Literature Genres

Contents

•Poetry
•Prose
 Why does diversity
in reading matter?

Importance of
Reading Widely What do you find
challenging when it comes
to reading?

Is it always easy to prepare yourself

to read? Why or why not?
Poetry
Poetry is a type of literature
that conveys a thought,
describes a scene, or tells a
story in a concentrated, lyrical
arrangement of words
(MasterClass, 2020). It is a form
of literature usually written in
lines or verses that make up
stanzas; poems are designed to
be recited or read aloud
(Teaching Language and
Literature, 2009)

Photo by Guillaume Apollinaire / Public domain

Elements of Poetry
Sense – revealed through words, images, and
symbols
• Diction – denotative and connotative
meaning
• Images & Sense Impressions – refer to the
words used that appeal to the sense of
sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch
• Figurative language– the creative use of
words or expressions to enhance the sense
impression
Poetic Diction
Poetic diction refers to the operating
language of poetry, language
employed in a manner that sets poetry
apart from other kinds of speech or
writing. It involves the vocabulary, the
phrasing, and the grammar considered
appropriate and inappropriate to poetry
at different times (www.poets.org). 
“Thin”
Denotative: Little thickness; Skinny
Connotative: The content of the proposal
appears to be thin.

In poetry: Bony, all skin and bones, skeleton,

death-like, emaciated
Connotation in Poetry Patterns by Amy Lowell

My dress is richly figured,

And the train
Emily Dickinson’s “There is Makes a pink and silver stain
no frigate like a book” On the gravel, and the thrift
There is no frigate like a book Of the borders.
To take us lands away, Just a plate of current fashion,
Nor any coursers like a page Tripping by in high-heeled,
Of prancing poetry. Out, Out by Robert Frost ribboned shoes.
This traverse may the poorest The boy’s first outcry was a Not a softness anywhere about
take rueful laugh, me,
Without oppress of toll; Only whale-bone and brocade.
How frugal is the chariot As he swung toward them
That bears a human soul! holding up the hand
Half in appeal, but half as if to
keep
The life from spilling. Then the
boy saw all—
Since he was old enough to
know, big boy
Doing a man’s work, though a
child at heart—
On His Blindness by John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts: who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."
On His Blindness by John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent (G1)

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide (G2)
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present (G3)
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" (G4)
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need (G5)
Either man's work or his own gifts: who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state (G6)
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest: (G7)
They also serve who only stand and wait."
On His Blindness by John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts: who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."
7 Sense Impressions by MasterClass.com

• Visual imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s sense of
sight by describing something the speaker or narrator of the poem sees. It may include
colors, brightness, shapes, sizes, and patterns. 
• Auditory imagery. This form of poetic imagery appeals to the reader’s sense of hearing or
sound. It may include music and other pleasant sounds, harsh noises, or silence.
• Gustatory imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s sense
of taste by describing something the speaker or narrator of the poem tastes. It may include
sweetness, sourness, saltiness, savoriness, or spiciness.
• Tactile imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s sense of
touch by describing something the speaker of the poem feels on their body. It may include
the feel of temperatures, textures, and other physical sensations.
7 Sense Impressions by MasterClass.com

• Olfactory imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the reader’s
sense of smell by describing something the speaker of the poem inhales.
• Kinesthetic imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet appeals to the
reader’s sense of motion. 
• Organic imagery. In this form of poetic imagery, the poet communicates internal
sensations such as fatigue, hunger, and thirst as well as internal emotions such as
fear, love, and despair.
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry

