LIT REVIEWER 3.

Rhythm: beat and pace of a poem and is created

by the pattern of stressed and unstressed
POETRY syllables.
“The best words in their best order.” - Samuel Taylor : It helps in strengthening the meaning and ideas
Coleridge of the poem.
4. Meter: recurrence of regular units of stressed
“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty. “- Edgar and unstressed syllables.
Allan Poe ➢ Stress occurs when one syllable is
“The spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes emphasized more than the other.
its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” ➢ Basic meter in poetry
- William Wordsworth ▪ Iambic: (unstressed/stressed)
▪ Trochaic: (stressed/unstressed)
According to Filipino author Ophelia Dimalanta (2003) ▪ Spondaic: (stressed/stressed)
▪ Anapestic:(unstressed/unstress-
- Poetry may be distinguished from prose in terms
ed/stressed)
of forms by its compression, by its frequent
▪ Dactylic:(stressed/unstressed/u
employment of the conventions of meter and
nstressed)
rhyme, by its resilience upon the line as a formal
unit, by its heightened vocabulary and by its B. Sound Elements
freedom of syntax.
- A poem is produced by a poet, takes its subject ➢ Sound Devices
matter from the universe of men, things and ➢ Rhyme/ Rhyme scheme
events, and is addressed to or made available to
an audience of hearers or readers. 1. Sound devices: special tools the poet can use to
- A made thing, a verbal construct, an event in create certain effects in the poem to convey and
language. The word “poiesis” means “making” reinforce meaning through sound.
and the oldest of the poets is the “maker” ➢ Alliteration
➢ Assonance
TYPES OF POETRY ➢ Rhyme
➢ Onomatopoeia
1. Lyric Poetry
2. Rhyme: is the use of matching sounds in two or
➢ Ode more words.
➢ Elegy ➢ Perfect rhyme: final vowel and consonant
➢ Sonnet sounds are the same.
➢ Simple lyric ➢ Imperfect rhyme: final consonant sounds in
two words are the same but the preceding
2. Narrative Poetry
vowels are different such as (learn and barn),
➢ Ballad (pads and lids).
➢ Epic ➢ Eye rhymes: appear to be perfect, but are
➢ Metrical romance either half rhyme (move and love) or no
➢ Metrical tale rhyme (bough and trough).
➢ Idyll ➢ Rhyme depends on the position in a verse.
▪ END RHYME
ELEMENTS OF POETRY
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
A. Formal Elements In the forests of the night
➢ Line ▪ INTERNAL RHYME
➢ Stanza The Sun came up upon the left,
➢ Rhythm/Prosody Out of the sea came he!
➢ Meter And he shone bright and on the right
Went down into the sea
1. Line: basic unit of a poem which forms a ▪ BEGINNING RHYME
stanza/verse. Red river, red river,
2. Stanza or verse: a series of lines grouped Slow flow heat is silence
together and separated by an empty line from No will is still as a river.
another stanza. It is a piece of writing arranged
C. Other elements
with a metrical rhythm.
➢ Refrain: is a verse that is repeated at ➢ Figures of Speech
intervals throughout a song or poem. ➢ Imagery
➢ Couplet: a two-line stanza ➢ Persona
➢ Tercet: a three-line stanza ➢ Tone/Mood
➢ Quatrain: a four-line stanza ➢ Diction
➢ Cinquain: a five-line stanza ➢ Theme

