurative language. Figures of speech are devices that help
3 Poetry is musical, melodic, and rhythmical.
beautify or make the language more poetic than it already is. The
4 Poetry is makes use of language that is metaphorical or
symbolic, not direct.
most commonly used figures of speech are simile, metaphor,

5 Poetry is more concentrated than prose.

personification, and onomatopoeia.
6 Poetry makes use of brevity and conciseness.
3 Sound. Poetry is as much an oral as it is a visual form; therefore,
it is meant to be recited and real aloud. A poem should be read
Poetry is categorized into different forms- from the ancient epic to
aloud to reveal its true merits. The rhyme scheme and the meter
the specific limerick-but generally there are about three major
that a poem employs add to the sound of the poem.
categories of poetry: narrative, lyric, and dramatic.
4 Persona. The speaker of the poem is not necessarily the poet. It
Narrative poems
many cases, poets create a persona (a word that comes from Latin
Short and simple while others are long and complex. Epics
which means “mask”) who speaks the poem in the first person.
like Iliad, ballads like Lord Randall, and prose poems like the
Since the poem does not have characters, it is the persona and his
metrical romance of King Arthur fall under this category. or her perspective where we are able to perceive his/her
experience.
Dramatic poems

Employ dramatic form or elements of dramatic technique such

The theme refers to the central idea, the thesis, the message a
as dialogues or characters, instead of just a single speaker or story conveys, or a generalization or an abstraction from it. Theme
is not necessarily the moral or message of the story; it may be
persona. Eliot’s The Long Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a typical simply what the

example of this. story is all about.

Lyric poems An article co-authored by Grant Faulkner (2020) states that a

Brief in structure and subjective in expressing the thoughts
and emotions of the persona, the speaker of the poem.
Originally written to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre
(hence, the term), the words in these poems could be lyrics
which are strongly melodic. Songs, sonnets, haikus, odes,
theme in writing is the underlying idea behind an article or story
that unifies its words into a coherent whole. The theme has been
called the “muscle” or the "vehicle" of a story.
A theme can be stated in one of two ways. It can be made
explicitly, usually in business correspondence, technical writing,
and editorials. It can also be made implicitly, usually in short
stories, novels, and movie scripts.
In this case, the theme often emerges as the moral of the story.
A strong, well-defined theme enables the reader to see the
deeper meaning in your story and the intention behind your own
motivation for
writing it. While the structure and purpose of writing fiction and
non-fiction differ, there are techniques common to both forms of
writing, as described by Faulkner (2020) below.
assessing how much knowledge and experience the audience has.
 For example, in a business marketing letter, your audience will
be
prospective customers. Your purpose is to inform or persuade
them to

buy, and your theme might be to show them how your product
will
Preparing to Develop Your Theme
meet their needs. You may include statements of needs your
1 Understand the difference between "subject" and "theme." customer
"Subject" is a more general term than "theme." In non-fiction, the
subject is a general topic of interest, while in fiction, the subject is will identify with, and then follow each statement with a short
some aspect of the human condition explored within the work. A
paragraph about how your product relates to that need.
theme is an explicit or implicit statement about the subject.
4
 As a non-fiction example, a white paper could have as its subject
be the improvement of the security of the cargo transportation
Consider the length of what you're writing. Longer works, such as
supply chain. Its theme would be the forms of business data and
novels
means to access it that could provide those improvements.
or memoirs, permit the inclusion of other themes subordinate to
 As a fiction example, the Hans Christian Anderson story, "The
the primary
Ugly
theme of your work. In contrast, shorter works, such as short
Duckling," has a subject of alienation in that the main character is
stories or

depicted as different from his peers. The themes, however, are

editorials, usually have room to address only a single theme,
themes of failure to fit in, as well as self-discovery as the
although they
"duckling" grows up to discover he was actually a swan.
may give passing reference to supporting ideas.
2 Identify the purpose of your writing. The purpose behind your
writing will shape how you develop your theme in the piece. Defining Your Theme
There are numerous purposes as to why someone writes. Your
writing may serve any of these purposes (or any combination 1
thereof):
Make an outline of your story. Most stories start with a kernel of
 Documenting or recording an event or information an idea.