3. 4. The locks of the

2. They silently inhale approaching storm. Thou dirge
the clover-scented gale, My heart looks for her, and
she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this
And the vapors that arise closing night
From the well-watered and The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast
1. Sugar smoking soil
Ah, honey, honey same trees. sepulchre,
You are my candy girl We, of that time, are no Vaulted with all thy
Rain in Summer by Henry congregated might
And you got me wanting you longer the same.
Wadsworth Longfellow
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Tonight I can Write by Ode to the West Wind by
Kim and Jeff Barry Pablo Neruda Percy Bysshe Shelley
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night, 7. Sweet was the walk along
Old age should burn and rave •Visual
the narrow lane
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; At noon, the bank and hedge- •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, rows all the way •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand
of the light. Shagged with wild pale green
•Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all, tufts of fragrant hay,
Do not Go Gentle into
I should know what God and man is. •Tactile
that Good Night by Sweet was the Walk by William
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Dylan Thomas Wordsworth •Kinesthetic
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry
4. The locks of the approaching
2. They silently inhale 3. My heart looks for her, and storm. Thou dirge
the clover-scented gale, she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this
And the vapors that arise closing night
From the well-watered and The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast
1. Sugar - Gustatory smoking soil same trees. sepulchre,
Ah, honey, honey We, of that time, are no Vaulted with all thy congregated
You are my candy girl Rain in Summer by Henry longer the same. might
And you got me wanting you Wadsworth Longfellow
Tonight I can Write by
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Pablo Neruda Ode to the West Wind by
Kim and Jeff Barry Percy Bysshe Shelley
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night, 7. Sweet was the walk along
Old age should burn and rave •Visual
the narrow lane
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; At noon, the bank and hedge- •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, rows all the way •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand
of the light. Shagged with wild pale green
•Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all, tufts of fragrant hay,
Do not Go Gentle into
I should know what God and man is. •Tactile
that Good Night by Sweet was the Walk by William
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Dylan Thomas Wordsworth •Kinesthetic
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry

4. The locks of the approaching storm.

2. They silently inhale 3. My heart looks for her, and Thou dirge
the clover-scented gale, she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this closing
And the vapors that arise night
From the well-watered and The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast sepulchre,
1. Sugar - Gustatory smoking soil - Olfactory same trees. Vaulted with all thy congregated might
Ah, honey, honey Of vapours, from whose solid
We, of that time, are no atmosphere
You are my candy girl Rain in Summer by Henry longer the same. Black rain, and fire, and hail will burst:
And you got me wanting you Wadsworth Longfellow
Tonight I can Write by
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Ode to the West Wind by Percy
Pablo Neruda Bysshe Shelley
Kim and Jeff Barry
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night, 7. Sweet was the walk along
Old age should burn and rave •Visual
the narrow lane
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; At noon, the bank and hedge- •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, rows all the way •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand
of the light. Shagged with wild pale green
•Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all, tufts of fragrant hay,
Do not Go Gentle into
I should know what God and man is. •Tactile
that Good Night by Sweet was the Walk by William
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Dylan Thomas Wordsworth •Kinesthetic
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry

3. Visual 4. The locks of the

2. They silently inhale approaching storm. Thou dirge
the clover-scented gale, My heart looks for her, and
she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this
And the vapors that arise closing night
From the well-watered and The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast
1. Sugar - Gustatory smoking soil - Olfactory
Ah, honey, honey same trees. sepulchre,
You are my candy girl We, of that time, are no Vaulted with all thy
Rain in Summer by Henry congregated might
And you got me wanting you longer the same.
Wadsworth Longfellow
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Tonight I can Write by Ode to the West Wind by
Kim and Jeff Barry Pablo Neruda Percy Bysshe Shelley
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night, 7. Sweet was the walk along
Old age should burn and rave •Visual
the narrow lane
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; At noon, the bank and hedge- •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, rows all the way •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand
of the light. Shagged with wild pale green
•Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all, tufts of fragrant hay,
Do not Go Gentle into
I should know what God and man is. •Tactile
that Good Night by Sweet was the Walk by William
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Dylan Thomas Wordsworth •Kinesthetic
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry

2. They silently inhale 3. Visual 4. The locks of the

the clover-scented gale, My heart looks for her, and approaching storm. Thou dirge
And the vapors that arise she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this
From the well-watered and closing night
1. Sugar - Gustatory The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast
smoking soil - Olfactory same trees.
Ah, honey, honey sepulchre,
You are my candy girl Rain in Summer by Henry We, of that time, are no Vaulted with all thy
And you got me wanting you longer the same. congregated might Auditory
Wadsworth Longfellow
Ode to the West Wind by
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Tonight I can Write by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Kim and Jeff Barry Pablo Neruda
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night, 7. Sweet was the walk along
Old age should burn and rave •Visual
the narrow lane
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; At noon, the bank and hedge- •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, rows all the way •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand
of the light. Shagged with wild pale green
•Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all, tufts of fragrant hay,
Do not Go Gentle into
I should know what God and man is. •Tactile
that Good Night by Sweet was the Walk by William
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Dylan Thomas Wordsworth •Kinesthetic
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry

