Literature Terms Intro to Literature

Forms of Literature Novel- Long works of prose fiction that tell a story about imaginary people or animals. Plots and subplots explore a theme or themes

Forms of Literature cont. Short Story - brief work of fiction. Usually has one main character that faces a conflict that is resolved in the plot. Usually conveys a theme, or message about life.

Forms of Literature cont. Nonfiction - writing that tells about REAL people, places, objects, events, and ideas. Many are essays, biographies, autobiographical sketches. All discuss the real world.

Forms of Literature cont. Drama - written in prose or poetry, tells a story through the words and actions of actors who impersonate characters.

Forms of Literature cont. Poetry - literature that appears in verse form. Often has a regular rhythm and sometimes a rhyme scheme.

Forms of Literature cont. Folk Literature- unwritten lore of a specific people or culture, passed down through the generations by word of mouth, until put in writing at some point. American Folk Literature- myths, tales, ballads, and tall tales that are a kind or rugged, outdoor literature.

Elements of a Short Story 1. Plot- sequence of events. – Involves both characters and a problem or conflict. – The plot begins with an exposition that introduces the characters, setting, and basic story.

Elements of a Short Story, cont. Action rises a characters try to resolve problems. Tension increases as events lead to a climax or high point of interest or suspense. Climax followed by falling action, leading to the resolution of the conflict.

Elements of a Short Story cont. 2. Characters - the people or animals who participate in the action. – To bring them to life, authors use characterization - telling you directly what they are like or revealing their traits indirectly through their thoughts. – Writers also reveal characters through their interaction with other characters.

Elements of a Short Story cont. 3. Setting - the time and place of the action. – Time includes not only the historical period (past, present, future) but specific year, season, or time of day. – Place involves not only the geographical place (region, country, state, town) but also social, economical, cultural environment. – Could influence and/or play a role in the conflict

Elements of a Short Story cont. 4. Point of View - the vantage point form which the story is told. – First Person Narration- the storyteller is a character in the action. Refers to self as “I” – Third Person Narration - the storyteller reports events, taking no direct part in the action. Refers to characters as “he/she” – Omniscient Third Person - storyteller knows all the characters’ thoughts.

Elements of a Short Story cont. 5. Theme - insight into life that is offered directly or indirectly in the story. – Recurring themes may appear in stories because they have meanings for numbers of readers. Ex battle of good v/s evil – Some stories may state theme directly. Most it is implied. Use the stories events to draw conclusions. May explore an important question without answering it.

Types of Nonfiction Autobiography - person relates his or her own life story. May tell about a person’s whole life or part of it. Biography - writer tells the life story of another person. Can be written about famous people, historical and contemporary, but also about ordinary people.

Types of Nonfiction cont. – Essay - short work about a particular subject. Presents a main idea and supports with examples, facts, statistics, or anecdotes. Narrative - tells a true story Expository - gives information, discusses ideas, or explains a process.

Types of Nonfiction cont. Persuasive - tries to convince readers to do something or express the writer’s point of view Reflective - presents writer’s reflections or thoughts on a topic of personal importance Descriptive - present people, situations, or places

Types of Nonfiction cont. Informational Text - writing that provides the knowledge to guide and educate you. – Include magazine and newspaper articles on current topics, as well a instructional manuals and textbooks.

Elements of Drama Not all plays are the same in tone, style, or message. – Comedy - humorous play with a happy ending. – Tragedy - play in which a hero suffers a major downfall – Drama - serious play, although consequences are not necessarily as dire as those in tragedy.

Elements of Drama cont. Dialogue - the conversations between two or more characters. – Can express dramatic irony - characters words have meaning known to audience but not other characters. Monologue - lengthy speech that one character addresses to others on stage. Both reveal character traits and advance the story action in drama. Playwrights may also use narrators, or characters that serve as narrators in a minimal way.

Elements of Drama cont. Stage Directions - instructions for performing the play and the descriptions of setting, characters, and actions. – When reading dramatic literature it helps you to visualize the play. – These words are the “blueprints” that turn it into a full-scale production.

Elements of Drama cont. Historical Context - political forces, beliefs, and events that influence the characters in a play. ****** IMPORTANT WITH ALL LITERATURE THAT YOU READ!!!!!

Elements of Poetry Types of Poetry – Narrative Poem - tells a story that includes a plot, characters, and a setting. Ballad - form of verse meant to be sung or recited. Use simple language to tell stories with dramatic action. – Lyric Poem - expressed the observations and feelings of a speaker in a musical way. – Dramatic Poem - uses techniques of drama in the form of monologue for one speaker or dramatic dialogue for two or more speakers.

Elements of Poetry cont. Forms of Poetry - – Elegy - relatively long formal poem about death or another serious topic – Epic - long narrative poem written in an elevated style. Conveys adventures of heroic characters and story is connected to history to a nation, race or religion. – Ode - dignified uplifting lyric written to celebrate a person, place, thing, or event. – Sonnet - 14-line lyric poem with one of several rhyme schemes

Elements of Poetry cont. Poetic Form - refers to the way the lines of a poem are shaped and arranged. – Often grouped into formal units called stanzas- which may have any number of lines. – Affects the way the poem is read aloud, and to a degree, its message. Rhythm - patter of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line Rhyme - repetition of sounds at the ends of words.

Elements of Poetry cont. Symbol - object, person, place or thing that stands for something beyond itself. Imagery - descriptive language that appeals to one or more senses. – Supplies details of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, or movement to help readers sense the experience the poet describes.

Figurative Language - writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally. Often used to create vivid impressions by setting up fresh comparisons between dissimilar things – Simile - like or as used to compare two basically different things. – Metaphor - states a comparison of two things directly (comparing one item, as if it is another.) – Personification - nonhuman subject is given human characteristics Elements of Poetry cont.

Forms of Folk Literature Myth - fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of natural phenomena. – Involves supernatural elements and has little historical truth. – Purposes- serve as cultural history, explaining natural phenomena, reinforce culture’s values, and source of entertainment.

Forms of Folk Literature cont. Folk Tale - story composed orally and then passed from person to person by word of mouth. – Originated among people who could neither read nor write, so they entertained one another by telling stories aloud. Told about heroes, adventure, magic, or romance.

Forms of Folk Literature cont. Tall Tale - kind of humorous story in which characters posses superhuman abilities and impossible happenings occur. – Common on the American Frontier – Told in common, everyday speech, and employ some realistic detail in addition to exaggeration.