Notes on The Language of Literature (Comprehensive)
The Language of Literature: Overview
Course is titled The Language of Literature (Week 2: Great Books) by Ms. Ana Marie R. Llana.
Learning outcomes:
a) Identify the literary elements and literary techniques used in a literary text.
b) Examine how literary masterpieces reflect the literary standards.
What Makes Language in Literature Different?
Ordinary Language: direct, practical, literal (example: "She is very beautiful.")
Literary Language: creative, figurative, layered with meaning (example: "She is a rose blooming in spring.")
The Language of Literature emphasizes literary devices and the craft of writing.
Key idea: Literary language transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Literary Devices (01)
Definition:
The specialized vocabulary, syntax, and stylistic devices used in creative writing (novels, poems, plays) to create artistic effects and convey deeper meaning.
Function:
Stylistic and structural techniques writers use to enhance writing, convey deeper meanings, and evoke emotions in readers.
Help readers appreciate, interpret, and analyze a literary work.
Inherent existence:
Literary devices have an inherent existence in a literary piece and are extensively employed by writers to develop the work.
A word or phrase in literary texts is used not only for artistic ends but also for greater understanding and appreciation of literary works.
Common Literary Elements (02)
Plot: the logical sequence of events that develops a story.
Setting: the time and place in which a story takes place.
Protagonist: the main character of a story, novel, or play (e.g., Hamlet).
Antagonist: the character in conflict with the Protagonist (e.g., Claudius in Hamlet).
Narrator: the person who tells the story.
Narrative method: the manner in which a narrative is presented, comprising plot.
Narrative perspective / POV types:
1) First-Person Narrator – Uses I, me, my; the narrator is a character inside the story. Example: The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield tells his own story).
2) Second-Person Narrator – Uses you; rare; makes the reader the character. Example: Choose-your-own-adventure books.
3) Third-Person Limited – Narrator is outside the story but knows the thoughts/feelings of one character. Example: Harry Potter (mostly from Harry’s perspective).
4) Third-Person Omniscient – All-knowing narrator; can reveal thoughts of multiple characters. Example: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
5) Third-Person Objective – Narrator reports only actions and dialogue, no inner thoughts. Example: like a camera view—often seen in plays.
Narrative Elements and Techniques
Dialogue: where characters in a narrative speak to one another.
Conflict: an issue in a narrative around which the whole story revolves.
Theme: central idea or concept of a story.
Tone: the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice, style, and perspective.
Mood: the emotional atmosphere the story creates for the reader.
Types of Conflict (02)
Internal Conflict: Man vs. Self – struggle within the character (decisions, emotions, beliefs).
External Conflict: various forms of struggle against forces outside the character:
Man vs. Man – conflict between characters.
Man vs. Society – against laws, traditions, social expectations.
Man vs. Nature – survival against natural forces.
Man vs. Supernatural – against ghosts, fate, gods, or magical forces.
Man vs. Technology – against machines or scientific advancement.
Man vs. Fate/Destiny – struggles against destiny or prophecy.
Literary Techniques (03)
A subtle or indirect reference to another thing, text, historical period, or religious belief: Allusion.
The repetition of sounds at the start of a word in two or more words in close proximity: Alliteration.
A comparison of two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification: Analogy.
The repetition of sounds at the start of a word in two or more words in close proximity (example line: the Tyger, Tyger, burning bright…).
Allusion example: biblical Garden of Eden and the fall of man.
Analogy example: Fox News headline analogy about America collapsing like the Roman Empire.
Alliteration example: "Tyger, tyger, burning bright" from William Blake’s The Tyger.
Common Literary Techniques (continued)
Allusion, Alliteration, Analogy are introduced and exemplified with literary quotes and modern examples.
The examples illustrate how these techniques function to add depth, resonance, or cultural reference to a text.
Other Literary Techniques (03) – Page 19
Anthropomorphism: attributing human qualities to non-human figures (e.g., Napoleon the pig in Animal Farm speaks and acts like a person).
Apostrophe: a character speaks to an absent or personified object, quality, or idea (e.g., "O wild West Wind, hear me!" – Percy Bysshe Shelley).
Archetype: a recurring idea, character, or object (e.g., Penelope as the archetype of the faithful wife).
Other Literary Techniques (03) – Continued (Page 20-21)
Assonance: the repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words.
Didactic: texts that instruct the reader or deliver a moral message (e.g., Emma sometimes considered didactic for its moral examples).
Emotive language: words that stir the reader’s emotions.
Example: Hamlet’s line: "O God! God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world!" (emotional impact).
Foreshadowing: an allusion to something that will happen later in the narrative.
Enjambment: when a sentence or phrase runs over more than one line (or stanza).
Euphemism: mild expression used to replace a harsh one (e.g., "economically disadvantaged").
Example of foreshadowing in literature: Dumbledore’s hints about Snape foreshadowing Snape’s role in Dumbledore’s death (context: The Astronomy Tower).
Example of enjambment: The Waste Land excerpt by T.S. Eliot: "April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain."
Example of euphemism: political or social reform language used to soften harsh truths.
Common Literary Techniques (03) – Additional Examples (Pages 21-23)
Foreshadowing (recurrent): reinforces future events.