1. Persona: the speaker of the poem. *not

speaker/character
 2. Tone: speaker’s attitude toward his or her FICTION
reader or audience
- a literary genre in prose form, particularly short
3. Mood: is the atmosphere of the poem.
stories, novellas and novels describing events
4. Diction: word choice that determines the level of
and characters created in the author’s
language, as well as word order.
imagination
➢ Denotation: the literal meaning
➢ Connotation: is what the meaning is ELEMENTS OF FICTION
according to a particular cultural,
emotional, psychological, sociological 1. Characters - In fiction, character refer to the
context. imagined person who inhabits a story
➢ Abstract language: intangible qualities, ➢ Characterization: The way individual
ideas, and concepts we know through characters are represented by the
narrator or author of a text through
our intellect. descriptions of the characters’ physical
➢ Concrete language: uses tangible appearances, characteristic traits or
qualities or characteristics we know actions, interactions, and dialogue.
through our senses ➢ Classifying Characters:
▪ Poetry deals with particular ▪ Major characters: central to a story
things in concrete language, ▪ Minor characters: support the major
since our emotions most characters throughout the story's
readily respond to these action, but they are not as highly
things. developed.
5. Theme: the implicit idea expressed in the poem. ▪ Protagonist: a story's central character
who faces a major conflict that must be
6. Subject: the explicit image used in the poem
solved before the story's end
➢ From the poem's particular situation,
▪ Antagonist: opposes the protagonist
the reader may then generalize; the and serves as an obstacle that the
generalities arise by implication from protagonist must overcome to resolve
the particular the conflict.
7. Figures of speech: are expressions that use ➢ Terms for Interpreting Characters:
words to achieve effects beyond the ordinary ▪ Epithet: “An adjective, noun, or phase
language expressing some characteristic quality of
➢ The imagery of the poem relies on the words and a thing or person or a descriptive name
applied to a person
phrases that describe the concrete experiences
▪ : usually indicates some notable quality
of the five senses
about the individual with whom it
➢ “The use of language to represent objects, addresses, but it can also be used
actions, feelings, thoughts, ideas, states of mind ironically to emphasize qualities that
and any sensory or extra-sensory experience” - individual might actually lack.
J.A. Cuddon (413) ▪ Personification: The use of a person to
➢ “Expression of the imagination to deviation from represent a concept, quality, or object.
ordinary usage for the sake of ornament” A.F. ▪ Anti-hero: A protagonist of a story who
embodies none of the qualities typically
Scott (108)
assigned to traditional heroes and
“The Haiyan Dead” by Merlie M. Alunan heroines. Not to be confused with the
antagonist of a story, the anti-hero is a
About the author protagonist whose failings are typically
used to humanize him or her and convey
➢ She is one of the more influential and respected a message about the reality of human
writers in the Visayas region. She authored existence.
numerous poetry collections like Hearthstone, ▪ Archetype: a resonant figure or mythic
Sacred Tree, Amina Among the Angels, importance, whether a personality,
Spiderwoman, Running with Ghosts and place, or situation, found in diverse
Pagdakop sa Bulalakaw. cultures and different historical periods'
Archetypes tend to reference broader or
Form/structure of the poem commonplace (often termed “stock”)
character types, plot points, and literary
➢ Structure: free verse; no rhyme scheme conventions.
➢ Shape: flow of water (waves) - continuous 2. Plot - The sequence of events that occur
▪ contributes to the overall meaning of the throughout a work to produce a coherent
text
narrative or story.
▪ has no punctuation marks because the poem
is continuous and spontaneous (a sign of ➢ Parts of the Plot:
chaos) ▪ Exposition: the opening
▪ before, during, and after (technicalities) ▪ Rising action: contains events arranged
in order of importance
▪ Climax: the rising order of importance in
the events depicted
▪ Falling action: events caused by the
climax contributing to the resolution
 ▪ Conflict: the source of complication ➢ Physical environment: the physical and
among the characters natural features of the landscape
o External conflict: takes place ➢ Sociological environment: cultural,
between individuals or economic, and political attributes of a
between individuals and the
place
world around them.
o Internal conflict: takes place ➢ Psychological environment: the
“personality” of a place used as the
within the mind of the setting
character/s. 5. Theme: a salient abstract idea that emerges