 Reflection on an idea This may hint at the theme of your story, or the theme may
emerge through
 Demonstration of knowledge
the development of the story. If you have an idea for a story, it
 Summary of information will be helpful

 Explanation of an idea to sketch out the story. Then you can start to determine the
different
 Analysis of a problem
directions it can take. This then points to potential themes that
 Persuasion
you can
 Theorization that speculates or seeks to explain an issue
focus on. Outline your story, listing the characters and setting out
the order
 Entertainment
of events that will happen in the story.
3 Identify your audience. Understanding who your audience is
lets you determine which themes are appropriate to your
2
audience. This will also
Brainstorm ideas that can represent your theme. Once you’ve
help you identify how best to present those themes to your
identified a
audience. You
theme for your story, you can start to think about ways in which
can determine what themes are appropriate to your audience by
to
realistically
represent that theme. Start with a free association exercise. In this  For example, your character’s parent committed a crime. Your
exercise,
character, a police officer, is faced with a moral dilemma of
focus on your theme – either the word or phrase (such as “family” whether
or
to arrest the parent or not. Your theme could start to emerge
“environment” or “corporate greed”). Let your mind wander and from
observe the
this conflict.
thoughts, people, images and so on that enter into your mind.
Write down 5

these thoughts and images. Research to support your theme. Research is important in both
non
 Try out the technique of “mind-mapping”. In this technique, you
start fiction and fiction. In non-fiction, you are primarily looking for
facts to
with a central idea and begin to map out the ways in which the
story support your theme and the points supporting it. In fiction,
research also
develops. This way, you can also start to identify how the theme
feeds into making your characters and the environment in which
weaves through the story. they

3 interact as realistic as possible.

Look into your character’s motivations. Your story’s characters 6

are
Realize that you can have more than one theme. There isn’t any
tasked with goals and aspirations. These motivations drive your rule that
character to
says you can only have one theme. You may have a dominant
act certain ways. These actions often feed into your theme.[4] theme with

 For example, if your character is passionate about becoming a sub-themes that strengthen and deepen your thematic dimension.
vegan, [6] For

you might start to examine themes of whether humans have the example, perhaps your dominant theme is the human impact on
right the

to take control over the natural world. environment, and you have sub-themes of corporate greed and
the
 In many non-fiction pieces, such as a letter to the editor, you are
the breakdown of community in modern society.

“character” and your motivation is what will define the theme. For Weaving Your Theme into Your Writing

example, if you are writing a letter to your congressperson about a 1

recent oil spill in your community, your theme could be something Choose ways to present your theme to your reader. A solidly
presented
like the need for environmental cleanup and responsibility.
theme will emerge through many different facets of your story.
4 Start

Think about your story’s conflict. The characters in your story are thinking about how your theme will become apparent to your
faced readers. Some

with a conflict that drives the plot. This may be an event or an
antagonist.
When you figure out the central conflict of your story, you may
start to
of these ways include:
 Through characters’ actions, thoughts and speech
 Through symbolic use of the environment

uncover your theme.[5]  Through repeating ideas

 Through highlighting symbols or landmarks
 Through contrasting values
2 as a
Use narration to present facts and details. Narration means to
present
facts and details in an organized, usually chronological fashion to
tell what
happened and who it happened to. Narration is used in most
newspaper
articles and commonly in stories told in the first person
3 represents
Use description to build an image in the reader’s mind.
Description is
the use of words that invoke the senses to build an image in the
reader's
mind of the item being described. Description is particularly
powerful in
fiction as a substitute for narration. Instead of writing that a
character was
angry, you describe the character as having bulging eyes, flared
nostrils,
and a beet-red face, and use "thundered," "shouted," or
"screamed" in place
of "said" to describe the character's voice.
4 to get
Use the tool of comparison and contrast. Comparison is showing
the
similarities of two or more things. Contrast is showing the
differences
between two or more things. Comparison and contrast can be
used in both
fiction and non-fiction. For example, comparison and contrast was
used to
describe the lifestyles of the protagonists in Mark Twain's "The
Prince and
the Pauper." It can also be used for a side-by-side comparison of
laptop
computer features.
5  Remember that this feedback is not intended to be personal;
Try an analogy. A form of comparison and contrast, the analogy
compares
something familiar to something unfamiliar to explain the
unfamiliar item.
An example of an analogy is comparing Earth’s size in the universe
grain of sand.
6
Incorporate symbolism into your story. Symbolism is using
something to
represent something else, such as the storm gathering around
Roderick
Usher's house in Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." This
Usher's own disquiet after his sister's burial. Symbolism is more
common in
fiction than non-fiction and requires the reader to be familiar with
the
symbols you use and their intended meaning.
 Try a recurring motif to institute symbolism in your story. You
might
have a recurring motif or detail of a person singing “Ave Maria” in
your story.
Finalizing Your Theme
1
Get feedback. Allow lots of people read your writing. It is helpful
other eyes on a piece of writing so that you know whether your
ideas are
conveyed clearly. Ask these readers about their impressions. See if
they can
identify your theme without prompting.
 Be open to the ways that other people respond to your writing.
They
might be able to point out errors that you regularly make, which
can
help clarify and improve your writing. They might also ask thought
provoking questions that helps you consider an angle you hadn’t
previously considered.
they are
responding to the writing, not to you.
2 c. People are destroying nature and themselves with uncontrolled