2. They silently inhale 3. Visual 4. The locks of the

the clover-scented gale, My heart looks for her, and approaching storm. Thou dirge
And the vapors that arise she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this
From the well-watered and closing night
1. Sugar - Gustatory The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast
smoking soil - Olfactory same trees.
Ah, honey, honey sepulchre,
You are my candy girl Rain in Summer by Henry We, of that time, are no Vaulted with all thy
And you got me wanting you longer the same. congregated might Auditory
Wadsworth Longfellow
Ode to the West Wind by
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Tonight I can Write by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Kim and Jeff Barry Pablo Neruda
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night, 7. Sweet was the walk along
Old age should burn and rave •Visual
the narrow lane
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; At noon, the bank and hedge- •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
rows all the way •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand of the light. Shagged with wild pale green
tufts of fragrant hay, •Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is. Tactile Do not Go Gentle into •Tactile
that Good Night by Sweet was the Walk by William
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Wordsworth •Kinesthetic
Dylan Thomas
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
 Images & Sense Impressions in Poetry

2. They silently inhale 3. Visual 4. The locks of the

the clover-scented gale, My heart looks for her, and approaching storm. Thou dirge
And the vapors that arise she is not with me. Of the dying year, to which this
From the well-watered and closing night
1. Sugar - Gustatory The same night whitening the Will be the dome of a vast
smoking soil - Olfactory same trees.
Ah, honey, honey sepulchre,
You are my candy girl Rain in Summer by Henry We, of that time, are no Vaulted with all thy
And you got me wanting you longer the same. congregated might Auditory
Wadsworth Longfellow
Ode to the West Wind by
Sugar, Sugar by Andy Tonight I can Write by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Kim and Jeff Barry Pablo Neruda
6. Do not go gentle into that
good night,
Old age should burn and rave 7. Sweet was the walk along •Visual
5. Flower in the crannied wall, at close of day; the narrow lane •Auditory
I pluck you out of the crannies, Rage, rage against the dying At noon, the bank and
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, •Gustatory
Little flower—but if I could understand of the light. Organic hedge-rows all the way
Shagged with wild pale green •Olfactory
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is. Tactile Do not Go Gentle into tufts of fragrant hay,Kinesthetic •Tactile
that Good Night by •Kinesthetic
Flower on a Crannied Wall by Sweet was the Walk by William
Dylan Thomas Wordsworth
Alfred Lord Tennyson •Organic
Elements of Poetry
• Sound – result of creative combination of
words; poet may use alliteration,
assonance, rhyme, repetition, and
anaphora
• Rhythm – ordered alternation of strong
and weak elements in the flow of sound
and silence
• Meter – refers to the duration, stress, or
number of syllables per line
• Rhyme scheme – formal arrangement of
rhymes in a stanza or in the whole poem
Rhythm (literarydevices.net)
The word rhythm is derived from rhythmos (Greek) which means, “measured motion.” Rhythm
is a literary device that demonstrates the long and short patterns through stressed and
unstressed syllables, particularly in verse form.
Types of Rhythm
English poetry makes use of five important rhythms. These rhythms are of different patterns
of stressed (/) and unstressed (x) syllables. Each unit of these types is called Foot. Here are
the five types of rhythm:
• Iamb (x /)
This is the most commonly used rhythm. It consists of two syllables, the first of which is not
stressed, while the second syllable is stressed. Such as:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
(Sonnet 18, by William Shakespeare)
• Trochee (/ x)
A trochee is a type of poetic foot commonly used in English poetry. It has two syllables, the
first of which is strongly stressed, while the second syllable is unstressed, as given below:
• “Tell me not, in mournful numbers”
(Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Rhythm
• Spondee (/ /)
Spondee is a poetic foot that has two syllables, which are consecutively stressed. For
example:
“White founts falling in the Courts of the sun”
(Lepanto, by G. K. Chesterton)
• Dactyl (/ x x)
Dactyl is made up of three syllables. The first syllable is stressed, and the remaining two
syllables are not stressed, such as in the word “marvelous.” For example:
“This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,”
(Evangeline, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
