LESSON 101: Literary Reading through a Biographical Context

Biography (noun) -comes from the Greek word bios, which means “life,”
and graphia, which means “writing”; a detailed account or narrative of a
person’s life written by someone else

Autobiography (noun)- a narrative of a person’s life written by himself

or Herself

belief system- the set of mutually supportive beliefs that define a

person’s or society’s outlook on life or reality

confessional (adjective)- intimately autobiographical; characterized by

openness and self-revelation

jilt (verb)- ending a relationship with someone suddenly or painfully

LESSON 102: Literary Reading through a Sociocultural Context

Marxism- According to the Marxist perspective, literature shows class

struggle and materialism. Thus, it looks into the social classes portrayed in
the work. It also examines how the text serves as a propaganda material.
It also explores oppression, social conflicts, and the solutions to these
struggles as shown in the literary work.

Feminism- The feminist perspective examines the role of the women in

the text. It looks into how the female character may be empowered or
discriminated against.

Queer Theory- The queer perspective is concerned with the experiences

of the LGBTQIA+ community. The perspective itself was contextualized in
1991.

Historicism- Historicism or traditional historical criticism is a perspective

dealing with the history that influenced the writing of literature.

Postcolonialism- Postcolonialism is a literary perspective that looks into

the changes in society, culture, and attitudes in previous colonies after the
colonial period. Through this perspective, the dependence or
independence of decolonized countries or people is examined.

New Historicism- New Historicism is another perspective in the

sociocultural context. It focuses not only on the history when the literary
text was written but also on how history happened. In new historicism, the
abovementioned perspectives can be integrated.
LESSON 201: Sound Devices

Alliteration- It is the repetition of similar sounds, either consonants or

vowels, at the beginning of closely spaced words.

(Suffering Stan stays in the sun to keep from having to stutter.)

The alliteration in the sentence is evident not only in the repetition of the
first letter of

several words (s) but also the /t/ sounds in the words Stan, stays, to, and
stutter.

Assonance- It is the repetition of vowel sounds that form internal rhymes

in a line.

(Faye’s days are lazy and wasteful.)

The long /a/ sound is repeated in the words Faye, days, lazy, and wasteful.

Consonance- It is the repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the end

of words.

(Wash the leash off of mush to keep Ash from having a rash.)

The /sh/ sound is repeated, but different vowel sounds precede the end
consonant in the words wash, leash, mush, Ash, and rash

Cacophony- It is the use of jarring, unpleasant sounds, usually harsh

because the sounds do not go together. It is meant to convey disorder and
would sometimes be hard to pronounce.

(“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All
mimsy were the borogoves And the mome raths outgrabe” Excerpt from
“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll)

The italicized words do not have any meaning (their definitions were
created by Carroll); however, their sounds are disordered to convey the
message of chaos and disarray.

Euphony- It is the use of devices such as alliteration, rhyme, and

assonance. It is meant to create a pleasant experience to the ear.

(“Than Oars divide the Ocean, Too silver for a seam— Or Butterflies, off
Banks of Noon Leap, plashless as they swim.” Excerpt from “A Bird came
down the Walk” by Emily Dickinson)

The verse above made use of rhyme (seam and swim) and alliteration (oar
and ocean, silver and seam, butterflies and banks) to create a pleasant
sound as it is being read.
Onomatopoeia- It is the use of words that mimic the natural sound of
what is being described.

(buzz, meow, bark, hiss, squeak)

The examples can easily be identifiable as a bee, cat, dog, snake, and
mouse because of the sound those animals are associated with.

Repetition- It is the repetition of words or phrases to form rhythm or to

emphasize an idea.

(“In every cry of every man, In every infant’s cry of fear In every voice, In
every ban The mind-forg’d manacles I hear” Excerpt from “London” by
William Blake)

In the example above, the phrase “in every” is repeated for rhythm and
emphasis

Rhyme- It is the repetition of identical (or similar) sounds in two or more

words, most often at the end of lines in a poem.

(beach, reach, teach)

LESSON 202: Figurative Language

Analogy- It is a comparison that presents the similarities between two

concepts or ideas.

(Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a

writer.)

In the example, the sword and the pen were compared because both of
them are weapons or instruments used by a warrior and a writer,
respectively. Both occupations will not function without their respective
instruments.

Cliché- It is a word, a phrase, a sentence, or a whole text that used to be

perceived as clever but has become démodé. One reason may be through
the frequency of use and that it no longer provides a surprise to the
reader nor vivid imagery. This is something that must be avoided in
writing.

(raining cats and dogs)

The abovementioned statements are so overused that they no longer give

an artistic effect.

Connotation- It is the secondary or suggestive meaning of the word, one

that is not its literal or primary meaning in the dictionary.
(green home, green products, green living)

The word green in the examples does not only refer to the color but has
also become synonymous with being environmentally sound.

Denotation- It is the literal meaning of the word, one that is usually its
primary meaning in the dictionary.

(house, home, residence, abode, dwelling)

These words may all have the same denotation, but each has its own
association. For instance, a house refers to one’s place of residence when
talking formally, but a home may refer to any place.