▪ Denouement or Resolution - final
from a literary work’s treatment of its subject-
unraveling of the plot
➢ Terms for Interpreting Plot: matter; or a topic recurring in a number or
▪ Deus ex machina: “Literally, in Latin, the literary works
‘god from the machine’; a deity in Greek and : Themes in literature tend to differ depending
Roman drama who was brought in by stage
on author, time period, genre, style, purpose,
machinery to intervene in the action; hence,
any character, event, or device suddenly etc. It is the universal truth about life expressed
introduced to resolve the conflict in a story.
▪ In media res: Beginning in “the middle of
6. Style - The way an author uses language to
things,” or when an author begins a text in
the midst of action. This often functions as a convey his or her ideas and purpose in writing.
way to both incorporate the reader directly This includes an author’s diction, syntax, tone,
into the narrative and secure his or her characters, and other narrative techniques.
interest in the narrative that follows.
▪ Frame narrative: a story that an author ➢ Terms for Interpreting Authorial Voice
encloses around the central narrative in ▪ Apology: Often at the beginning or
order to provide background information conclusion of a text, the term “apology”
and context. This is typically referred to as a refers to an instance in which the author or
“story within a story” or a “tale within a narrator justifies his or her goals in
tale.” Frame stories are usually located in a producing the text.
distinct place and time from the narratives ▪ Irony: Typically refers to saying one thing
they surround. and meaning the opposite, often to shock
3. Point of View - The perspective (visual, audiences and emphasize the importance of
interpretive, bias, etc.) a text takes when the truth.
presenting its plot and narrative. ▪ Satire: A style of writing that mocks,
➢ Types of Narrative according to Point of View ridicules, or pokes fun at a person, belief, or
▪ First person: A story told from the group of people in order to challenge them.
perspective of one or several characters, Often, texts employing satire use sarcasm,
each of whom typically uses the word “I.” irony, or exaggeration to assert their
This means that readers “see” or experience perspective.
events in the story through the narrator’s ▪ Stream-of-consciousness: A mode of writing
eyes. in which the author traces his or her
▪ Second person: A narrative perspective that thoughts verbatim in the text. Typically, this
typically addresses that audience using style offers a representation of the author’s
“you.” This mode can help authors address exact thoughts throughout the writing
readers and invest them in the story. process and can be used to convey a variety
▪ Third person: A narrative told from the of different emotions or as a form of
perspective of an outside figure who does prewriting.
not participate directly in the events of a 7. Literary/Narrative Devices - devices and
story. This mode uses “he,” “she,” and “it” to strategies used by the writer to make the story
describe events and characters. more vivid
o Objective third person in which the
narrator knows or reveals nothing about ➢ Allusion
the characters' internal thoughts,
➢ Dialogue
feelings, and motivations, but sticks to
the external facts of the story; ➢ Flashback
o Limited third person in which the ➢ Foil (for contrast, comic relief)
narrator describes the internal thoughts, ➢ Foreshadowing
feelings, and motivations of one ➢ Irony
character, usually the main character; ➢ Motif and Symbol
o Omniscient third person in which the
narrator knows and at least partially
reveals the internal thoughts, feelings, IMPORTANT TERMS
and motivations of all the characters.
4. Setting - The physical location (real or invented) ➢ Dialogue: the spoken exchanges
and the social environment of the story between characters in a dramatic or literary
(including chronology, culture, institutions, etc.). work, usually between two or more speakers.
Time, place and atmosphere create the mood for ➢ Symbol(ism): an object or element
a fictional story and situates it in a context. incorporated into a narrative to represent
another concept or concern. Symbols typically
recur throughout a narrative and offer critical,
 though often overlooked, information about them and bring the relief of tears. Disgust and
events, characters, and the author’s primary terror are the other points of the compass.” –
concerns in telling the story. Laurence Oliver
➢ Tone: the way of communicating - “Drama lives on conflict. If you’re trying to deal
information (in writing, images, or sound) that with social issues seriously, there’s no way of
conveys an attitude. Authors convey tone avoiding violence, which is so present in society.”
through a combination of word-choice, imagery, – Michael Haneke