The words “primeval” and “murmuring” show dactyls in this line.
• Anapest (x x /)
Anapests are total opposites of dactyls. They have three syllables; where the first two
syllables are not stressed, and the last syllable is stressed. For example:
” ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,”
(‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore)
Meter (literarydevices.net)
Meter is a pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables within the lines of a poem.
It is determined by the number of feet in a line
and its structure. Foot/feet in poetic terms is a
measuring unit; it is a single group of syllables
in a poem. You need to identify the number and
type of syllables and their stress patterns in order
to identify the meter of a poem. The meter of
a poem, in turn, will help you to identify the
type or structure of a poem.
Meter
• one foot = monometer
• two feet = dimeter
• three feet = trimeter
• four feet = Iatetrameter
• five feet = pentameter
• six feet = hexameter
• seven feet = heptameter
• eight feet = octameter
Famous Examples of Meter
• Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (iambic pentameter)
• Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, (
trochaic octameter)
• Out, damned spot! Out, I say! (spondaic trimeter)
• The itsy, bitsy spider (iambic trimeter)
• Stop all the clocks, / Cut off the telephone (dactylic dimeter)
• I wandered, lonely as a cloud (iambic tetrameter)
• “Forward, the Light Brigade! / Charge for the guns!” he said. (dactylic
dimeter)
• Fair is foul and foul is fair. (trochaic tetrameter)
• But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? (iambic pentameter)
• ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house (anapestic
tetrameter)
Rhyme Scheme (literarydevices.net)
Rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyme that
comes at the end of each verse or line in poetry.
In other words, it is the structure of end words of
a verse or line that a poet needs to create when
writing a poem. Many poems are written in free
verse style. Some other poems follow non-
rhyming structures, paying attention only to the
number of syllables. Thus, it shows that the
poets write poems in a specific type of rhyme
scheme or rhyming pattern.
Rhyme Scheme
Types of Rhyme Scheme
• Alternate rhyme: It is also known as ABAB rhyme
scheme, it rhymes as “ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH.”
• Ballade: It contains three stanzas with the rhyme
scheme of “ABABBCBC” followed by “BCBC.”
• Monorhyme: It is a poem in which every line uses the
same rhyme scheme.
• Couplet: It contains two-line stanzas with the “AA”
rhyme scheme, which often appears as “AA BB CC and
DD…”
• Triplet: It often repeats like a couplet, uses rhyme
scheme of “AAA.”
Rhyme Scheme
• Enclosed rhyme: It uses rhyme scheme of “ABBA”
• Terza rima rhyme scheme: It uses tercets, three lines
stanzas. Its interlocking pattern on end words follows:
ABA BCB CDC DED and so on.
• Keats Odes rhyme scheme: In his famous odes,
Keats has used a specific rhyme scheme, which is
“ABABCDECDE.”
• Limerick: A poem uses five lines with a rhyme scheme
of “AABBA.”
• Villanelle: A nineteen-line poem consisting of five
tercets and a final quatrain. It uses a rhyme scheme of
“A1bA2, abA1, abA2, abA1, abA2, abA1A2.”
Elements of Poetry
Structure – refers to the arrangement of words and lines
to fit together and the organization of the parts to form
the whole.
• Word order – natural and unnatural arrangement of
words
• Ellipsis – omitting some words for economy and effect
• Punctuation – abundance or lack of pronunciation
marks
• Shape – contextual or visual design, omission of spaces,
capitalization or lower case (Teaching Language and
Literature, 2009)
 Structure
Loneliness
I am lonely.
I cannot say that
I have always been alone
Tonight I Can Write by Pablo Although
Neruda now I know
fate meant for me to be this way
This is all. In the distance someone is I have nobody.
singing. In the distance. I would be wrong to say
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
someone would care,
if I tried again to destroy myself.
The effect would be massive
only if I was perfect.
It’s untrue that I could have worth
even if I tried
I am less than beautiful,
nobody can convince me that
I am right where I belong
 Structure
Loneliness
I am lonely.
I cannot say that
I have always been alone
Tonight I Can Write by Pablo Although
Neruda now I know
fate meant for me to be this way
I have nobody.
This is all. In the distance someone is I would be wrong to say
singing. In the distance. someone would care,
My soul is not satisfied that it has if I tried again to destroy myself.
lost her.
The effect would be massive
only if I was perfect.
It’s untrue that I could have worth
even if I tried
I am less than beautiful,
nobody can convince me that
I am right where I belong

Read from top to bottom.

