PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS

GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

GLOBAL CURRENTS

and WORLD LITERATURE

______________________________________________________
Module

for
Bachelor of Elementary Education
(Second Year)

Ricardo G. Salazar Jr., LPT, MEd

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

GLOBAL CURRENTS
AND WORLD LITERATURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
MODULE 1
Introduction 1
Table of Contents 1
Course Topics
Course Objectives
2
3
What Is This Module About?
Study Calendar 4
Grading System 4 Welcome to GEE 4, Global Currents and World Literature!
Review of Literary 5
Terms
The Literary Genre 7
To cope with the present challenge of addressing the
Values of Literature 11 instructional needs of the students despite the prevailing
Approaches in the Study 11 pandemic, this module provides you with an overall view of
of Literary Genres what you are required to do in order to complete the course
7 Literary Standard 12 successfully. It also includes learning activities that intend to
Activity No.1 14 meet the course objectives and target the competencies
Literary Devices 14
Activity No.2 18
expected for this course.
Activity No.3 22
MODULE 2 This module will be the main learning material for the
Strategies for Reading a 1 course considering the limitations of other avenues. This guide
Work of Literature contains essential information about the course objectives,
Literary Elements 2
salient discussion materials about the main topics,
Activity No.4 3
Periods of World 4 reinforcement and synthesis activities to exhibit what you
Literature learned, and assessments to measure your overall
Activity No.5 7 understanding and competencies.

COURSE
DESCRIPTION

This is a three-unit course

that provides rich
background on literary pieces
across the globe which are
known for their classical
appeal to the readers.

The literatures of the world

foster among the students
the desire for further
knowledge and
understanding of the beauty
of diversity found in the
different nations’ cultures, people, insights, experiences, imaginations, and challenges which
are deemed relevant in today’s society. The students learn to relish various stories of love,

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

passion, character, sacrifices, and wisdom. With these universal themes, the students go into
imaginary and real-life literary journeys which bridge the past and the present and transcend
into the future by recreating and analyzing significant human experiences. The students learn
to appreciate the uniqueness of different civilizations especially their own and find value in
evaluating ideals, strengthening national identity, and broadening perspectives which are
essential in their own individual and social lives.

The guide also contains:

1. Study Calendar in which learning activities are scheduled to help you manage your
time wisely and assist you to be more productive.

2. Supplemental sources of information that you may access for further information and
credible inputs related to the topics.

3. Information on the structure of the Final Assessments and corresponding rubrics to

guide you in answering the questions.

What Will You Learn?

In this lesson, you will be introduced to the following topics:
TOPICS
1. Introduction to Literary Studies
2. Asian Literature

i
3. Australian Literature
4. African Literature
5. Russian Literature
6. French Literature
7. English Literature
8. American Literature

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, you must have:

1. Enhanced your skills in comprehension, vocabulary building, synthesis, and

sentence construction developed from essential reading activities;
2. Exhibited academic integrity in producing written literary analysis that adheres to
the prescribed structure and applies appropriate literary approaches;
3. Demonstrated appreciation for literature in various tasks that integrate creativity,
resourcefulness, and critical thinking skills;
4. Imbibed deeper understanding of diversity and respect for people’s cultures,
traditions, beliefs, and lifestyles manifested in their literary works;

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

5. Involved yourselves in the various aspects of global currents relating to political,

cultural, and social issues that require careful evaluation and wider perspectives of the
commonalities and differences of societies;
6. Acquired and explained the requisite background of world literature in your literary
journey;
7. Cultivated analytical and critical thinking skills in analyzing literary pieces with
sufficient knowledge of literary devices and approaches in reading, interpreting,
responding, and evaluating a text; and
8. Shown responsiveness and openness to relate the elements of literature found in
the selected texts in their personal and social lives.

STUDY CALENDAR

This schedule of activities summarizes what should be accomplished for the

duration specified for this module. Following this time frame will ease out any
difficulties in covering the course material in good time and in a smooth and
comfortable manner.

Classes Units to be
Covered

Week 1 to 2 Module 1
Activities 1-3
Week 3 to 4 Module 2
Activities 4-5
Week 5 to 8 Asian Literature

Week 9 to 18 Australian-American
Literature

GRADING SYSTEM

Semestral Grade = 50% of Mid-Term Grade + 50% of Final Term Grade

Midterm Exam 40% Final Exam 40%

Quizzes 30% Quizzes 30%

Home-Based Requirements 20% Home-Based Requirements 20%

Studentship/Attendance/Class Studentship/Attendance/Class
10% 10%
Participation Participation
100% 100%
TOTAL TOTAL

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

PAPERS

Regarding the Prelim and Final Assessments, you will write a paper for each unit in
this course. The first will be a close-reading of two texts and should be 700-850 words
long. The second will be a comparative analysis which is 750-900 words long. You will
compare and contrast the treatment of salient elements in three literary works citing
some linguistic evidence. No outside sources are required.

