LITERARY GENRES,

TRADITIONS, AND
FORMS ACROSS THE
WORLD
2nd Quarter
21st Century Literature from the
Philippines and the World
Mrs. Jonnabeth P. De Dios
 Vocabulary Words
Collate- collect and combine (texts, information, or sets of figures) in proper order.

Colonnade - A row of columns, usually supporting a roof.

Context- the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms
of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

Dramatic Situation- is the combination of setting, characters, and action in a poem/prose which
is supposed to engage the reader.

Fanlights - A window over a door or another window, in the shape of a semi-circle.

Literary Boom- It was a period of literary flourishing in the 1960s and 70s that brought much of
the area’s literature to an international audience. During this time, Latin America enjoyed
increasing economic prosperity, and a new-found confidence.
 Vocabulary Words
Quran-is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God.
It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. The Quran is divided into
chapters, which are subdivided into verses.

Sparrow - a small finch like Old World bird related to the weaverbirds, typically with brown and
gray plumage.

Sonnet - A sonnet is a one-stanza, 14-line poem, written in iambic pentameter. The sonnet,
which derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning “a little sound or song," is "a popular
classical form that has compelled poets for centuries.“

Surah- is the term for a chapter of the Quran. There are 114 Surahs in the Quran, each divided
into verses. The chapters or suras are of unequal length; the shortest chapter (Al-Kawthar) has
only three ayat (verses) while the longest (Al-Baqara) contains 286 verses.

White Pepper - A condiment made from dried beans and berries instead of the pepper plan.
 AFRICAN, LATIN
AMERICAN AND NORTH
AMERICAN LITERATURE
Lesson 2
 Europe and European Literature
 European literature refers to the literature of Europe. It includes literature in many
languages; among the most important of the modern written works are those in English,
Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Czech and Russian and works
by the Scandinavians and Irish.

 Important classical and medieval traditions are those in Ancient Greek, Latin, Old Norse,
Medieval French and the Italian Tuscan dialect of the renaissance.

 It is also known as Western literature, and can also be defined as the literature written in the
context of Western culture in the languages of Europe, as several geographically or historically
related languages.

 Some parts of a common heritage belonging to a race of proud nations which boast the likes
of the following;

 Homer who wrote two epic poems, Iliad and Odyssey

 Virgil who wrote the Aeneid

 Dante who wrote Divine Comedy

 Chaucer who wrote Canterbury

 Instructions: Read the poem from Ireland and be able to answer the activities found after
the poem

Atlantis—A Lost Sonnet Poem Analysis

Eavan Boland/ Ireland
In the first stanza, the narrator begins the poem by
How on earth did it happen, I used to wonder that a asking herself how an entire city could just disappear.
whole city—arches, pillars, colonnades, not to How could an entire city, animals, cars, and buildings,
mention vehicles and animals—had all one fine day just melt into the ocean--never to be seen again?
gone under?
In the second stanza, the narrator again, asks how a
I mean, I said to myself, the world was small then. whole city could suddenly disappear. She reminded
Surely a great city must have been missed? I miss herself that way back when, the world seemed "smaller",
our old city — so surely a huge city disappearing would be a big deal!
The narrator then flashes back to her old city where she
white pepper, white pudding, you and I meeting grew up.
under fanlights and low skies to go home in it.
Maybe what really happened In the third stanza, the speaker thinks back to her
hometown, with the amazing food and boardwalks, and
is this: the old fable-makers searched hard for a having friends to go home to. Then the narrator makes a
word to convey that what is gone is gone forever guess about really happened to Atlantis.
and never found it. And so, in the best traditions of

where we come from, they gave their sorrow a

name and drowned it
 Instructions: Read the poem from Ireland and be able to answer the activities found after
the poem

Atlantis—A Lost Sonnet Poem Analysis

Eavan Boland/ Ireland

How on earth did it happen, I used to wonder that a

whole city—arches, pillars, colonnades, not to
mention vehicles and animals—had all one fine day
gone under?

I mean, I said to myself, the world was small then.

Surely a great city must have been missed? I miss
our old city —

white pepper, white pudding, you and I meeting

under fanlights and low skies to go home in it. In the fourth stanza, the narrator tells herself that it
Maybe what really happened would be impossible for an entire city to be lost. Then
she guesses that maybe, Atlantis is just a symbol that
is this: the old fable-makers searched hard for a people made up to describe the feeling of losing
word to convey that what is gone is gone forever something, and never getting it back.
and never found it. And so, in the best traditions of
In the fifth and final stanza, the narrator convinces
where we come from, they gave their sorrow a herself that Atlantis is just a metaphor, used to give
name and drowned it emotions a name and a reason-not an actual city
 Figures of Speech
It is an integral part of any language, which is used extensively not only in our day-
to-day speech but also in written texts and oral literature. These are words or phrases used in a
distinctive way to produce a rhetorical effect.

● Personification - Personification attributes human nature or human qualities to abstract

or inanimate objects.
For example, we often use the phrases like the howling wind, dancing leaves, time flies
etc.