Structure
Preludes by T.S. Eliot
And the light crept up between the shutters
And you heard the sparrows in the gutters,
You had such a vision of the street
As the street hardly understands;
Sitting along the bed’s edge, where
You curled the papers from your hair,
Or clasped the yellow soles of feet
In the palms of both soiled hands.
Structure
Preludes by T.S. Eliot
And the light crept up between the shutters
And you heard the sparrows in the gutters,
You had such a vision of the street
As the street hardly understands;
Sitting along the bed’s edge, where
You curled the papers from your hair,
Or clasped the yellow soles of feet
In the palms of both soiled hands.
 Structure
Sonnet 138 by Shakespeare

When my love swears that she is made

of truth
Psalm of Life by H.D. I do believe her, though I know she
Longfellow lies, 
That she might think me some
untutored youth, 
Art is long, Unlearnèd in the world's false
and Time is fleeting, subtleties. 
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks
me young, 
And our hearts, though stout
Although she knows my days are past
and brave, the best,
Still, like muffled drums, are Simply I credit her false-speaking
beating tongue; 
On both sides thus is simple truth
Funeral marches to the grave. suppressed. 
But wherefore says she not she is
unjust? 
 Structure
Sonnet 138 by Shakespeare

When my love swears that she is made

of truth
Psalm of Life by H.D. I do believe her, though I know she
Longfellow lies, 
That she might think me some
untutored youth, 
Art is long, Unlearnèd in the world's false
and Time is fleeting, subtleties. 
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks
me young, 
And our hearts, though stout
Although she knows my days are past
and brave, the best,
Still, like muffled drums, are Simply I credit her false-speaking
beating tongue; 
On both sides thus is simple truth
Funeral marches to the grave. suppressed. 
But wherefore says she not she is
unjust? 
Figures of Speech
Figures of Speech
• Simile 
A simile compares one thing to another by using the words like or as. Read Shakespeare’s poem
“Sonnet 130.”
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red, than her lips red:
• Metaphor
A metaphor compares one to another by saying one thing is another. Read Emily Dickinson’s poem
“Hope Is the Thing with Feathers.”
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
• Personification
A personification involves giving a non-human, inanimate object the qualities of a person. Robert
Frost did that in his poem “Storm Fear.
When the wind works against us in the dark,
And pelts with snow
 Figures of Speech
• Hyperbole
A hyperbole is an exaggeration of the truth in order to create an effect. The example below is from the
poem, “As I Walked Out One Evening” by W.H. Auden.

"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you

Till China and Africa meet,

• Irony
Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a reality that is different
from what appears to be true. Situational irony is a common type of irony presented in poems just like
in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor-Coleridge.

"Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink...."  
 Figures of Speech
• Metonymy- using another word that is clearly identifiable or associated with the idea
referred to
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries—Sonnet 27
O, for a draught of vintage! --Ode to a Nightingale
Friends, Romans, countrymen, and lovers, lend me your ears;--Shakespeare
• Synecdoche - Using part for the whole (or vice versa), a class for a whole (like in
brand); naming an object by its material (nice wheels)
No busy hand provoke a tear; No roving foot shall crush thee here.—The Wild Honeysuckle

“There will be time, there will be time

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;”
The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock 
 Figures of Speech
• Oxymoron - is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly contradictory or
opposite ideas to create a certain rhetorical or poetic effect and reveal a deeper truth.
O heavy lightness, serious vanity!
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.(Shakespeare)
It’s been cold summer night since we drifted apart (Francis Magalona)
• Paradox-a phrase or statement that on the surface seems contradictory but makes
some kind of emotional sense.
Destroyer and Preserver, Hear oh Hear! (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
Rage, rage against the dying of the light (Dylan Thomas)
‘Men work together,’ I told him from the heart,
‘Whether they work together or apart.’ (Robert Frost)
 Figures of Speech
• Apostrophe - a direct address to something inanimate or dead or absent
Break, break, break/ On thy grey stones, O sea! (William Blake)