Outputs shall be sent via MS Teams only.

What Do You Already Know?

UNIT 1: REVIEW OF LITERARY TERMS

What is Literature?

➢ Literature, in its broadest sense, consists of any written productions.

➢ The value judgment definition of literature considers it to cover exclusively those
writings that possess high quality or distinction, forming part of the so-called
Belles-lettres ('fine writing') tradition.
➢ This sort of definition is that used in the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh
Edition (1910–11) where it classifies literature as: "the best expression of the
best thought reduced to writing."
➢ Anything can be literature, and anything which is universally regarded as
literature has the potential to be excluded, since value judgments can change
over time.
➢ It is a recreation of human situations ad experiences through language.
➢ It is an art expressing beauty through a medium called language.
➢ It expresses the feeling of people to society, to the government, to the
surroundings, to his fellowmen, and to his Divine Creator.
PURPOSE OF LITERARY STUDY
We study Literature so that we can better appreciate our literary heritage. We
cannot appreciate something that we do not understand. Through a study literature,
we can trace the rich heritage of ideas handed down to us by our forefathers. The we
can understand ourselves better and take pride in being a Filipino.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

Like other races of the world, we need to understand that we have a great and
noble tradition which can serves as the means to assimilate other cultures. Through
such study, we will realize our literacy limitations conditioned by certain historical
factors and we can take steps to overcome them. As Filipinos who truly love and take
pride in our own culture, we have to manifest our deep concern for our own literature
and this we can do by studying the literature of our country.

In general, the study of literature prepares oneself for a fruitful encounter with
literacy works. It is a offer through an adequate experience of them.

REASONS FOR THE STUDY OF WORLD LITERATURE

Historical account alone is inadequate if we wish to understand people fully. It is
through literature that we can obtain their innermost thoughts feelings-their real life.
a) Literature reveals the deepest thoughts and feelings of human race, cherishes
the ideals that lie at the basis of all that we hold to be most precious in our world
today.
b) Knowledge of world literature will help international relations, the sincere
expression of human thoughts and feelings, the reactions to life as it is being
lived by the different people of the earth.
c) Today we need to know and understand each other better. "The universal
brotherhood, the federation of the world." Lack of understanding had made man
monsters. Ignorance of each other arises hostilities between nations. Each
thinks that other is different from what it is. Thus, if we fully understand that
people of the earth have common human characteristics, that their thoughts,
feelings and ideals are much alike, hostilities should disappear.
OBJECTIVES OF LITERATURE
Literature in its wider meaning includes everything that has been expressed
through the written or printed page. It is a body of writings either creative or
imaginative. This body or writings record human experiences and imitate life.
Reading literature as life and seeing life as literature will solve personal
problems, develop proper attitudes toward life and it deepens understanding of people
and improve relations with them.
It its narrow or restricted sense, however, it has a special object to serve. That
object is not only to give pleasure to the reader through expression of true and beautiful
thoughts in fitting language but also to fire the imagination and arouse noble unselfish
emotions.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF LITERATURE

Literary works are grouped under two large categories:

1) Fiction - (literature of power) or imaginative literature. It interprets human

experiences through the presentation of fictitious persons and incident or
situations and not actual truths about particular events or abstract relations

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

between ideas and reality. It presents nature in concrete way by means of

lifelike images--of people and events--which embody truths about man and
the human condition. Fiction includes short story, novel, novelette, myth,
legend, fable, parable, anecdote and play.

2) Non-fiction- (literature of knowledge) includes non-imaginative works based

on truths, facts and observation. Under which falls, essay, biographies,
autobiographies, letters diaries, Journal, historical prose, scientific, prose,
speech, currents publication, and book reviews.

DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE

Literature is divided into two great classes:

1. Prose-- is a form of literature that the composition Is without metrical form. Its
structure is usually described in terms of sentences and paragraphs.
2. Poetry- traditionally, poetry is language arranged in lines with a regular rhythm
and often with a definite rhyme scheme. It uses figurative language. Poetry
can tell a story or it can express an emotion or idea. We often expect poetry to
be set up in-groups of lines called stanzas.

Of the two divisions poetry was first to be developed. The very best literary works
have been done this form.