perspective, style, and subject matter. By
TYPES OF DRAMA
adopting a specific tone, authors can help
readers accurately interpret meaning in a text. 1. Tragedy: where the characters meet a tragic end
➢ Imagery: an author’s use of vivid in a confrontation with superior forces (fortune,
descriptions that evoke sense-impressions by the gods, social factors, community norms)
literal or figurative reference to perceptible or ultimately reaching an understanding of the
‘concrete’ objects, scenes, actions, or states meaning of the situation and the punishment for
: can refer to the literal landscape or characters their actions.
described in a narrative or the theoretical 2. Melodrama: relies on impossible events and
concepts an author employs. sensational action bordering on sentimentality.
➢ Genre: a kind of literary text. Texts It entertains the audience while conforming to a
frequently draw elements from multiple genres traditional sense of justice.
to create dynamic narratives. 3. Comedy: involves no terrible tragedy and ends
➢ Allegory: attempts to convert abstract happily for the main characters since aims to
concepts, values, beliefs, or historical events into amuse the audience.
characters or other tangible elements in a ➢ High: intellectual drama that relies
narrative. heavily on verbal wit (puns, intellectual
➢ Allusion: a literary text that references, jokes or humor).
incorporates, or responds to an earlier piece ➢ Low: involves physical action; less
including literature, art, music, film, event, etc. intellectual than high comedy.
: an economical means of calling upon the history ➢ Romantic: involves a love affair with
or the literary tradition that author and reader various obstacles but ends in a happy
are assumed to share (Baldick) union.
4. Farce: characterized by broad humor, wild
➢ Parody: a narrative work or writing style
antics, slapstick or other physical humor and
that mocks or mimics another genre or work.
involves riotous laughter requiring no serious
Typically, parodies exaggerate and emphasize
thought from the audience.
elements from the original work in order to
5. Fantasy: involves characters with supernatural
ridicule, comment on, or criticize their message.
skills as there is an involvement of magic,
The Sadness Collector by Merlinda Bobis pseudo-science, horror, spooky themes,
characters and special effects.
About the author 6. Musical Drama: tells a story through acting,
➢ Award-winning writer Merlinda Bobis dialogue, dance and music; may be comedic or
is a contemporary Filipina-Australian writer and serious. Musical drama became popular as
academic. She grew up in Albay, Philippines. opera.
➢ Master of Arts in Literature 7. Tragicomedy: combination of comedy and
(Meritissimus) from the University of Santo tragedy. It incorporates jokes to lighten the tone,
Tomas, Manila. therefore, it may be a tragic play with a happy
ending.
➢ For ten years she taught Literature and
English at Philippine universities before coming ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
to Australia in 1991 on a study grant.
“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is
DRAMA
serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in
- a literary genre that is meant to be performed on language embellished with each kind of artistic
stage. ornament, the several kinds being found in separate
- “Dran” (Greek): to do/ to act a play parts of the play; in the form of action, not of
- “The art of the dramatist is like the art of the narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear,
architect. A plot has to be built up just as a house wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such
is built- story after story; no edifice has any emotions… every Tragedy, therefore, must have six
chance of standing unless it has a broad parts, which parts determine its quality — namely,
foundation and a solid frame.” – Brander Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle,
Matthews Melody.” – Aristotle
- “The office of drama is to exercise, possibly to
1. Plot: defined by Aristotle as “the arrangement of
exhaust human emotions. The purpose of
the incidents.”
comedy is to tickle those emotions into an
➢ Astonishment: element of surprise
expression of light relief; of tragedy, to wound
 ➢ Reversal: involves peripeteia (an ironic ➢ Properties/props: any article, except
twist/change or reversal of fortune) and costume or scenery, used as part of a
anagnorisis (discovery). dramatic performance; any movable
➢ Recognition: the character’s shift from object during a performance.
ignorance to knowledge. ➢ Scene: a traditional segment in drama to
➢ Suffering: involves a destructive or indicate a change in time or location, a
painful situation resulting from reversal transition from one sub-plot to another
or recognition. It results in catharsis. and to introduce a character or to
