POETRY

Poetry creates word pictures, describes moments, or expresses feelings. There

are many different forms of poetry. Two examples of poem forms are free verse
and lyrical poems. A free verse poem does not rhyme. A lyrical poem uses
imagery to express a feeling and uses rhythm, regular meter, and rhyme.
Read the poem below. Then click on the elements of poetry to learn how each is
represented in the poem Marys Canary.

Marys Canary

Mary had a pretty bird,

Feathers bright and yellow,
Slender legsupon my word
He was a pretty fellow!

The sweetest note he always sung,

Which much delighted Mary.
She often, where the cage was hung,
Sat hearing her canary.

The Elements of Poetry

Verse
Verse is one line of a poem. In the poem Marys Canary Mary had a pretty bird
is one verse of the poem.
Poems are written in groups of lines called stanzas. A stanza in a poem is like a
paragraph in a story. Often a new idea or image appears in each stanza.
The poem Marys Canary is written in two stanzas.

Rhyme

Rhyme is created when two words have the same ending sounds. A poem may
have a rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming words in a
poem.
In the poem Marys Canary, the words that rhyme are bird and word, yellow
and fellow, sung and hung, and Mary and canary. The rhyme scheme is every
other line in one stanza.

Meter
Meter is the number of syllables in a line and how those syllables are accented.
The meter helps to create the rhythm of the poem.
The first line of the poem Marys Canary has 7 syllables and every other
syllable is accented, beginning with the first one.

Theme
Theme is the message or the image created by the poem that the writer wants
readers to understand.
The theme of the poem Marys Canary is how much Mary enjoys her canary
and his singing.

DRAMA
Drama is a story that is acted out in front of people, or an audience. A drama can
be a play, a puppet show, a song, or a dance story that a person on stage
performs for a group of people.
Have you ever pretended to be someone else? Have you ever acted out a story
with a friend? Have you ever gone to see a show or a play? All of these are
examples of drama.
Plays are written in a special form, which helps you to picture what is happening
on stage. This special form is called a script. A script contains the list of
characters, the lines the characters say, and the stage directions.
Read the play below. Then click on the elements of drama to learn how each is
represented in the play The Heirloom.

The Heirloom

Cast of Characters:
Greta
Oma

Setting:
The living room of Gretas house in the afternoon
[Greta has been sitting on the sofa, impatiently waiting for her Oma to
arrive. She hasnt seen her Oma in several months. Greta can hardly
contain her excitement; shortly Oma arrives at the house with a small
wrapped gift in her hand.]
GRETA: [very excited] Oma! What did you bring me?
OMA: [Oma sets the gift on a coffee table.] Before I show you, I want to tell
you a story. [Oma and Greta sit on the sofa together.] Did you know that
when my mother was a young girl, she attended art school in Germany?
There she became friends with a woman named Berta Hummel, who drew
lifelike pictures of the children from her village. Berta was so gifted that a
man decided to make her drawings into figurines. [Oma hands Greta the
box and Greta unwraps the present.] This girl was one of the first figures
that Berta ever made.
GRETA: [happy] It is beautiful Oma. Thank you.

OMA: Berta gave it to my mother, who absolutely adored it. My mother

gave it to me, and now I am giving it to you. This heirloom has been in our
family for many years.
GRETA: [Greta holds the figurine in her hand, admiring the object that had
meant so much to her great-grandmother.] I know just where I am going to
put it in my room. This is the best gift I have ever been given.
The Elements of Drama

Characters
The list of characters at the beginning of the play tells who will be appearing in
the play. Some plays have a narrator. The narrator gives the audience
information about what is happening in the play.
Greta and Oma are the characters in the play, The Heirloom.

Setting
The setting is where and when the play takes place. Many plays have more than
one setting.
The living room of Gretas house during the afternoon is the setting of the play,
The Heirloom. Because it is a short play, there is only one setting.