What is Genre?
➢ is any category of literature, music, or other forms of art or entertainment,
whether written or spoken, audio or visual, based on some set of stylistic
criteria.
➢ Genres form by conventions that change over time as new genres are
invented and the use of old ones is discontinued.
➢ Often, works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining
these conventions.
➢ Genre began as an absolute classification system for ancient Greek literature.
Poetry, prose, and performance each had a specific and calculated style that
related to the theme of the story.
The Literary Genres
A. Poetry B. Prose C. Drama D. Essay

A. POETRY is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of

language.
e.g. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling
buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Poetry has 3 different kinds:

1. Lyric Poetry
2. Narrative Poetry
3. Descriptive and Didactic Poetry

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

Lyric Poetry is a comparatively short, non-narrative poem in which a single

speaker presents a state of mind or an emotional state. It has 4 kinds:
a. Elegy - a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.
e.g. O Captain! My Captain!
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

b. Ode - a poem in which a person expresses a strong feeling of love or

respect for someone or something.
e.g. Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by
William Wordsworth.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight
To me did seem Apparelled in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.

c. Sonnet - a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter, which employ

one of several rhyme schemes and adhere to a tightly structured thematic
organization.
e.g. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

d. Dramatic Monologue - a poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an

imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of
their character while describing a particular situation or series of events.
e.g. T.S. Eliot's The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock
And indeed there will be time
To wonder, 'Do I dare?' and, 'Do I dare?'
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair--
(They will say: 'How his hair is growing thin!')

Narrative Poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the
voices of a narrator and characters; the entire story is usually written in metered
verse.

It has 3 kinds:

a. Epics - A long narrative poem written in elevated style, in which heroes of

great historical or legendary importance perform valorous deeds. (e.g. Beowulf)
b. Mock-epic - are typically satires or parodies that mock common Classical
stereotypes of heroes and heroic literature. (e.g Alexander Pope's The Rape of
the Lock)

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

c. Ballad - a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. Traditional

ballads are typically of unknown authorship, having been passed on orally from
one generation to the next as part of the folk culture. (The Second Coming
William Butler Yeats (1865-1939))

Descriptive and Didactic Poetry

➢ Both lyric and narrative poetry can contain lengthy and detailed
descriptions (descriptive poetry) or scenes in direct speech (dramatic poetry).
➢ The purpose of a didactic poem is primarily to teach something.
e.g. a. Smoke (Descriptive Poetry)

Light-winged Smoke, Icarian bird,

Melting thy pinions in thy upward flight,
Lark without song, and messenger of dawn,
Circling above the hamlets as thy nest;
Or else, departing dream, and shadowy form

b. An excerpt from An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope

(Didactic Poetry)

'Tis hard to say, if greater Want of Skill Appear in Writing or in Judging ill, But,
of the two, less dang'rous is th' Offence,
To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense:
Some few in that, but Numbers err in this,

B. Prose is a written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical

structure.
e.g. “The woods look lovely against the setting darkness and as I gaze into the
mysterious depths of the forest, I feel like lingering here longer. However, I have
pending appointments to keep and much distance to cover before I settle in for the
night or else I will be late for all of them.”

2 kinds of Prose:
1. Fiction 2. Non – Fiction

1. Fiction is in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that
describes imaginary events and people.

2 kinds of Fiction literature:

a. Realistic Fiction - is a genre consisting of stories that could have actually
occurred to people or animals in a believable setting.
b. Fantastic Fiction -a type of fiction that ideologically and aesthetically
subordinates reality to imagination by depicting a world of marvels that is
contrasted to everyday reality and to accepted views of what is credible.

2. Non – Fiction is prose writing that is based on facts, real events, and real
people, such as biography or history.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

5 kinds of Non – fiction literature:

a. Biographies - is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more

than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death, but
also portrays a subject's experience of these life events.
b. Autobiographies - is a written account of the life of a person written by that
person.
c. Essays - is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own
argument — but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a
pamphlet, and a short story.
d. Articles - a piece of writing included with others in a newspaper,
magazine, or other publication.
e. Humor - situations, speech, or writings that are thought to be humorous

C. Drama is a piece of writing that tells a story and is performed on a stage.

e.g. Miranda Priestly: Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl-
stylish, slender, of course... worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be-
I don't know disappointing and, um... stupid. So you, with that impressive résumé
and the big speech about your so-called work ethic- I, um- I thought you would be
different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl. I had
hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than, um-
more than any of the other silly girls. - Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006)

6 kinds of Drama:
1. Comedy 4. Melodrama
2. Tragedy 5. Fantasy
3. Farce 6. Musical