Blue moon you saw me standing alone

Without a dream in my heart (Frank Sinatra)
• Allusion- refers to any scientific, historical, mythological, literary, or Biblical event or
figure
They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your Prince Charming
Would come rescue you
You like romantic movies
You will never forget
The way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet (All-4-One)
1. You are naked underneath your clothes.
2.
3.
I ain’t no Cassanova, but I swear this much is true.
Jehovah is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing (Psalms Figures of Speech
23:1).
4. I’ll climb every mountain, swim every ocean just to be
with you.
5. Entrance fee is fifty per head.
6. Like a rainbow/Fading in the twinkling of an eye/Gone too
soon
7. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner
of those sent to her—how often I wanted to gather your
children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under
her wings! But you did not want it (Matthew 23:37). 10. True wisdom cries aloud in the street.
8. It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay; It’s a death row It keeps raising its voice in the public
pardon, two minutes too late squares (Proverbs 1:20)
9. Deaden, therefore, your body members that are on the
earth as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, 11. Riding in my Fiat, you really have to
uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, and greediness, see it (Theroux)
which is idolatry (Collosians 3:5).
1. You are naked underneath your clothes. (Paradox)
2.
3. Figures of Speech
I ain’t no Cassanova, but I swear this much is true. (Allusion)
Jehovah is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing (Psalms 23:1).
(Metaphor)
4. I’ll climb every mountain, swim every ocean just to be with
you. (Hyperbole)
5. Entrance fee is fifty per head. (Synecdoche)
6. Like a rainbow/Fading in the twinkling of an eye/Gone too
soon (Simile)
7. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of
those sent to her—how often I wanted to gather your children
together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings!
But you did not want it (Matthew 23:37). (Apostrophe) 10. True wisdom cries aloud in the street.
8. It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay; It’s a death row pardon, It keeps raising its voice in the public
two minutes too late (Irony) squares (Proverbs 1:20)
9. Deaden, therefore, your body members that are on the earth as
(Personification)
respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, uncontrolled sexual
passion, hurtful desire, and greediness, which is idolatry
11. Riding in my Fiat, you really have to
(Collosians 3:5). (Hyperbole)
see it (Theroux) (Synecdoche)
 • Onomatopoeia- words that imitate the
sound of the idea it denotes (e.g. hiss,
swoosh, bang, buzz)
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells
— From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.
Sound • Alliteration- the repetition of consonant
Devices sounds, especially in the initial position
snowy summits old in story
• Assonance- repetition of vowel sounds
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroken
I found again in the heart of a friend
 • Rhyme- repetition of sounds at the end of words
And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat
what dread hand and what dread feet?
• Consonance-  is defined as a pleasing sound caused by the
repetition of similar consonant sounds within groups of
words or a literary work. This repetition often occurs at the
Sound end of words, but may also be found within words. When
consonant sounds are repeated only at the beginning of

Devices words, that is called alliteration rather than consonance. 

I saw a chapel all of gold
That none did dare to enter in
And many weeping stood without
Weeping mourning worshipping
• Anaphora- the repetition of a word or words at the
beginning of two or more successive clauses or verses
Lay me an anvil, O God! Beat me and hammer me into a crowbar
Lay me an anvil, O God! Beat me and hammer me into a steel spike.
Which
Sound Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
Device is In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
used in the Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
following?
Which
Sound Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
Device is In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
used in the Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
following?
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following? Alliteration
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following?
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following?
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following? Consonance
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following?
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following?
Which Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
Sound What immortal hand or eye,
Device is Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

used in the
following? Rhyme
Which I heard the ripple washing in the
Sound reeds
And the wild water lapping on the
Device is crag
used in the
following?
Which I heard the ripple washing in the
Sound reeds
And the wild water lapping on the
Device is crag
used in the
following?
Which I heard the ripple washing in the
Sound reeds
And the wild water lapping on the
Device is crag
used in the
following? Onomatopeia
Which
Sound "Hear the mellow wedding bells"
Device is
used in the
following?
Which
Sound "Hear the mellow wedding bells"
Device is
used in the
following?
Which
Sound "Hear the mellow wedding bells"
Device is
used in the Assonance

following?
Which
Sound "Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be"
Device is
used in the
following?
Which
Sound "Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be"
Device is
used in the
following?
Which
"Whisper words of wisdom
Sound Let it be"
Device is
used in the
following? Alliteration
Which
"Whisper words of wisdom
Sound Let it be"
Device is
used in the
following?
Which
"Whisper words of wisdom
Sound Let it be"
Device is
used in the
following?
Which
"Whisper words of wisdom
Sound Let it be"
Device is
used in the
following? Assonance
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Watch me nae nae
Sound Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae

used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Watch me nae nae
Sound Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae

used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Watch me nae nae
Sound Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae

used in the
following? Alliteration
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Watch me nae nae
Sound Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae

used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Watch me nae nae
Sound Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae

used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Sound Watch me nae nae
Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae
used in the
following? Onomatopeia
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Sound Watch me nae nae
Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae
used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)

Sound Watch me nae nae

Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae

used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Sound Watch me nae nae
Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae
used in the
following?
Which Watch me whip (whip)
Sound Watch me nae nae
Whip (whip)
Device is Watch me nae nae
used in the
following? Assonance
Which
The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard
Sound And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of
Device is wood,
Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across
used in the it.

following?
Which
The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard
Sound And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of
Device is wood,
Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across
used in the it.

following?
Which The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard
Sound And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of
wood,
Device is Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across
used in the it.