Descriptions
Descriptions are related to the setting of the play, but provide much more
information about what has already happened before the play begins or how the
characters are feeling before the first lines of dialogue. Descriptions can also
provide detailed information about the setting.
This is the description for The Heirloom.
[Greta has been sitting on the sofa, impatiently waiting for her Oma to arrive.
She hasnt seen her Oma in several months. Greta can hardly contain her
excitement; shortly Oma arrives at the house with a small wrapped gift in her
hand.]

Dialogue
The dialogue is the lines of text the characters speak in the play. The characters
names appear before the lines they speak. A plays dialogue often tells what the
characters are thinking and feeling.

The lines the character Greta speaks have the name GRETA at the beginning.
The lines Oma speaks have OMA at the beginning. Together these lines make up
the dialogue of the play.

Stage Directions
Stage directions tell the actors what to do. They tell actors where to go on the
stage, how to move, and how to say their lines.
In the first line Greta speaks, the stage direction says she is very excited, so the
line should be spoken with excitement in the actors voice. The stage direction at
the beginning of Omas first line tells the actor that she should put the gift down
on the table as she speaks this line.

Theme
Theme is the lesson or message of a play. To identify the plays message, look for
clues in what the characters say and do, what happens as the result of their
actions, and how the characters change.
The theme of the play, The Heirloom, is to treasure items that are passed down
from generation to generation. They are special parts of peoples past.

PROSE
Prose is the normal language (sentences and paragraphs) people use when
writing or speaking. It is not poetry and does not have a meter or rhythmical
pattern.
Magazine articles, encyclopedias, and essays are all written in prose. Stories are
also usually written in prose.

Read the story below. Then click on the elements of prose to learn how each is
represented in the story Art Camp.

Art Camp
Im worried about art camp. I wont know anyone there, Brian
said.
Dont worry about it, his mom said. Youll see. Itll be fine.
When Brian walked into the camp meeting room, he swallowed
hard. Most of the tables were full of kids talking and laughing with each
other. There was only one spot open, and it was at a table way in the back.

There were three other kids at the tableAlex, Kenya, and Mike.
They all knew each other, but they were happy to talk to Brian, too. Brian
no longer felt nervous. By the time he went home, he knew he had a new
set of friends for the summer.

The Elements of Prose

Characters

Characters are the people or animals in the story. A story often describes the
interaction of characters, including their relationships and the changes they
undergo.
In the story you just read, the characters are Brian, his mom, Alex, Kenya, and
Mike.

Setting
Setting is when and where the story takes place.
There are two settings in this story. The first is Brians home and the second is
art camp. The story takes place over the summer.
Plot
Plot is what happens in the story, or the sequence of events.
The plot of the story is Brian is worried about going to art camp. When he
arrives, there is only one spot left for him to sit down. He meets three other kids
at the table and they all start talking. Brian goes home knowing he has new
friends.

Point of View
The point of view of the story relates to the person telling the story. Sometimes
the narrator is a character in the story and uses the pronoun I to tell the story.
This type of narrator tells the story from a first-person point of view. Sometimes
the narrator is not a character in the story and refers to the characters by name
or as he or she. This type of narrator tells the story from a third-person point of
view.
This story is written in third-person point of view because Brian is not telling the
story. The narrator refers to Brian as he and the kids as they.

Theme
Theme is the lesson or message of a story. To identify the storys message, look
for clues in what the characters say and do, what happens as the result of their
actions, and how the characters change.
In this story, the theme is new and scary situations can change to be very happy
events.

Mood

The mood of a selection is the feeling the author creates using story details, the
setting, and images.
The mood of this story starts off worrisome because Brian is nervous about not
knowing anyone at art camp. But the mood changes by the end of the story
when Brian is happy to meet three new friends.

Source : http://mhschool.com/lead_21/grade4/ccslh_g4_rl_1_2c_l3.html

FACTUAL LANGUAGE AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Factual language
Charactarized by facts. Factual language is a text based on facts.

Figurative language

Figurative language is when you use a word or phrase that does not have
its normal everyday, literal meaning. Writers can use figurative language
to make their work more interesting or more dramatic than literal
language which simply states facts.
There are few different ways to use figurative language, including
metaphors, similes, personification and hyperbole. See below for more
information and examples of figurative language and how to use it.