1. Comedies are lighter in tone than ordinary writers, and provide a happy
conclusion. The intention of dramatists in comedies is to make their audience
laugh. Hence, they use quaint circumstances, unusual characters and witty
remarks.
2. Tragic dramas use darker themes such as disaster, pain and death.
Protagonists often have a tragic flaw—a characteristic that leads them to their
downfall.
3. Generally, a farce is a nonsensical genre of drama, which often overacts or
engages slapstick humor. It’s basically, what you call a “Parody”
4. Melodrama is an exaggerated drama, which is sensational and appeals directly
to the senses of audience. Just like the farce, the characters are of single
dimension and simple, or may be stereotyped.
5. Fantasy is a complete fictional work where characters virtually display
supernatural skills. It is more appealing to children as fairies, angels,
superheroes, etc., are embedded in the plot. Use of magic, pseudo-science,
horror, and spooky themes through various kinds of technical devices create a
perfect world of fantasy. The modern version of drama incorporates a great deal
of special effects.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

6. Musical is an opera in which the action is not interrupted by formal song

divisions (such as recitatives or arias) and the music is determined solely by
dramatic appropriateness.

D. Essay provides us with an opportunity to examine the importance of expressing

ideals in form. It is the simplest of the literary form. The essay has only a minimum
number of parts-the beginning, the middle, and an end.

The essay received its name for the title of Michael de Montaigne's first collection of
short prose writings-ESSAIS. The word ESSAY has a cognate ASSAY, which means
to test or to evaluate. An essay is the minimal literary form of prose expression. It can
be of any length on any subject, in any style; It is a prose composition of any length
intended to present a tentative exploration or evaluation of a subject.

Learn More
VALUES OF LITERATURE

Reading is a very complex process. The recognition

and comprehension of written symbols are
influences by the reader's perpetual skills, word
analysis skills, language background, mindset,
reading ability. In reading, we may be able to find
different values namely:

Aesthetic Value – this is the central and distinctive value since its main aim is to give
pleasure to readers. It consists in the literature’s capacity to provide the qualified
reader with an experience that is unified.

Cognitive Value – the capacity of literature it gives its readers knowledge. It enlarges
our acquaintance with human beings with possible if not actual ones and sharpens our
perceptions of human motives and feelings it can also give us insights into ourselves,
helping us to understand ourselves and others better.

Social Value – this composes those more peripheral values of literature that arise
from its capacity for inspiring readers to change themselves and the world around
them for the better. Social values include moral, political, and religious ones.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

What Do You Need To Know?

APPROACHES IN THE STUDY OF LITERARY GENRES

Formalistic or Literary Approach – the selection is viewed

intrinsically or for itself; independent of author, age, or any other
extrinsic factor. This approach is close to the “art for art’s sake”
dictum.

Moral or Humanistic Approach – in this approach, the nature of man is essential to

literature. The reader critic more or less “requires” that the piece presents as
essentially rational; that is endowed with intellect and free will; or that the piece does
not misinterpret the true nature of man.

Historical Approach – it sees literature as both a reflection and a product of the times
and circumstances in which it was written.

Sociological Approach – it is an extension of the historical approach. It considers

literature as principally an expression of man within a given social situation.

Cultural Approach – this considers literature as one of the principal manifestations

and vehicles of a nation or race’s culture and tradition. It includes the entire complex
of what goes under “culture”. The technological, the artists, the sociological, the
ideological aspects, and considers the literary piece in the total cultural setting in which
it was born.

Psychological Approach – it considers literature as the expression of “personality”,

of “inner drives”, of “neurosis”. It includes the psychology of the author, the psychology
of the characters and even the psychology of creation.

Impressionistic Approach – it is very personal, very relative, sometimes very fruitful,

sometimes the lazy man’s way out. Unconditioned by explanations and often taking
the impact if the piece as a whole, it seeks to see how the piece has communicated.
This is also known as the “reaction-response” approaches.

7 LITERARY STANDARDS

The seven literary standards

are: artistry, suggestiveness, intellectual value,
spiritual value, permanence, universality and style.
These are a set of characteristics to determine
whether or not a work is literary. The criteria was
developed by writer William J. Long in his textbook “English Literature: Its History and
Its Significance for the Life of the English-speaking World.“
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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

1. Universality

It appeals to everyone regardless of culture, race, sex, and time which are
considered significant. Universality describes a piece of writing that appeals to the
hearts and minds of almost any reader. The appeal is considered universal due to its
ability to cross gender, racial and cultural barriers, regardless of the time it’s written.

