Elements of Literature

We generally refer to the things that make up a work of literature, its component
parts, as elements. This list contains such things as

• Plot - A plot is a causal sequence of events, the "why" for the things that
happen in the story. The plot draws the reader into the character's lives
and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.

• Character - Memorable characters come alive for us while we read. They

live on the page and in our hearts and minds. We cannot forget them. Yet,
they are fictional; they don't really exist. Be alert to characters in the same
way you are when you meet someone. Observe their actions. Listen
closely to what they say and how they say it. Notice how they relate to
other characters and how other characters respond to them. Look for
clues as to their purpose and significance in the story.

• Setting- Includes the time, location, and everything in which a story takes
place, and initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story. Setting has
been referred to as story world or milieu to include a context (especially
society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. Elements of
setting may include culture, historical period, geography, and hour. Along
with plot, character, theme, and style, setting is considered one of the
fundamental components of fiction. A setting is the time place and social
environment a story takes place.

• Theme-work of art is meant to correct and to teach in certain aspect of

life, therefore the story surrounding the work of art will have in it theme(s)
that will touch individual that reads it. for instance the theme of betrayal,
love, hatred, and jealousy can be found in a particular work of art to teach
morals and uprightness. For any work of art to worth publishing and to get
readers attention, there must be something fascinating about it, the reader
must be able to analyse the work and found it worth reading, this can only
be achive if the work of art touches certain aspect of life.

• Point of view -is the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" what's
going on. Skillful authors can fix their readers' attention on exactly the
 detail, opinion, or emotion the author wants to emphasize by manipulating
the point of view of the story.

Literary Genre

A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined

by literary technique, tone, content, or even (as in the case of fiction) length.
Genre should not be confused with age category, by which literature may be
classified as either adult, young-adult, or children's. They also must not be
confused with format, such as graphic novel or picture book. The distinctions
between genres and categories are flexible and loosely defined, often with
subgroups. A genre is a types of literature are fiction, non fiction, poetry and
drama. But within those there are sub-types:

Fiction: It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary
elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-
postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure
imaginative speculation).

Non fiction: also known as literary or narrative nonfiction is a genre of writing

that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives.
Nonfiction contrasts is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in
service to its craft. As a genre, nonfiction is still relatively young, and is only
beginning to be scrutinized with the same critical analysis given to fiction and
poetry.

Poetry: is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning,

sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response.
Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means
necessary. Poetry is an ancient form that has gone through numerous and
drastic reinvention over time. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and
individual mode of expression makes it nearly impossible to define.

sonnet is one of the poetic forms that can be found in lyric poetry from
Europe. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the
Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song". By the thirteenth century, it
had come to signify a poem of fourteen lines that follows a strict rhyme
scheme and specific structure. The conventions associated with the
sonnet have evolved over its history. The writers of sonnets are
sometimes referred to as "sonneteers," although the term can be used
derisively. One of the best-known sonnet writers is William Shakespeare,
who wrote 154 of them (not including those that appear in his plays). A
 Shakespearean, or English, sonnet consists of 14 lines, each line
containing ten syllables and written in iambic pentameter, in which a

pattern of an unemphasized syllable followed by an emphasized syllable is

repeated five times. The rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean sonnet is
ababcdcdefef gg; the last two lines are a rhyming couplet.

Drama: a composition in prose or verse presenting, in pantomime and dialogue, a

narrative involving conflict and usually designed for presentation on a stage.
Aristotle called it “imitated human action.” This type of composition needs a
theater, actors, and an audience in order to be fully experienced; reading it is not
enough. Sometimes, the word is used to mean a serious play.

The word is taken directly from the Greek drama, meaning “a deed or action of
the stage.” The Greek word evolved from the Greek term dran, meaning “to do”
or “to act.”

Drama arose from religious ceremonies, as opposed to comedy and tragedy’s

evolvement from themes in ceremonies such as fertility, life, death.