Alliteration

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more

neighboring words or syllables
Example : The wild and woolly walrus waits and wonders when well walk
by

Assonance
A resemblance of sound in words or syllables

Example : holy & stony and Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese

Cliche
A word or phrase that has become overly familiar or commonplace

Example : No pain, no gain

Hyperbole

Big exaggeration, usually with humor

Example : mile-high ice-cream cones

Idiom
The language peculiar to a group of people

Example : She sings at the top of her lungs

Metaphor

Comparing two things by using one kind of object or using in place

of another to suggest the likeness between them
Example : Her hair was silk

Onomatopoeia
Naming a thing or an action by imitating the sound associated with

it
Example : buzz, hiss, roar, woof

Personification
Giving something human qualities

Example : The stuffed bear smiled as the little boy hugged him close

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often

introduced by like or as
example : The sun is like a yellow ball of fire in the sky.

Source : https://kidskonnect.com/language/figurative-language/

Figurative language
Figurative language is using figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive
and impactful. Figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, allusions go beyond
the literal meanings of the words to give the readers new insights. On the other
hand, alliterations, imageries, or onomatopoeias are figurative devices that
appeal to the senses of the readers. Figurative language can appear in multiple
forms with the use of different literary and rhetorical devices. According to
Merriam Websters Encyclopedia, figurative language has five different forms:
understatement or emphasis, relationship or resemblance, figures of sound,
errors and verbal games.
Types of Figurative Language
It covers a wide range of literary devices and techniques, a few of them include:
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Hyperbole
Allusion
Idiom
Imagery
Symbolism

Alliteration
Assonance
Consonance
Metonymy
Synecdoch
Irony
Sarcasm
Litotes
Pun
Anaphora
Tautology
Understatement
Example 1
Simile:
Poised between going on and back, pulled
Both ways taut like a tight-rope walker,

Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball,

Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on!

Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird,

Hes only flirting, crowd him, crowd him,

(The Base Stealer by Robert Francis)

The similes and word choice of this poem makes it a masterpiece. The poet use
similes between the lines to depict his scattered thoughts before taking action
and makes comparison as, like a tight-rope, like a dropped ball, and hovers
like an ecstatic bird.
Example 2

Metaphor:
But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.
(I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings by Maya Angelou)
The entire poem is rich with metaphor as a bird in cage represents a group of
those people who are oppressed and cannot get freedom, and cage represents
physical barriers, fear, addiction or society, while the song of the bird represents
true self yearning for something greater in life.
Example 3
Personification:
She sweeps with many-colored Brooms
And leaves the Shreds behind
Oh Housewife in the Evening West
Come back, and dust the Pond!
(She sweeps with many-colored Brooms by Emily Dickinson)
Dickinson uses personification of housewife to describe sunset in the very first
line of this poem. She is using a sweeping housewife who does her daily works,
likewise the rays of setting sun sweeps away beneath the horizon.
Example 4
Alliteration:
Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered weak and weary ;
rare and radiant maiden;
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.
(The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe)

Poe uses alliteration by repeating w sounds to emphasize the weariness of

narrator, and then r and s sounds in the second and third lines respectively.
In the last two lines, d sound highlights the narrators hopelessness.
Example 5
Symbolism:
Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
(The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
In the following lines, albatross symbolizes a big mistake of the mariner or a
burden of the sin just like the cross on which Christ was crucified. Therefore, all
people on the ship agreed to slay that bird.
Function of Figurative Language
Its primary function is to force the readers to imagine what a writer wants to
express. Though, figurative language is not meant to convey literal meanings,
and often it compares one concept with another in order to make the first
concept easier to understand, it, however, links the two ideas or concepts with
the aim of influencing audience to understand the link even if it does not exist.
Poets and prose writers use this technique to bring out emotions and help their
readers form images in minds. Thus, figurative language is a useful way of
conveying an idea that readers cannot understand otherwise, due to its complex
and abstract nature. In addition, it helps in analyzing a literary text.
Source: http://literarydevices.net/figurative-language/