2. Artistry

It has an aesthetic appeal to everyone and thus possesses a sense of

beauty. Artistry describes literature that is aesthetically appealing and reveals or
conveys hidden truth and beauty. This type of literature appeals to broad audiences
and possesses a sense of beauty in the writing that could even feel poetic.

3. Intellectual Value

It stimulates critical thinking that enriches the mental processes of abstract and
reasoning, making man realizes the fundamental truths of life and its nature.

Intellectual value takes readers into a bit of a gray area as they may have different
opinions about what qualifies as intellectual, but from an academic point of view,
intellectual works are relevant to society and thought provoking. Literature with
intellectual value promotes critical thinking that enhances both abstract and reason-
based thought processes and makes readers focus on the fundamental truths of life
and nature.

4. Suggestiveness

It unravels and conjures man’s emotional power to define symbolism, nuances,

implied meanings, images and message, giving and evoking visions above and
beyond the plane of ordinary life and experiences. A suggestive piece of
literature relies on emotional power to convey nuances, symbolism, implied meanings,
imagery and messages. The power of suggestion allows the work to inspire and
provoke thoughts and understanding beyond the actual words written on the page.

5. Spiritual Value

It elevates the spirit and the soul and thus have the power to motivate and
inspire, drawn from the suggested morals or lessons of the different literary genres.

Literature with spiritual value lifts up the inner spirit and soul and has the power to
motivate and inspire readers. It typically draws on the suggested lessons and moral
codes of society that are depicted in various literary genres.

6. Permanence

It endures across time and draws out the time factor: TIMELINESS, occurring
at a particular time, and TIMELESSNESS, remaining invariably throughout time.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

Permanence is determined by a written work’s ability to stand the test of time, which
makes it impossible to determine at the moment of writing. Novels that continue to be
read over and over again across decades, either for enjoyment or for fresh insights
and ideas, meet this criteria. Many novels enjoy initial popularity but ultimately fade
into obscurity with time, failing the permanence test.

7. Style

Style refers to the distinct way the author expresses his or her thoughts. Words
can be used in unique, creative and entertaining ways that make the work memorable.
Style is another element that is subject to interpretation by readers in terms of its
appeal.

It presents peculiar ways on how man sees life as evidenced by the formation of his
ideas, forms, structures, and expressions which are marked by their memorable
substance.

Let’s Try This

ACTIVITY NO. 1: GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Make a graphic organizer that synthesizes the genres of literature,

their sub-genres, and their brief definition/description in phrases.

* A graphic organizer is a concept diagram which is a pedagogical tool

that uses visual symbols to express knowledge and concepts through
relationships between them.

Let’s Re-Learn
* A ABOUT
graphic organizer
LITERARYis a concept
DEVICESdiagram which is a pedagogical tool
that uses visual symbols to express knowledge and concepts through
relationships between them.
A writer is limited in the materials he can use in creating his
works: all he has are words to express his ideas and feelings.
These words need to be precisely right on several levels at
once:
• they must sound right to the listener even as they
delight his ear
• they must have a meaning which might have been unanticipated, but
seems to be the perfectly right one
• they must be arranged in a relationship and placed on the page in ways
that are at once easy to follow and assist the reader in understanding
• they must probe the depths of human thought, emotion, and empathy,
while appearing simple, self-contained, and unpretentious

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

Work of literature is often read silently, but it must still carry with it the feeling of being
spoken aloud, and the reader should practice “hearing” it in order to catch all of the
artfulness of one’s work.

the SOUNDS of words

Words or portions of words can be clustered or juxtaposed to achieve specific kinds

of effects. The sounds that result can strike us as clever and pleasing, even soothing.
Others we dislike and strive to avoid. These various deliberate arrangements of words
have been identified.

Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each
other, usually on the same or adjacent lines.
Example: Peter and Andrew patted the pony at Ascot

Assonance: Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on
the same or adjacent lines. These should be in sounds that are accented, or
stressed, rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented.
In the example above, the short A sound in Andrew, patted, and Ascot would be assonant.

Consonance: Repeated consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each
other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. These should be in sounds that are
accented, or stressed, rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented. This
produces a pleasing kind of near-rhyme. Example: boats into the past

Cacophony A discordant series of harsh, unpleasant sounds helps to convey

disorder. This is often furthered by the combined effect of the meaning and the
difficulty of pronunciation.
Example: My stick fingers click with a snicker
And, chuckling, they knuckle the
keys; Light-footed, my steel
feelers flicker And pluck from
these keys melodies. —“Player
Piano,” John Updike

Euphony: A series of musically pleasant sounds, conveying a sense of harmony and

beauty to the language.
Example: Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam—
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, plashless as they swim.
— “A Bird Came Down the Walk,” Emily Dickenson (last stanza)

Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like their meanings. In Hear the steady tick of the
old hall clock, the word tick sounds like the action of the clock, If assonance or
alliteration can be onomatopoeic, as the sound ‘ck’ is repeated in tick and clock,
so much the better. Example: boom, buzz, crackle, gurgle, hiss, pop, sizzle, snap, swoosh,
whir, zip

Repetition: The purposeful re-use of words and phrases for an effect. Sometimes,
especially with longer phrases that contain a different key word each time, this is
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called parallelism. It has been a central part of poetry in many cultures. Many of
the Psalms use this device as one of their unifying elements.
Example: I was glad; so very, very glad.