Enjambment (recurrent): creates a continuation of thought beyond line breaks.
Euphemism (recurrent): softens difficult topics.
The Waste Land example elaborates enjambment through poetic line breaks.
Common Literary Techniques (03) – More Examples (Pages 24-26)
Flashback: a scene appearing earlier than the main narrative.
Hyperbole: exaggeration for emphasis or humor.
Imagery: vivid pictures created by words (olfactory, tactile, visual, auditory, gustatory).
In medias res: beginning a narrative in the middle of action.
Irony: contrast between expectation and reality.
Metaphor: a direct comparison between two unlike things.
Paradox: a statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.
Oxymoron: a combination of two opposite or contradictory words (e.g., bittersweet, deafening silence).
Metonymy: a word or name that is used in place of something closely related (e.g., crown representing the king/monarchy).
Activity 1: Literary Devices – Activity Chart (Pages 27-29)
Objective: Fill out a chart for a chosen short story:
Options: The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs; The Last Leaf by O. Henry; The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant.
Steps:
Read the story carefully.
For Literary Elements: provide an answer for every category in the table (don’t leave blanks) with specific examples from the story and brief explanations.
For Literary Techniques: identify at least 3 techniques used by the author in the chosen story; provide examples and explain their effect or purpose. You may add more techniques.
Chart structure (as shown in slides):
A. Literary Elements: Plot, Setting, Protagonist, Antagonist, Narrator, Narrative method, Dialogue, Conflict, Tone and Mood, Theme; include Example from the Story.
B. Literary Techniques: Identify at least 3 techniques (e.g., foreshadowing, irony, symbolism, imagery, flashback, personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, hyperbole, etc.); include Evidence/Textual Support for each technique.
Literary Standards (01) and Masterpieces (02)
Literary Standards: the criteria or qualities used to judge and evaluate a literary work’s value, excellence, and effectiveness.
01 Literary Standards
Core standards include several dimensions of value and craft (as listed):
Artistry
Intellectual Value
Spiritual Value
Permanence
Suggestiveness
Style
Universality
Literary Masterpieces (02):
The basis of Christianity, originating from Palestine and Greece: Bible or Sacred Writing.
The Muslim Bible: Koran.
The source of myths and legends of Greece: Iliad and Odyssey by Homer.
Depicts the religion and customs of the English in the early days: Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Depicted the sad fate of slaves; became the basis of democracy later on: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Shows the religion and customs of early Italians: Divine Comedy by Dante.
Spaniards and national history: El Cid Compeador; Doce Pares and Roncesvalles of France; Song of Roland; the Golden Age of Christianity in France; Book of the Dead (mythology).
The basis of the Christian religion: Confucius? (note: listed as “the basis of the Christian religion” and attributed to Confucius in the slides)
One Thousand and One Nights / The Arabian Nights: notable collection.
These works illustrate how literature reflects culture, religion, history, and universal human experiences.
02 Literary Masterpieces – Examples and Contexts (Expanded)
Bible or Sacred Writing: Christian Bible and related sacred texts; origins in Palestine and Greece for some traditions; used to illustrate foundational religious narratives.
Koran (Quran): sacred Islamic text.
Iliad and Odyssey: Greek epics by Homer; foundational myths and cultural values.
Canterbury Tales: English medieval society, morality, and social critique.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: concerns about slavery; contributed to democratic discourse.
Divine Comedy: Dante’s epic about salvation, morality, and the afterlife.
El Cid Compeador: Spanish epic about national identity and heroism.
Doce Pares and Roncesvalles (France): references to epic cycles and chivalric legends.
Song of Roland: medieval epic about heroism and religious conflict.
Book of the Dead: Egyptian funerary texts illustrating beliefs about the afterlife.
One Thousand and One Nights / The Arabian Nights: Middle Eastern and South Asian storytelling tradition; collection of framed stories.
Final Note
The slides culminate with a closing slide: “Thank you!”
The material emphasizes understanding literary devices, elements, techniques, characters, narrative forms, and the standards by which literature is judged.
Quick References (Cheat Sheet)
Literary Devices: vocabulary, syntax, stylistic choices used to create artistic effects and deeper meaning.
Literary Elements: Plot, Setting, Protagonist, Antagonist, Narrator, Narrative Method, Dialogue, Conflict, Theme, Tone, Mood.
Narrators/POV: First-person, Second-person, Third-person Limited, Third-person Omniscient, Third-person Objective.
Conflicts: Internal vs External (Man vs Self, Man vs Man, Man vs Society, Man vs Nature, Man vs Supernatural, Man vs Technology, Man vs Fate/Destiny).
Techniques: Allusion, Alliteration, Analogy, Anthropomorphism, Apostrophe, Archetype, Assonance, Didactic, Emotive Language, Foreshadowing, Enjambment, Euphemism, Flashback, Hyperbole, Imagery, In medias res, Irony, Metaphor, Paradox, Oxymoron, Metonymy.
Activity 1: Practice charting elements and identifying techniques in a chosen short story.
Literary Standards: Artistry, Intellectual Value, Spiritual Value, Permanence, Suggestiveness, Style, Universality.