Euphemism- It is used to substitute for a description that is considered

harsh or blunt. This figurative language is most often used for delicate
matters, such as sex, death or violence, and embarrassing topics.

(She is with our Creator now.)

This means that the subject has died. Other euphemisms for death are
“gone to heaven,” “eternal peace,” “at rest,” and “left the earth.”

Hyperbole- It is a gross exaggeration to achieve an effect, usually for

humor or emphasis.

(I was dying of boredom while I was waiting in line.)

The use of the term dying is an exaggeration since boredom is not a

possible cause of death.

Metaphor- It compares two seemingly unlike objects that have similar or

common characteristics without the use of like or as.

(The assignment was a breeze.)

The words assignment and breeze are unlike objects. Using the word
breeze to describe the word assignment means that it was easy since the
word breeze is associated with the words pleasant and easy.

Metonymy- It is the use of a word or phrase that is substituted for

another that is closely associated with it.

(The Malacañang Palace released a statement regarding the President’s

health.)

In the example above, the term Malacañang Palace was used to substitute
for the

representative from the Office of the President of the Philippines since

Malacañang
Palace is the proper noun for the place where the Philippine president
resides and takes office.

Oxymoron- It is a combination of two ideas that appear to be opposite or

contradictory.

complete break, dirty white, tuck out

Complete break is an oxymoron since the word break refers to a

temporary event, and the word complete is associated with permanence.
The phrase dirty white is contradicting because the word white is
associated with cleanliness and spotlessness. The phrase tuck out is also
contradicting because tucking as a motion is directed toward the inside of
a certain place or thing.

Paradox- It is an assertion that seems to be contradictory or silly but

actually reveals some truth.

("I must be cruel to be kind." - Hamlet, William Shakespeare)

Being cruel is the opposite of being kind; however, this is a paradox many
parents are

familiar with. Some actions such as giving their children a curfew or

restricting some of their spendings may be seen as cruel, but it is actually
beneficial or kind for the children in the long run.

Personification- It is a statement or statements in which an animal,

object, or abstract idea is given human attributes or characteristics.

(The flowers bathe in sunlight, and the grass reached out to the sky.)

The verbs bathe and reach are typically performed by humans, not by
flowers and grass.

However, personification was used to present a vivid imagery of how the

flowers are under the sun and how tall the grass is.

Simile- It is the comparison of two seemingly unlike objects by using the

words like or as.

(Our soldiers are as brave as lions.)

The adjective brave was used to compare lions and soldiers. The use of
the word as makes the statement a simile.

Synecdoche- It is used when a part or portion of something is used to

represent the whole or vice versa.

(I brought my wheels. How many heads are coming to the party?)

In the first example, wheels are used to stand for the term car. In the
second example, heads stand for people.

LESSON 301: POETRY

1. ecstatic (adjective) — expresses delight

Poetry with an ecstatic tone can raise a reader’s spirits.

2. melancholic (adjective) — expresses loneliness or emptiness

Poems with a melancholic tone make one somber.

3. satiric tone (adjective) — expresses dislike or discontent with

something

through sarcasm and/or irony

Artists have written poetry with satiric tones to protest against corruption
in

government.

4. exult (verb) — to feel or show great happiness

It is fulfilling to see my students exult at their victory in the academic

contest.

5. overarching (adjective) — including or influencing every part of

something

We must have specific minor goals as well as major overarching goals to

be

more productive and successful.

LESSON 302: Prose

Prose- Prose is divided into two: fiction and nonfiction. In this chapter, we
will be discussing fiction.

Fiction- Fiction is a story that is made up or invented by an author. This

means that the events in the story are not real; they are products of the
author’s imagination. Examples of fiction are novels and short stories.

According to Edgar Allan Poe, short stories should be read in one sitting
and should strive for unity and effect. It has to begin with the first
sentence, and it must have nothing in it that detracts from the writer’s
design. It should also aim for the truth and stress imagination, invention,
creation, and originality.

A novel is longer and more complex than a short story. It has over 40,000
words (the shorter version is called a novella, which has 17,500–39,999
words, or a novelette, which has7,500–17,499 words). A novel’s
characters, setting, plot, and theme are usually more developed and
detailed than a short story’s.

Five Elements of Fiction

The five basic elements of fiction are plot (and conflict), characters,
setting, point of

view, and theme. Please see Unit 2 Chapter 4 for the definitions and
examples of these

elements. This chapter will focus on the types of plot. The basic and most
common plot structure of a story follows a linear format: beginning,
middle, and end. The linear format produces a climactic plot, which
contains the exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action leading to
the resolution of the story. However, some stories follow a nonlinear
format. It means that some stories start in the middle or at the end.

Episodic plot- It features distinct episodes that are related to one

another but that also can be read individually, almost as stories by
themselves.

(Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes)

Cumulative plot- It contains repetition of phrases, sentences, or events

with one new aspect added with each repetition. These are common
among children’s stories.

(“The Gingerbread Man” “The Great, Big, Enormous Turnip”)

Frame narrative (embedded plot)- It is a story in which another story

or other multiple stories is/are embedded. It can also be that the main
story is relayed second hand to a character in the narrative.

(The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Wuthering Heights by Emily

Bronte)