following? Consonance
Which Shame on you, if you fool me once
Sound Shame on me, if you fool me twice
But you've been a pretty hard case to crack
Device is I should've known better but I didn't and I can't go
used in the back

following?
Which Shame on you, if you fool me once
Sound Shame on me, if you fool me twice
But you've been a pretty hard case to crack
Device is I should've known better but I didn't and I can't go
used in the back

following?
Which Shame on you, if you fool me once
Sound Shame on me, if you fool me twice
But you've been a pretty hard case to crack
Device is I should've known better but I didn't and I can't go
used in the back

following? Anaphora
Types of Poem

Look in the slide notes below for topics to

consider talking about
 Lyric Poetry
Lyric poetry refers to a short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker’s personal
emotions and feelings. Historically intended to be sung and accompany musical instrumentation, lyric now
describes a broad category of non-narrative poetry, including elegies, odes, and sonnets (poets.org).

• Elegy – an elegy is a poem that reflects upon death or loss. Traditionally, it contains themes of mourning,
loss, and reflection. However, it can also explore themes of redemption and consolation (MasterClass, 2020).
• Ode – much like an elegy, an ode is a tribute to its subject, although the subject need not be dead—or even
sentient (MasterClass, 2020).
• Sonnet – sonnet is a 14-line poem, typically (but not exclusively) concerning the topic of love. Sonnets
contain internal rhymes within their 14 lines; the exact rhyme scheme depends on the style of a sonnet
(MasterClass, 2020). The two types of sonnets are Shakespearean sonnet (also English sonnet), and the
Petrarchan sonnet (Italian sonnet).
• Song- a short lyric poem which is intended primarily to be sung
• Simple lyric- touches every mood and emotion of the human heart (Teaching Language and Literature,
2009).
Narrative Poetry

A narrative poem in literature is a poem

which tells a story. It has a full storyline
with all the elements of a traditional story
(Literary Devices). Narrative poems
contain all of the elements of a fully
developed story, including characters,
plot, conflict, and resolution. These
poems are typically told by just one
narrator or speaker (MasterClass, 2020).
Narrative Poetry
•Epic – a long narrative poem about the exploits of a
supernatural hero
Conventions of an Epic
o Begins with an invocation to the muses.
o Story starts in the middle of things (in medias res).
o The hero represents the values of their civilization
or someone of nobility, or has superpowers.
o The hero engages in a quest.
o The setting is vast.
o The intervention of the gods (deus ex machina)
o Elevated language is used in writing (Effienger,
2016).
•Ballad – tells the story of ordinary people
•Metrical tale – an ordinary story told in verse
•Metrical romance – a medieval verse tale based on
legends, chivalric love and adventure or the
supernatural (Teaching Language and Literature, 2009)
Prose

Look in the slide notes below for topics to

consider talking about
Types of Prose
Prose
Prose is verbal or written language
that follows the natural flow of
speech. It is the most common form of
writing, used in both fiction and non-
fiction. Prose comes from the Latin
“prosa oratio,” meaning
“straightforward” (MasterClass, 2020)
Essay
• It is a prose composition of moderate length, usually expository in nature; the word essay derives from
the French infinitive essai, "to try" or "to attempt". [to express what the author wishes to express].
Parts of the Essay
o Introduction
o Body
o Conclusion
Types of Essay
▪ Formal or impersonal – deals with serious subject and important topic like philosophy, science,
politics, and religion.
▪ Informal or familiar essay- covers light, ordinary, or even trivial subject matters in a
conversational, friendly, and often humorous tone, but equally insightful as that of the formal
essay (Teaching Language and Literature, 2009)
Essay
Commonly Read Essays in Secondary
Schools
• War by Voltaire
• The Whistle by Benjamin Franklin
• Lagniappe by Mark Twain
• The Exchange by Pablo Neruda
Drama
A story written to be performed by actors; consists of one or more large sections called acts, which are made up of
smaller sections called scenes; originated in religious rituals and symbolic re-enactments of primitive people.

