MAJOR GENRES OF THE 21ST

C E N T U R Y P H I L I P P I N E L I T E R AT U R E
 GENRE

• used by literary authors to:

1. categorize a certain literary composition (form)
2. to expose themselves in literary writings (style)
3. help readers understand its message and values (content)

• POETRY, FICTION, NON-FICTION

E L E M E N T S O F P O E T RY
 SENSE

• Revealed through words, images, symbols

1. DICTION  denotations and connotations
• He drank his beer quietly.

2. IMAGE and SENSE IMPRESSIONS  words used to create

sensory images which appeal to the readers’ senses
• It was dark and dim in the forest.
• He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee.
 SOUND

1. METER  beat of the poem

 duration, stress, number of syllables per line
 SOUND

2. RHYME SCHEME  ABAB CDCD EFEF

The people along the sand

All turn and look one way
They turn their back on the land
They look at the sea all day
 SOUND

2. RHYME SCHEME  AA BB

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
 SOUND

2. RHYME SCHEME  AAAA

Lifting her arms to soap her hair

Her pretty breasts respond and there
The movement of that buoyant pair
Is like a spell to make me swear
 STRUCTURE

• Arrangement of parts – words and lines

1. WORD ORDER
2. PUNCTUATION  indicate emotions
3. SHAPE  contextual and visual design
 TONE

• Poet’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject, reader or himself

• Interpretation of the reader

VOICE

• Speaking persona
CLASSES OF POETRY
 LYRIC POETRY

• Emotions, mood, reflection of poet’s musical language

• short, simple, easy to understand
• subjectivity and powerful use of imagination

1. ODE  celebrating a person

2. ELEGY  lament for the dead
3. SONG
NARRATIVE POETRY

1. EPIC  long narrative poem about life, quests, and adventures

of a supernatural hero

2. BALLAD  narrative song of significant incidents; shorter

compared to epics
TYPES OF FICTION
 CHICK LIT

• Issues of modern
womanhood
• Heroine’s relationship with
her family and friends is just
as important as romantic
relationships
 SPECULATIVE FICTION

• umbrella term for more

fantastical fiction genres
 science fiction

 fantasy

 horror

 supernatural fiction
 SPECULATIVE FICTION

 superhero fiction

 utopian and dystopian fiction

 apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic
fiction

 alternate history
 NOVEL

• lengthy narrative separated into a series of chapters

• Complex plot and introduces numerous characters in different parts
 SHORT STORY

• Single plot characterized by its different elements

1. Setting  time, place, condition
2. Characters
3. Plot
4. Conflict
5. Point of View
6. Mood  atmosphere and tone
7. Theme  central idea: values and truths
8. Symbols  images and objects stand for something else
 SHORT STORY: CHARACTER

• Persons, animals, things moving around the plot

1. PROTAGONIST  main character; hero/heroine

2. ANTAGONIST  villain who opposes the main character
 SHORT STORY: PLOT

• Series of actions and events in the story

1. EXPOSITION  introduction
2. RISING ACTION  marks the onset of the major conflict
3. CLIMAX  highest tension and point of interest
4. FALLING ACTION  revelation and realization of characters
5. DENOUEMENT  final resolution and outcome
 SHORT STORY: CONFLICT

• Struggle or complication in the story

1. Man vs Man
2. Man vs Himself
3. Man vs Nature
4. Man vs Society
5. Man vs Technology
 SHORT STORY: POINT OF VIEW

• Voice used by the writer

1. First Person Point of View  thoughts and feelings of the

character; world depicted through his eyes
2. Third Person Limited Point of View  narrator knows
everything about one character
3. Third Person Omniscient Point of View  narrator knows
everything about all characters
 CREATIVE NONFICTION

• Deals with facts and reality which aims to

explain a theory, idea, and POV
• Uses literary styles and techniques to create
factually accurate narrative
 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

• story of a person’s life

written by himself from his
own POV
• Written from a person’s
memory and personal style
 BIOGRAPHY

• story of a person’s life

written by someone else
• recreates the personality of
an individual’s life
 DRAMA

• story intended to be performed on stage

• art of imitating human characters and actions
• early drama written in poetic form
• contemporary drama written in prose
• 5 genres
 1. TRAGEDY

• main character is struggling against dynamic forces

• hero caught up in death or difficult circumstances leading to a
disaster
• Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet
 2. COMEDY

• wit, humor, delicate ideas

• characters always find solutions to conflicts and obstacles they
encounter
• All’s Well that Ends Well, The Importance of Being Earnest

3. TRAGICOMEDY

• story suggests a happy ending despite of unfortunate events

• The Merchant of Venice, The Cherry Orchard
 4. FARCE

• exaggerated characters,
humorous events and
ridiculous situations

5. MELODRAMA

• stereotypical characters
with exaggerated
emotions or reactions
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

1. Plot
2. Characters
3. Setting
4. Dialogue
a. Aside  speech delivered by actor not heard by other
characters
b. Soliloquy  speech delivered by actor about inner
thoughts to reveal personal feelings