M E L I S A B E T S Y A L B E R T INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
-1- CONTENTS 1 3 2 4 5 THE DEFINITION OF LITERATURE THE SCOPE OF LITERATURE WHY USE LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM? LITERARY GENRES FIGURES OF SPEECH IN LITERATURE
-2- CONTENTS 6 8 7 9 10 THE DEFINITION OF LITERATURE THE SCOPE OF LITERATURE WHY USE LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM? LITERARY GENRES FIGURES OF SPEECH IN LITERATURE
Literature is the study of imaginative works that relate certain aspects of human experience. “LITERATURE BRINGS US BACK TO THE REALITIES OF HUMAN SITUATION, PROBLEMS, FEELINGS AND RELATIONSHIPS.” MOODY (1978:3) Students who read literature are exposed to various aspects of real-life situations, and this helps them understand conditions they probably would not have been able to. •So, apart from giving pleasure to readers, literature broadens and deepens human knowledge. -3- ‘A la recherche du temps perdu’ by Marcel Proust is the longest book in the world at 9,609,000 characters. Translated into Remembers of Things Past, the book tells the story of the narrator’s experiences growing up.
-4- WHAT IS ENGLISH LITERATURE? WHAT IS ENGLISH LITERATURE? Literature written in the English language is referred to as English literature, which includes works written in English by authors who are not necessarily from England. Shakespeare's writings continue to hold a special place in the hearts of English-speaking people all across the world. •American literature American literature as a whole is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. WHY USE LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM? WHY USE LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM? MOTIVATING MATERIAL ACCESS TO CULTURAL BACKGROUND ENCOURAGING LANGUAGE ACQUISITION EXPANDING STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE AWARENESS DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ INTERPRETATIVE ABILITIES EDUCATING THE WHOLE PERSON
-5- To increase, to enrich, or to highlight human knowledge about art of humanity. To enhance human insight and experience. To soften human feeling. WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF LITERATURE? WHAT WE MEAN OF LITERATURE IS ALWAYS IN THE FORM OF WRITTEN. WHY WE STUDY LITERATURE? We can learn more about ourselves We can learn more about society We can learn to understand the motivations of others We can identify with characters and learn from them We can have fun and enjoyment We can learn to understand and become more tolerant of people, ethnic groups, and races that are different from ourselves WHY LITERARY WORKS MUST BE APPRECIATED ? DO YOU KNOW? WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WAS AN ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT, POET AND ACTOR. HE IS REGARDED AS THE GREATEST WRITER IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND THE WORLD'S PREEMINENT DRAMATIST. HE IS OFTEN CALLED ENGLAND'S NATIONAL POET AND THE "BARD OF AVON".
-6- An Essay is a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument — but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have traditionally been sub-classified as formal and informal. 1. 2. ESSAY LITERARY GENRES EPIC METRICAL ROMANCE AND TALE BALLAD PROSE DRAMA AND FICTION ESSAY SHORT STORY NOVEL LYRIC POETRY DRAMATIC POETRY AND MONOLOGUE
-7- •NARRATIVE ESSAYS Narrative essays are like you as the author holds the role to tell •a story about a real-life experience. When writing a narrative essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact that narrative essays are usually written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give readers a feeling of being part of the story. TYPES OF ESSAYS DESCRIPTIVE ESSAYS: PAINTING A PICTURE •paints a picture with words. •a writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. •it strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. • the writer should show, not tell, through the use of colorful words and sensory details. •the best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with a result that is EXPOS highly evocative. ITORY ESSAYS: JUST THE FACTS Expository essays is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced analysis of a topic. The writer explains or defines a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples. It encompasses a wide range of essay variations, such as the comparison and contrast essay, the cause and effect essay, and the “how to” or process essay. Based on facts and not personal feelings, writers don’t reveal their emotions or write in the first person. PERSUASIVE ESSAYS: CONVINCE ME While like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. The writer must build a case using facts and logic, as well as examples, expert opinion, and sound reasoning. The writer should present all sides of the argument, but must be able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain position is correct.