Some examples of personification in a sentence are:

 The opportunity knocked at his door.
 The plants in her house silently begged to be watered.
 Lightning danced across the sky.
 The wind howled in the night.
 Figures of Speech
● Metaphor - A metaphor is used for implying a comparison between two things that have
something in common but are in general different from each other.

Some examples of the usage of metaphors in a sentence is as follows:

 It is raining cats and dogs.
 He is the star of our class.
 Life is a highway.
 Her eyes were diamonds.

● Simile - A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things that are different from each other
but have similar qualities. These are generally formed through the usage of the words ‘as’ or
‘like’.
Some examples of similes in a sentence include:
 He is as brave as a lion
 Her expression was as cold as ice
 Swim like a fish
 As light as a feather
 Figures of Speech
● Alliteration - a sentence that consists of a series of words that have the same consonant sound
at the beginning.

Some popular examples of alliteration in a sentence include:

 She sells sea shells on the sea shore.
 A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.
 All Adam ate in August was apples and almonds.
 Barry bought a book to bring to the backyard barbecue.

● Onomatopoeia - used to express a sound. To be more precise, it involves the use of words that
imitate the sounds associated with the action or object referred to i.e. hiss, clap etc.

Some examples of onomatopoeia include:

 The buzzing bee flew over my head.
 The stone hit the water with a splash.
 The boulder hit the ground with a flump.
 Leaves rustle in the wind and are whipped into the air.
 Figures of Speech
● Hyperbole - consists of an exaggeration. It is the usage of exaggerated terms in order to
emphasize or heighten the effect of something.

Some examples of using hyperboles in a sentence include:

 I have told you a million times to not touch my stuff!
 She has got a pea-sized brain.
 I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
 She’s as old as the hills.

● Euphemism - is the usage of a mild word in substitution of something that is more explicit or
harsh when referring to something unfavorable or unpleasant.

Some examples of its usage include:

 This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people.
 He passed away in his sleep.
 Passed away” instead of “died”.
 “Let go” instead of “fired”
 Figures of Speech
● Irony - Irony or sarcasm is a figure of speech in which the usage of words conveys the opposite of their literal
meaning. These are often used in a humorous manner.

Some examples of irony include:

 Your hands are as clean as mud
 The dinner you served was as hot as ice
 Coming home to a big mess and saying, “it’s great to be back”
 Telling a rude customer to “have a nice day”

● Oxymoron - This figure of speech, which should not be confused with ironies and paradoxes, links two opposing
ideas at once. This indicates that two opposing concepts are utilized inside a single sentence to create levity in an
oxymoron figure of speech.

For instance,
 This is another fine mess you have got us into
 Suddenly the room filled with a deafening silence
 The comedian was seriously funny
 You are clearly confused by the situation you have found yourself in
ACTIVITY
 ACTIVITY #2

1. Listen to the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.

2. Write the lyrics in a yellow paper.

3. Analyze, underline and identify which figurative language or figure of speech used in the

lyrics of the song.

“Use your time efficiently and hit the books”

-JPDedios
 Asian/ Middle Eastern Literature
Arabic Literature

 refers to the body of written works produced in the Arabic language.

The tradition of Arabic literature stretches back some 16 centuries to unrecorded

beginnings in the Arabian Peninsula.

The nature of “the modern” in the context of Arabic literary history involves two
processes:

I. Renewed contacts with the Western world, something that was considerably
accelerated by European imperial incursions during the 19th century.

II. Renewed interest in the classical heritage of the Arabic language and Islam.
 The Qurʾān
● The revelation of the Qurʾān to the Prophet Muhammad, beginning at
some point early in the 7th century AD, is the foundational event in
Islam.

● It separates the period before Islam from the Islamic era and provides the
Muslim community with its most significant monument, the word
of God revealed to humanity.

● Its message is conveyed in a language of great beauty, something

that is regarded as an inimitable miracle.

● Its contents are the primary basis for the formulation of Islamic law and the
designation of conduct by Muslims, both as individuals and as a
community.

● The revelation of this sacred book also needs to be viewed as the event
that marks the initial stages in the recording and study of the Arabic
literary tradition.
 Elements of Short Story
● Setting

○ The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories the
setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to
consider when examining how setting contributes to a story.

a) place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?

b) time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)

c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?

d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local
color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?

e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and
cheerful or dark and frightening?
 Elements of Short Story
● Plot

○ The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence of events
in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and
end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting.

○ There are five essential parts of plot:

a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.

b) Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in
the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).

c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader
wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?

d) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows
what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and
denouement).

e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or the untangling of events in the story.
 Elements of Short Story
● Conflict

○ Conflict is essential to a plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which
ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely limited to open
arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story
there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor
ones.
● Character can be defined as any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work. Theme The
theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning
or main idea that he is trying to convey.

● Theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. The title of the short story
usually points to what the writer is saying and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize his
theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.
ACTIVITY
 ACTIVITY #3
Instructions: Copy and fill the graphic organizer below with answers based on the short story
"Yunus on the beach."
Theme

Characters

Yunos
on the
Beach
Setting

Conflict
Thank you!