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Folk Literature

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Folk Literature Characteristics of Folk Literature

1.Heroes and heroines – larger-than-life figures who


Elements of Folk Literature over-come obstacles or participate in exciting
1.The oral tradition – sharing of stories by word of adventures
mouth Often featured in….myths, legends, epics
2.The Importance of The Story Teller 2.Trickster – a clever character who can fool others but
– Stories in oral tradition were created thousands of often gets in trouble
years ago Often featured in….folk tales, fables
-No one knows the first storytellers 3.Personification – a type of figurative language in
-New storytellers add and change details which nonhuman subjects are given human qualities
-Cultural perspective – view of the world Often featured in….myth, fables
-Viewpoints are shaped by story teller’s background and 4.Hyperbole – a type of figurative language that uses
experiences extreme exaggeration
3.Theme – the central idea, message, or insight about Often featured in….tall tales, myths, epics
life that a story conveys 5.Dialect – language spoken by people in a particular
-universal themes – themes that are repeated across region or group
many cultures and over many time periods – express Often featured in….tall tales, folk tales
insights into life that many people understand
For example: the struggle of good against evil Additional Academic Vocabulary
-moral – a lesson about life that is stated directly, 1.Main Idea – what the text is mostly about
usually at end of story 2.Supporting Details – additional information that
4.Purpose of Folk Literature – the reason it was written explains, defines, proves, illustrates, clarifies and
For example: to explain or teach, to entertain describes more about a main idea. They can be facts,
examples, and statements.
Forms of Folk Literature 3.Textual Evidence – the details you get from your
1.Myths – tales that relate the action of gods, readings that support your answers and claims
goddesses, and the heroes who interact with them 4.Allusion – an implied or indirect reference in literature
For example: Greek mythology to a familiar person, place, or event
-mythology – collection of myths 5.Analysis – using a close reading of texts to examine
2.Legends – traditional stories based on real-life the relationships/connections among ideas, details,
events…as retold, fact often changes to fiction and/or examples
For example: Robin Hood, King Arthur, Knights of the 6.Inference – a judgment based on reasoning rather
round table than on a direct or explicit statement. An understanding
3.Tall tales – often focus on a central hero who based on “reading between the lines”.
performs impossible feats 7. Text Dependent Analysis – information based on
For example: Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and Johnny specific evidence within a reading passage and being
Appleseed able to interpret the meaning
4.Folk Tales – may deal with real people or magical
characters, and they reflect the values & beliefs of the
culture
For example: Little Mermaid, Chinese folk tales about
respect, and Cinderella
5.Fables – brief stories or poems that often feature
animal characters who act and speak like humans, and
they usually end with a moral
For example: Aesop’s Fables
6.Epics – long narrative poems important to the history
of a nation or culture, and they tell of great hero going
on a dangerous journey, or quest
For example: Beowulf

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