Poetry
Poetry is the first major literary genre. All types of poetry share specific
characteristics. In fact, poetry is a form of text that follows a meter and rhythm
with each lines and syllables. It is further subdivided into different genres such
an epic poem, narrative, romantic, dramatic, and lyric. Dramatic poetry includes
melodrama, tragedy and comedy, while other poems includes ode, sonnet,
elegy, ballad, song and epics. Popular examples of epic poems are Paradise Lost
by John Milton, The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer and romantic poem
includes, Red Red Rose by Robert Burns etc. All these poetic forms share specific
features such as they do not follow paragraphs or sentences; they use stanzas
and lines instead. Some forms follow very strict rules of length and number of
stanzas and lines such as villanelle, sonnet and haiku etc. while some may be
free like a free verse poem Feelings, Now by Katherine Foreman that is devoid
of any regular meter and rhyme scheme. Besides that, often poetry uses
figurative language like metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and
alliteration, etc. to create heightened effects.
Drama
Drama is a form of text that is performed in front of an audience. It is also called
a play. Its written text contains dialogues, and stage directions. This genre has
further categories such as comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy etc. William
Shakespeare is known as the father of English drama. His well-known plays
include Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet, while Greek playwrights
were the pioneers in this field such as Sophocles masterpiece is Oedipus Rex
and Antigone, while modern dramas include Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
etc.
Prose

It is a kind of written text different from poetry in that it has complete sentences
organized into paragraphs. Unlike poetry, prose focuses on characters and plot
than focusing on sounds. It includes short stories and novels, while fiction and
non-fiction are its sub genres. Prose is further categorized into essays, speeches,
sermons and interpretations.
Source : http://literarydevices.net/genre/

Drama
Definition of Drama
Drama is a mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. It
is one of the literary genres, which is an imitation of some action. Drama is also a
type of a play written for theaters, televisions, radios and films.
In simple words, a drama is a composition in verse or prose presenting a story in
pantomime or dialogue, containing conflict of characters, particularly the ones
who perform in front of audience on the stage. The person who writes drama for
stage directions is known as a dramatist or playwright.
Types of Drama
Let us consider a few popular types of drama:
Comedy 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.
Tragedy Tragic dramas use darker themes such as disaster, pain and death.
Protagonists often have a tragic flawa characteristic that leads them to their
downfall.

Farce Generally, a farce is a nonsensical genre of drama, which often

overacts or engages slapstick humor.
Melodrama 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.
Musical Drama In musical drama, the dramatists not only tell their story
through acting and dialogue, nevertheless through dance as well as music. Often
the story may be comedic, though it may also involve serious subjects.
Examples of Drama from Literature
Example 1
Comedy:
Much Ado About Nothing is the most frequently performed Shakespearian
comedy. The play is romantically funny in that love between Hero and Claudio is
laughable, as they never even get a single chance to communicate on-stage until
they get married. Their relationship lacks development and depth. They end up
merely as caricatures, exemplifying what people face in life when their
relationships are internally weak. Love ove between Benedick and Beatrice is
amusing, as initially their communications are very sparky, and they hate each
other. However, they all of sudden make up, and start loving each other.
Example 2
Tragedy:
Sophocles mythical and immortal drama, Oedipus Rex, is thought to be his best
classical tragedy. Aristotle has adjudged this play as one of the greatest
examples of tragic drama in his book, Poetics by giving following reasons:
The play arouses emotions of pity and fear, and achieves the tragic katharsis.
It shows the downfall of an extraordinary man of high rank, Oedipus.
The central character suffers due to his tragic error called hamartia; as he
murders his real father, Laius, and then marries his real mother, Jocasta.
Hubris is the cause of Oedipus downfall.
Example 3
Farce:
Oscar Wildes play, The Importance of Being Earnest ,is a very popular example
of Victorian farce. In this play, a man uses two identities; one as a serious person
Jack (his actual name) that he uses for Cesily, his ward, and as a rogue named
Ernest for his beloved woman, Gwendolyn. Unluckily, Gwendolyn loves him
partially because she loves the name Ernest. It is when Jack and Earnest must