Put away your writing for a few days. Get some distance from technology.
your writing
2. The Individual in Society
by putting it away for a bit. Sometimes when we write, we’re so
invested in a. Society and a person's inner nature are always at war.

the story and shaping the words that we lose sight of the bigger b. Social influences determine a person's final destiny.
picture.
c. Social influences can only complete inclinations formed by
Take a break from your writing by turning your focus to a different Nature.
project
d. A person's identity is determined by place in society.
for a few days. Then come back to your writing and reread it.
e. In spite of the pressure to be among people, and individual is
3
essentially alone and frightened.
Make changes to your theme. Based on your own evaluation of
3. An individual's Relation to the gods.
the piece,
a. The god(s) are benevolent and will reward human beings for
as well as the feedback you’ve solicited from others, make
alterations to your
overcoming evil and temptation.
theme. You may recognize that, while you thought your theme
b. The gods mock the individual and torture him or her for
was one
presuming
aspect, your readers interpreted it very differently.
to be great.

 For example, perhaps you have been focusing your theme on a

c. The gods are jealous of and constantly thwarts human
aspiration to
firefighter’s triumph over her parents’ disapproval. But then you
power and knowledge.
realize that your story is really about the firefighter’s struggle in a
d. The gods are indifferent toward human beings and let them run
male-dominated profession.
their
 A change to your theme might necessitate adding or deleting
some
undetermined course.

passages that do not strengthen your theme.

e. There are no gods in whom people can place their faith or
yearning
Common Themes in Literature
for meaning in the universe.
These are a just a few of the many possible literary subjects and
4. Human Relations
themes. The themes about the subjects on the list are still fairly
general. As
a. Marriage is a perpetual comedy bound to fail.
11
b. Marriage is a relationship in which each partner is supported

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and enabled to grow.
(medallebethel@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|16556335
c. An old man marrying a young woman is destined to be a
a critical writer discussing a particular literary work, you'll need to
cuckold.
bring
d. Parents should not sacrifice all for a better life for their children.
your observations about theme closer to the work.
e. There are few friends who will make extreme sacrifices.
1. The Individual in Nature
5. Growth and Initiation
a. Nature is at war with each of us and proves our vulnerability.
a. A boy and a girl must go through a special trial or series of trials
b. People are out of place in Nature and need technology to
survive. before maturing.
b. Manhood or womanhood is often established by an abrupt,
random

crisis, sometimes at an unusually early age.

c. Aspects of childhood are retained in all of us, sometimes

hindering

growth, sometimes providing the only joy in later life.

d. A person grows only in so far as he or she must face a crisis of

12

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confidence or identity.

6. Time

a. Enjoy life now, for the present moment, because we all die too
soon.

b. By the time we understand life, there is too little left to live.

7. Death

a. Death is part of living, giving life its final meaning.

b. Death is the ultimate absurd joke on life.

c. There is no death, only a different plane or mode of life without

physical decay.

d. Without love, death often appears to be the only alternative to

life.

8. Alienation

a. An individual is isolated from fellow human beings and foolishly

tries to bridge the gaps.

b. Through alienation comes self-knowledge.

c. Modern culture is defective because it doesn't provide group

ties

which in primitive cultures make alienation virtually impossible.