Rhyme: This is the one device most commonly associated with poetry by the
general public. Words that have different beginning sounds but whose endings
sound alike, including the final vowel sound and everything following it, are said
to rhyme. Example: time, slime, mime

Rhythm: Although the general public is seldom directly conscious of it, nearly
everyone responds on some level to the organization of speech rhythms (verbal
stresses) into a regular pattern of accented syllables separated by unaccented
syllables. Rhythm helps to distinguish poetry from prose. Example: i THOUGHT
i SAW a PUSsyCAT.
Such patterns are sometimes referred to as meter. Meter is the organization of
voice patterns, in terms of both the arrangement of stresses and their frequency
of repetition per line of verse.

the MEANINGs of words

Most words convey several meanings or shades of meaning at the same time. It is the
writer’s job to find words which, when used in relation to other words, will carry the
precise intention of thought. Often, some of the more significant words may carry
several layers or “depths” of meaning at once. The ways in which the meanings of
words are used can be identified.

Allegory: A representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning. Sometimes it can be

a single word or phrase, such as the name of a character or place. Often, it is a
symbolic narrative that has not only a literal meaning, but a larger one understood
only after reading the entire story or poem

Allusion: A brief reference to some person, historical event, work of art, or Biblical or
mythological situation or character.

Ambiguity: A word or phrase that can mean more than one thing, even in its context.
Often, one meaning seems quite readily apparent, but other, deeper and darker
meanings, await those who contemplate the poem.
Example: Robert Frost’s ‘The Subverted Flower’

Analogy: A comparison, usually something unfamiliar with something familiar.

Example: The plumbing took a maze of turns where even water got lost.

Apostrophe: Speaking directly to a real or imagined listener or inanimate object;

addressing that person or thing by name.
Example: O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done…

Cliché: Any figure of speech that was once clever and original but through overuse
has become outdated. If you’ve heard more than two or three other people say it

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GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

more than two or three times, chances are the phrase is too timeworn to be useful
in your writing. Example: busy as a bee

Connotation: The emotional, psychological or social overtones of a word; its

implications and associations apart from its literal meaning.

Contrast: Closely arranged things with strikingly different characteristics. Example: He

was dark, sinister, and cruel; she was radiant, pleasant, and kind.

Denotation: The dictionary definition of a word; its literal meaning apart from any
associations or connotations. Caution must be exercised when using a thesaurus
since substitution of a word can sometimes destroy the mood, and even the
meaning, of a poem.

Euphemism: An understatement, used to lessen the effect of a statement;

substituting something innocuous for something that might be offensive or hurtful.
Example: She is at rest. (meaning, she’s dead)

Hamartia: A personal error in a protagonist’s personality, which brings about his tragic
downfall in a tragedy. This defect in a hero’s personality is also known as a “tragic
flaw.”

Hubris: A extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character, which ultimately brings
about his downfall.

Hyperbole: An outrageous exaggeration used for effect. Example: He weighs a ton.

Irony: A contradictory statement or situation to reveal a reality different from what

appears to be true. Example: Wow, thanks for expensive gift...let’s see: did it come with a Fun
Meal or the Burger King equivalent?

Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things, stating that one is the
other or does the action of the other. Example: He’s a zero; Her fingers danced across the
keyboard.

Metonymy: A figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to by

something closely associated with it. Example: The White House stated today that...; The
Crown reported today that...

Nemesis: A literary device that refers to a situation of where the good characters are
rewarded for their virtues, and the evil characters are punished for their vices.

Oxymoron: A combination of two words that appear to contradict

each other. Example: a pointless point of view; bittersweet

Paradox: A statement in which a seeming contradiction may reveal an

unexpected truth. Example: The hurrier I go the behinder I get.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

Personification: Attributing human characteristics to an inanimate object, animal, or

abstract idea. Example: The days crept by slowly, sorrowfully.