-8- A fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel. A short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to two hours according to Edgar Allan Poe. In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words. it focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme. 1. 2. 3. 4. SHORT STORY 5 ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY CHARACTER SETTINGS PLOT CONFLICT THEME
-9- A novel is an invented prose narrative of considerable length and a certain complexity that deals imaginatively with human experience. Usually through a connected sequence of events involving a group of persons in a specific setting. Within its broad framework, the genre of the novel has encompassed an extensive range of types and styles: picaresque, epistolary, Gothic, romantic, realist, and historical—to name only some of the more important ones. NOVEL ELEMENTS OF NOVEL PLOT - THE NOVEL IS PROPELLED THROUGH ITS HUNDRED OR THOUSAND PAGES BY A DEVICE KNOWN AS THE STORY OR PLOT. •SCENE, OR SETTING - THE MAKEUP AND BEHAVIOR OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS DEPEND ON THEIR ENVIRONMENT QUITE AS MUCH AS ON THE PERSONAL DYNAMIC WITH WHICH THEIR AUTHOR ENDOWS THEM. 1. 2. The prose is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. It comprises of full grammatical sentences which consist of paragraphs and forgoes aesthetic appeal in favor of clear, straightforward language. This is the most reflective of conversational speech. Some works of prose do have versification and a blend of the two formats that is called prose poetry. PROSE
NONFICTIONAL PROSE FICTIONAL PROSE A literary work that is mainly based on fact although it may contain fictional elements in certain cases. Examples are biographies and essays. A literary work that is wholly or partly imagined or theoretical. Examples are novels. TYPES OF PROSE THE EARLIEST BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH PROSE TOOK PLACE IN THE ANGLO SAXON PERIOD DURING THE REIGN OF KING ALFRED. MUCH OF ANGLO SAXON PROSE CONSISTS OF TRANSLATIONS FROM LATIN. MOST OF THESE TRANSLATIONS WERE DONE BY KING ALFRED WHICH INCLUDES- PASTORAL CARE OF POPE GREGORY DO YOU KNOW? Who is the Best Prose Writer? Contenders for the title of best prose writer include Cervantes, Twain, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Achebe, Mary Shelley, and Emily Brontë. These are some of the greatest prose writers who influenced subsequent writers, and brought joy to vast numbers of readers. -10-
HEROIC PROSE PROSE POETRY A literary work that may be written down or recited and employs many of the formulaic expressions found in oral tradition. Examples are legends and tales. A literary work which exhibits poetic quality using emotional effects and heightened imagery but are written in prose instead of verse. TYPES OF PROSE A remarkable body of this prose is the early Irish Ulster cycle of stories, recorded between the 8th and 11th centuries, featuring the hero Cu Chulainn and his associates. A 12th-century group of Irish stories is the Fenian cycle, focusing on the hero Finn MacCumhaill (MacCool), his son (the poet Oisin), and his elite corps of warriors and hunters, the Fianna Eireann. -11-
-12- A poetry is a collection of words that expresses an emotion or an idea. It uses language to express imaginative and emotional qualities instead of or in addition to meaning. It can be written as individual poems or included in other written forms such as dramatic poetry, hymns, or song lyrics. POETRY
SIMILE •a figure of speech that compares two different things in an interesting way. simile uses the words "like" or "as" to draw a comparison. Example : She is as innocent as an angel. FIGURES OF SPEECH IN LITERATURE METAPHOR •a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literal true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. Methapors are a form o figurative language, which refers to words or expressions that mean somethin different from their literal definition. PERSONIFICATION A personofication is a type of metaphor and a common literary tool. It is when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn't human or that isn't even alive, like nature or emotions It can be used to help paint a picture in your mind. You may in fact use personification without even knowing it.act use personification without even knowing it. HYPERBOLE A hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used to make a point. It is like the opposite of “understatement.” It is from a Greek word meaning “excess.” It can be found in literature and oral communication SYNECDOCHE This is a literary device in which a part of something represents the whole or it may use a whole to represent a part. It may also use larger groups to refer to smaller groups or vice versa. METONOMY A metonymy is a word or phrase that is used to stand in for another word. Sometimes a metonymy is chosen because it is a well-known characteristic of the word. Metonymies are frequently used in literature and in everyday speech. ANTONOMASIA •pronounced as an-tuh-nuh–mey-zhuh •a literary term in which a descriptive phrase replaces a person’s name. •can range from lighthearted nicknames to epic names. •antonomasia is derived from the Greek phrase antonomazein meaning “to name differently.” -13-
Tips how to score Literature Most students hate English Literature classes – it’s a fact. So many essays to write, books, plays and poems to be read and interpreted, boring lectures and classes – the list could go on and on. However, you don’t have to dread English Lit classes. With a positive attitude, determination and a little hard work, you can do well in this subject. Solve sample questions Try to solve sample questions as much as you can, by doing this you can get a clear out look about the things you are are familiar with and the things you need to mug up. So solving sample questions provide you with the idea of a better study plan Utilize study groups Study groups can be handy for schoold subjects, ands English literature is certainly no exception. Try to assemble a group of around five to seven classmates (A large group can cause complication and distractions) Ask Questions Ask questions in class. If you’re unsure about something, ask a classmate or the teacher. Don’t let it pass – how else will you learn if you keep your questions to yourself? Even if the question seems dumb, never hesitate to ask someone for help. It’s better to ask the ‘dumb’ question and get the answer there and then than to never know the answer and end up writing incorrect information in an essay. -14-
EXERCISE Q1 What is the definition of antonomasia? Determine one difference between fictional and non Q2 fictional prose. Q3 How many Literary genres in Literature? Q4 Define the meaning of Literature. Q3 Q4 Explain one of the figures of speech. What are the 5 elements of a short story? -15-
REFERENCES 01 02 03 Rexroth, K. (2018). literature | Definition, Scope, Types, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/literature What Are Literary Genres? (Plus 16 Types To Try). (n.d.). Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/careerdevelopment/literary-genres What is Genre in Literature? Definition, Examples of Literary Genres. (n.d.). Woodhead Publishing. http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/literarydevices/genre 04 05 Prose - Examples and Definition of Prose. (2017, November 26). Literary Devices. https://literarydevices.net/prose/ %%title%% Definition and Examples %%sep%% %%sitename%%. (2021, October 12). Poem Analysis. https://poemanalysis.com/definition/antonomasia/ -16-
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