Theatrical Styles
o Arena – theatre style of early Greeks; actors are surrounded on all sides by the audience, and they make
entrances and exits through aisles; this establishes an intimate relation with the audience.
o Medieval theatre – used staging areas called “mansions” inside the churches and portable wagons
wheeled about outside the churches.
o Elizabethan theatre – used a wooden structure providing an enclosed space around a courtyard open to
the sky; actors were in a habit of directly speaking to the audience.
o Proscenium – stage used in the 19th century; distances the audience from the play because performers
act out their scenes unaware of the audience’s presence.
o Eclectic – theatre of the modern times; combines different theatrical styles; some even converts non-
theatrical spaces such as streets, top of a truck, warehouse, and the like into a space for performance (Teaching
Language and Literature, 2009).
 Genres of Drama
o Tragedy – shows the downfall and destruction of
a noble or outstanding person (hamartia); one who
possesses a character weakness called a tragic flaw
(hubris)
o Comedy – amuses the audience rather than
making them deeply concerned about events that
happen; characters overcome some difficulties and
find happiness in the end.
Drama o Tragicomedy – does not strictly adhere to
tragedy; a serious play that also has some of the
qualities of comedy.
o Farce – has very swift movements, ridiculous
situations, and does not stimulate thought (e.g. The
Taming of the Shrew)
o Melodrama – shows events that follow each
other rapidly, but seems to be governed always by
chance--e.g. Titus Andronicus & Cymbeline--
(Teaching Language and Literature, 2009).
Drama
Elements of Drama
o Plot. This is the sequence of events in a drama. Most plots can be analyzed by
dividing them into most or all of the following parts:
(1) Exposition. This introduces the setting, the characters, and the basic situation.
(2) Inciting incident. This introduces the central conflict.
(3) Development. This is when the conflict runs its course and usually intensifies.
(4) Climax. This is when the conflict reaches a high point of Interest or suspense.
(5) Resolution. This is when the conflict is ended.
(6) Denouement. This ties up the loose ends that remain after the resolution of
the conflict
Drama
Elements of Drama
o Characters. The entire shape of the action derives from the characters’ strengths
and weaknesses thus, they create their own opportunities and problems.
o Setting. This is the time and place in which the action takes place. It also refers to
the scenery and physical elements that appear on stage to vivify the author’s
stage directions.
o
Dialogue. This consists of the speeches the characters use to advance the action.
Since there is description or commentary on the action, as there is in fiction, the
dialogue must tell the whole story. The dialogue may take the form of soliloquy (a
speech in which an actor, usually alone on the stage, utters his thoughts aloud,
revealing personal feelings) or an aside (a short speech made by a character to
the audience, which by convention, the other characters onstage do not hear).
Drama
Elements of Drama
o Movement. The actor’s movements are keyed to the structure of
their speeches. The stage directions give information as to where
the characters are, where they go, and even the significance of
their movements.
o Music. Some dramas incorporate music for dramatic effect. This
may be sung live or used as a background to set the mood of the
play.
o Theme. This is the message, the central action, or what the play is
all about. There may be several themes in a play (Jazul, 2021).
 Nonfiction – prose that is a true story or
factual account of events or information is
nonfiction. Textbooks, newspaper articles, and
(Creative) instruction manuals all fall into this category.
Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl, composed
Nonfiction entirely of journal excerpts, recounts the
young teen’s experience of hiding with her
family in Nazi-occupied Netherlands during
World War II (MasterClass, 2020).
 • Short Story - brief
fictional prose
narrative that is
Short Story shorter than a novel
and that usually
deals with only a few
characters (Hansen,
2012).
 • Characters – are the people who are involved in the
story. Characters can be o protagonist (lead), o
antagonist (villain), o static (does not change), o dynamic
(changes in the course of the story).
• Plot – the order of events that make up a story. The plot
usually begins with
o Exposition – introduction to the characters and story
background;
Elements of a o Rising action – complications that lead to the…;
o Conflict – a struggle between two opposing forces
Short Story that are resolved by the end of the story which
usually involves at least one major character.
Examples of conflicts are man vs. man, man vs. self,
and man vs. nature;
o Climax – the turning point of the story when tension
caused by the conflict is at its worst;
o Falling action – when the tension from the climax
decreases; and
o Resolution or Denouement – of the conflict.
 • Point of View – pertains to who the narrator is
and how the story is told. The narrator can tell
from the third-person point of view which tells
what characters think or do but are not part of
the story; or first-person point of view which
tells things the way it is seen (usually uses
pronoun, I).
Elements of a • Setting – tells readers where and when the
story takes place. It provides the environment
Short Story in which the story occurs and set s the mood
that helps readers figure out what is happening
in the story.
•
Theme – the central meaning, idea, or the
moral the story is trying to teach. The message
that gives views on life, humanity, or society
which could be about love, friendship, good vs.
evil, importance of family, and the like (Student
Web).