Pun: Word play in which words with totally different meanings have similar or
identical sounds. Example: Like a firefly in the rain, I’m de-lighted.

Simile: A direct comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Example: He’s as
dumb as an ox; Her eyes are like comets.

Symbol: An ordinary object, event, animal, or person to which we have attached

extraordinary meaning and significance – a flag to represent a country, a lion to
represent courage, a wall to symbolize separation. Example: A small cross by the
dangerous curve on the road reminded all of Johnny’s death.

Synecdoche: Indicating a person, object, etc. by letting only a certain part represent
the whole. Example: All hands on deck.

ACTIVITY NO. 2: WORKSHEET

Directions: Choose the most appropriate type/s of figurative language used in the
sentences below. There can be 2 or more correct answers in each item.

A. Alliteration H. Oxymoron
B. Consonance E. Paradox
C. Onomatopoeia F. Allusion
D. Repetition G. Metonymy
E. Rhyme H. Apostrophe
F. Hyperbole I. Synecdoche
G. Personification J. Irony

1. A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.
2. Click-clack, click-clack, the hoofs went past,
Who takes the dead coach travels fast
3. And I begged the little leaves to lean
Low and together for a safe screen;
4. Big-voiced lassies made their banjos bang,
5. Lord, confound my surly sister, / Blight her brow with blotch and blister, Cramp
her larynx, lung, and liver, / In her guts a galling give her.
6. Booth led boldly with his big bass drum-- Ingles waved the flag with no lag
from the front.
7. Beautiful friendship tried by sun and wind, Durable from the daily dust of life.
8. Will no one stop that tapping? / I cannot sleep for it. I think that someone is
shut in somewhere, / And trying to get out. Will no one let them out, / And stop
the tapping? It keeps on tapping, tapping.... / Tap ... tap ... tap ... tap....

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GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

9. Did they love the leaves and wind, Grass and gardens long ago With a love
that draws them home Where things grow?
10. "Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!" Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear-- "Tlot-tlot,
tlot-tlot" in the distance? Were they deaf that did not hear?
11. The sunflowers nodded their yellow heads.
12. We had to wait forever!
13. "Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone" (Love Story by Taylor Swift)
14. “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
15. “I find no peace, and all my war is done
I fear and hope, I burn and freeze like ice,
I flee above the wind, yet can I not arise…”
16. “I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
17. “Elderly American ladies leaning on their canes listed toward me like towers
of Pisa.”
18. I posted a video on YouTube about how boring YouTube is.
19. “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
20. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”

Arranging the words

Words follow each other in a sequence determined by the writer. Although in some
ways these sequences seem arbitrary and mechanical, in another sense they help to
determine the nature of the text. These various ways of organizing words have been
identified.

Point of View: The author’s point of view concentrates on the vantage point of the
speaker, or “teller” of the story or poem. This may be considered the poem’s
“voice” This is also sometimes referred to as the persona.
• 1st Person: the speaker is a character in the story or poem and tells it
from his/her perspective (uses “I”).
• 3rd Person limited: the speaker is not part of the story, but tells about the
other characters through the limited perceptions of one other person.
• 3rd Person omniscient: the speaker is not part of the story, but is able to
“know” and describe what all characters are thinking.

Line: The line is fundamental to the perception of poetry, marking an important visual
distinction from prose. Poetry is arranged into a series of units that do not
necessarily correspond to sentences, but rather to a series of metrical feet.

Verse: One single line of a poem arranged in a metrical pattern. Also, a piece of poetry
or a particular form of poetry such as free verse, blank verse, etc., or the art or
work of a poet. A stanza is a group of verses.

Stanza: A division of a poem created by arranging the lines into a unit, often repeated
in the same pattern of meter and rhyme throughout the poem; a unit of poetic
lines (a “paragraph” within the poem).

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GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

Stanza Forms: The names given to describe the number of lines in a stanzaic unit
like couplet (2), tercet (3), quatrain (4), quintet (5), sestet (6), septet (7), and
octave (8).

Rhetorical Question: A question solely for effect, which does not require an answer.
By the implication the answer is obvious, it is a means of achieving an emphasis
stronger than a direct statement. Example: Could I but guess the reason for that look?;
O, Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

Rhyme Scheme: The pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes in a stanza

or poem, generally described by using letters of the alphabet to denote the
recurrence of rhyming lines, such as the ababbcc of the Rhyme Royal stanza
form.

Enjambment: The continuation of the logical sense — and therefore the grammatical
construction — beyond the end of a line of poetry. This is sometimes done with
the title, which in effect becomes the first line of the poem.