2. Characters rearrange the actors onstage. Plays are
➢ Realistic: accurate imitations of composed of acts, broken down into
individualized persons. scenes.
➢ Non-realistic: do not have distinct ➢ Scenery: the theatrical equipment
qualities, and are often underdeveloped (curtains, flats, backdrops, or platforms)
and unbelievable. used in a drama to depict the
➢ Static: are fixed or unchanging environment.
characters ➢ Lights/lighting/light effects: the
➢ Dynamic: growing or developing placement, color, and intensity of lights
characters. to indicate the setting, mood or time
➢ Round: undergoes a transformation or frame.
change as the play progresses ➢ Sound/sound effects: the kind,
➢ Flat: undeveloped since they do not intensity, and quality of the sounds
undergo change even though they are heard during a dramatic performance to
interesting, vital, and amusing. depict the environment, mood, setting,
➢ Symbolic: represent an idea, way of life, and theme.
moral value or an abstract idea. ➢ Techniques and literary devices
➢ Stock/stereotyped: characters that ▪ Dramatic irony: a device in
conform to a fixed or general pattern of which a character holds a
behavior. position not expected or
3. Theme: the main idea or underlying meaning a anticipated by the audience
writer explores in a novel, short story, or other ▪ Fourth wall: the imaginary wall
literary work. of the box theater setting,
4. Diction (lexis)/Dialogue: the language, removed to allow the audience
utterances, or conversation spoken between or to see the action.
among characters. also contains words and 7. Theater space: the type of space where the
rhetorical passages that describe characters, drama may be performed.
their emotions, or even the theme of the play. ➢ Proscenium: the most basic type of
: carried out through… stage in which the actors perform with
➢ Point of view: a device in which the hero the audience seated in front of them.
or villain reveals his/her thoughts ➢ Thrust: a tongue-like stage configuration
directly to the audience in which the actors perform with the
➢ Aside: a device in which the characters audience on three sides
utter brief remarks to the audience or to ➢ In the round: a theater configuration
another character which the other with the actors in a central arena with
characters do not hear the audience surrounding them on all
➢ Soliloquy: a speech meant to be heard sides.
by the audience but not by other ➢ Traverse: a stage configuration in which
characters onstage, thus, involves the the audience sits on two sides, creating
characters thinking out loud. an intimate atmosphere.
➢ Monologue: a speech by a single ➢ Black box: a performance space with no
character involving someone else or a fixed seating, allowing for flexibility to
group of people without another match the staging needs of the drama.
character’s response. ➢ Touring: has no real/fixed place; allows
5. Music/melody/rhythm: performance elements the drama to be performed anywhere
such as the rhythm of the actors’ voices as they
SI NELSON, ANG NANAY AT ANG PANCIT CANTON
speak, their delivery of lines and other nonverbal
gestures, as well as the musical elements used as Characters
backdrop
6. Spectacle/opsis: visual and technical elements - Nelson
(mise en scène) of a drama production. - Nanay
➢ Costumes: clothing or accessories worn - Persons/ghosts
by the actors to portray character ➢ Art teacher
➢ Make-up: facial or body make-up, wigs, ➢ Elementary classmate
prosthetics to help the actor depict a ➢ Child version of Nelson (grade 2)
character. ➢ College roommate
Theatre of the absurd

- Shows the world as an incomprehensible place.

- Shows a sense of oddity
- Emotional identification w/ the characters is
replaced by a puzzled, critical attention
- Actors have to act against the dialogue
- Ionesco: multiple, complex, many dimensional,
and exists on a number of different levels at one
and the same time
- Reality can only be conveyed by being acted out
in all its complexity

Deconstruction

- a critical outlook concerned with the relationship

between text and meaning
- want to break the construction between
topics/commonalities
- is generally used to examine the individual work
not as a self-contained artifact but as a product
of relations with other texts or discourses,
literary and nonliterary.
- there is transcendental signified (no ultimate
reality or end to all references from one sign to
another, no unifying element to all things.) –
Jacques Derrida
- “There is nothing outside the text.”: all of the
references used to interpret a text are
themselves texts,

Important terms

➢ Binary opposition: dichotomies that are

actually evaluative; underlie human acts
and practices.
: common between structural and
deconstruction
➢ Differance: indicates meaning is based
on differences, is always postponed, and
is ultimately undecidable.