come on-stage together for Cesily, then Algernon comes in to play Earnest role,
and ward immediately falls in love with another Ernest. Thus, two young women
think that they love the same man an occurrence that amuses the audience.
Example 4
Melodrama:
The Heiress is based on Henry James novel the Washington Square. Directed for
stage performance by William Wyler, this play shows an ungraceful and homely
daughter of a domineering and rich doctor falling in love with a young man,
Morris Townsend wishes to elope with him, but he leaves her in lurch. Author
creates melodrama towards the end, when Catherine teaches a lesson to Morris
and leaves him instead.
Function of Drama
Drama is one of the best literary forms through which dramatists can directly
speak to their readers or audience as well as they can receive instant feedback
of audience. A few dramatists use their characters as a vehicle to convey their
thoughts, values such as poets do with personas, and novelists do with narrators.
Since drama uses spoken words and dialogues, thus language of characters
plays a vital role, as it may give clues to their feelings, personalities,
backgrounds, and change in feelings, etc. In drama the characters live out a
story without any comments of the author, providing the audience a direct
presentation of characters life experiences.
Source : http://literarydevices.net/drama/

Prose
Prose is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. It applies a
natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure rather than rhythmic
structure, such as in the case of traditional poetry.
Normal every day speech is spoken in prose and most people think and write in
prose form. Prose comprises of full grammatical sentences which consist of
paragraphs and forgoes aesthetic appeal in favor of clear, straightforward
language. It can be said to be the most reflective of conversational speech. Some
works of prose do have versification and a blend of the two formats that is called
prose poetry.
Example of a Poetry Verse
Read this from Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening written by Robert Frost.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.
Prose Form
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.
The above paragraph is conveying a similar message but it is conveyed in
ordinary language, without a formal metrical structure to bind it.
Some Common Types of Prose
1. Nonfictional Prose: A literary work that is mainly based on fact although it may
contain fictional elements in certain cases. Examples are biographies and essays.
2. Fictional Prose: A literary work that is wholly or partly imagined or theoretical.
Examples are novels.
3. Heroic Prose: A literary work that may be written down or recited and employs
many of the formulaic expressions found in oral tradition. Examples are legends
and tales.
4. Prose Poetry: A literary work which exhibits poetic quality using emotional
effects and heightened imagery but are written in prose instead of verse.
Prose Examples in Popular Literature

Prose in Novels
This is usually written in the form of a narrative and may be entirely a figment of
the authors imagination.
Example #1
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. 1984
George Orwell
Example #2
Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station
will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. David Copperfield
Charles Dickens
Example #3

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
These examples of prose have been taken from novels where writers have
employed their imaginations. They are examples of fictional prose.
Prose in Speeches
Prose used in speeches often expresses thoughts and ideas of the speaker.
Example #1
You can see that there is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us
will have to pass through the valley of the shadow (of death) again and again
before we reach the mountain tops of our desires. Nelson Mandela
Example #2
The poor are very great people. They can teach us so many beautiful things.
Mother Teresa
Example #3
As for the marriage laws, they are due for a sweeping reform, and an
excellent beginning would be to wipe the existing ones off the books. Shirley
Chisholm
These prose examples have been taken from speeches where prose is often
crispy and persuasive and suits the occasion to convey a specific message.
Prose in Plays
Prose written in plays aims to be dramatic and eventful.
Example #1
You can be young without money, but you cant be old without it. Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof Tennessee Williams
Example #2
All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players. As
You Like It Shakespeare
It is often in conversational mode and is delivered by a character. However, its
style stays the same throughout the play according to the personality of the
character.
Functions of Prose
While there have been many critical debates over the correct and valid
construction of prose, the reason for its adoption can be attributed to its loosely
defined structure which most writers feel comfortable using when expressing, or

conveying their ideas and thoughts. It is the standard style of writing used for
most spoken dialogues, fictional as well as topical and factual writing and
discoursed. It is also the common language used in newspapers, magazines,
literature, encyclopedias, broadcasting, philosophy, law, history, the sciences
and many other forms of communication
Source : http://literarydevices.net/prose/