Form: The arrangement or method used to convey the content, such as free verse,
ballad, haiku, etc. In other words, the “way-it-is-said.”
• Open: poetic form free from regularity and consistency in elements such as
rhyme, line length, and metrical form
• Closed: poetic form subject to a fixed structure and pattern
• Blank Verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter (much of the plays of Shakespeare
are written in this form)
• Free Verse: lines with no prescribed pattern or structure — the poet
determines all the variables as seems appropriate for each poem
• Couplet: a pair of lines, usually rhymed; this is the shortest stanza
• Heroic Couplet: a pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter (traditional heroic
epic form)
• Quatrain: a four-line stanza, or a grouping of four lines of verse

Fixed Form: A poem which follows a set pattern of meter, rhyme scheme, stanza
form, and refrain (if there is one), is called a fixed form.

• Epigram: a pithy, sometimes satiric, couplet or quatrain comprising a single

thought or event and often aphoristic with a witty or humorous turn of thought
• Epitaph: a brief poem or statement in memory of someone who is deceased,
used as, or suitable for, a tombstone inscription; now, often witty or humorous
and written without intent of actual funerary use
• Haiku: a Japanese form of poetry consisting of three unrhymed lines of five,
seven, and five syllables. These are very brief descriptions of nature that
convey some implicit insight or essence of a moment. Traditionally, they
contain either a direct or oblique reference to a season
• Limerick: a light or humorous form of five chiefly anapestic verses of which
lines one, two and five are of three feet and lines three and four are of two feet,
with a rhyme scheme of aabba.
• Pantoum: derived from the Malayan pantun, it consists of four-line stanzas
with lines rhyming alternately; the second and fourth lines of each stanza

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GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

repeated to form the first and third lines of the succeeding stanza, with the first
and third lines of the first stanza forming the second and fourth of the last
stanza, but in reverse order, so the opening and closing lines of the poem are
identical.
• Sonnet: a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter with a prescribed rhyme
scheme; its subject was traditionally love.
• Shakespearean Sonnet: a style of sonnet used by Shakespeare with a rhyme
scheme of abab cdcd efef gg
• Italian (Petrarchan) Sonnet: a form of sonnet made popular by Petrarch with
a rhyme scheme of abbaabba cdecde or cdcdcd
• Spenserian Sonnet: a variant of the Shakespearean form in which the
quatrains are linked with a chain or interlocked rhyme scheme, abab bcbc cdcd
ee.
• Sonnet Sequence: a series of sonnets in which there is a discernable unifying
theme, while each retains its own structural independence. All of
Shakespeare’s sonnets, for example, were part of a sequence.

the IMAGES of words

People generally don’t respond very strongly to abstract words. Thus, use words
which do carry strong visual and sensory impact, words which are fresh and
spontaneous but vividly descriptive. It is better to show the reader than to merely tell
him.

Imagery: The use of vivid language to generate ideas and/or evoke mental images,
not only of the visual sense, but of sensation and emotion. Literature uses words
to evoke “images” that carry depths of meaning. The writer’s carefully described
impressions of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch can be transferred to the
thoughtful reader through imaginative use and combinations of diction.

Related images are often clustered or scattered throughout a work, thus serving
to create a particular mood or tone.
Examples:
• Sight: Smoke mysteriously puffed out from the clown’s ears.
• Sound: He could hear a faint but distinct thump thump thump.
• Touch: The burlap wall covering scraped against the little boy’s cheek.
• Taste: The candy melted in her mouth and swirls of bittersweet chocolate and
slightly sweet but salty caramel blended together on her tongue.
• Smell: Cinnamon! That’s what wafted into his nostrils.

Louis Armstrong’s song “What a Wonderful World” is a good example of imagery.

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 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ALAMINOS
GEE 4 Global Currents and World Literature Mr. Ricardo G. Salazar Jr.

ACTIVITY NO. 3: IMAGERY

An alien visits your place and asks about different things. Using
imagery, describe the following words using sensory images:

1. flashlight 4. tears
2. Ice cream 5. sampaguita
3. Grasses

Synesthesia: An attempt to fuse different senses by describing one kind of sense

impression in words normally used to describe another.
Example: The sound of her voice was sweet.
Example: a loud aroma, a velvety smile

Tone, Mood: The means by which a text reveals attitudes and feelings, in the style
of language or expression of thought used to develop the subject. Certain tones
include not only irony and satire, but may be loving, condescending, bitter, pitying,
fanciful, solemn, and a host of other emotions and attitudes. Tone can also refer
to the overall mood of the text itself, in the sense of a pervading atmosphere
intended to influence the readers’ emotional response and foster expectations of
the conclusion.

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