The word literature is derived from the Latin term  B. Neutral/ Informal –for a familiar audience.

literatura which means “writing formed with letters”.  Low/Non-standard – for a specific audience.
The term is further derived from litera which means
“letter” in English. HIGH OR FORMAL

The 7 Literary Standards Usually contains language that creates an elevated

tone. It is free of slang, idioms, colloquialisms, and
Universality- Literature appeals to everyone, regardless contractions. It often contains polysyllabic words,
of culture, race, gender, and times which are all sophisticated syntax, and elegant word choice.
considered significant
appropriate for formal occasions used when addressing
Artistry- ◦Literature has an aesthetic appeal and thus a highly educated audience.
possesses a sense of beauty. It must be of high artistic
quality, at least for the time in which it was written. This includes sermons, scholarly journals, etc

Intellectual Value- Literature stimulates critical thinking NEUTRAL/STANDARD

that enriches mental processes of abstract and used when addressing a well-educated audience.
reasoning, making man realize the fundamental truths commonly this is the level used for college papers, mass
of life and its nature. publications, and business communication.
Suggestiveness- Literature unravels and conjures man’s refers to the level of diction employed in most college-
emotional power to define symbolisms, nuances, level writing assignments as well as newspapers and
implied meanings, images and messages, giving and general interest journals.
evoking visions above and beyond the plane of ordinary
life and experience. NEUTRAL/INFORMAL

Spiritual Value- Literature elevates the spirit and the used when addressing a familiar audience.
soul and this has the power to motivate and inspire, grammatically correct but conversational includes
drawn from the suggested morals or lessons of the personal letters, emails, and documents with
different literary genres. conversational or entertaining purposes also include
Permanence- Literature endures across time and draws "slang" language, which may be used to create a
out the time factor: timeliness, occurring at a particular specific "flavor" as in sports casting or novels.
time, and timelessness, remaining invariable LOW/NON-STANDARD
throughout time.
• Language deficient in some form or manner
Style- Literature presents peculiar way/s on how man
sees life as evidenced by the formation of his ideas, diction outside of conventional or standard use
forms, structures, and expressions which are marked by
Includes: vulgarity/pedestrian, slang, colloquial, dialect,
their memorable substances.
cliché, jargon

DICTION- ◦Refers to language and word choice of the

TYPES OF DICTION
writer. It shows the formality of a text which helps in
shaping the perceptions and view of the readers. These Slang- refers to a group of recently coined words often
are those levels of diction. These are formal, informal, used in informal situations; develops from the attempt
and colloquial. to find fresh, colorful, exaggerated, or humorous
expressions.
LEVELS OF DICTION
Vulgarity- is language deficient in taste and refinement;
 High/Formal /elevated – for highly educated coarse, base (any swear word). Ex. pakshet, difotah
audience
 A. Neutral/ Standard – for well-educated
audience.
Colloquial- expressions are nonstandard, often regional suggested that they establish a single point of view. In
ways of using language appropriate to informal or this type, it combines firs and a third person
conversational speech and writing. storytelling.

Jargon- consists of words and expressions characteristic

of a particular profession, or pursuit.
NARRATIVE VOICE
Dialect- is a nonstandard subgroup of a language with
illustrates how the story is told through stream of
its own vocabulary and grammatical features.
conciousness, character voice, unreliable narrator,
Cliché- is figurative language used so often that it has epistolary voice, third-person narratives include: 1.
lost its freshness and originality subjective, 2. objective, 3. omniscient, 4. free indirect,
and 5. alternating.
Concrete diction- consists of specific words that
describe physical qualities Stream-of-Consciousness expressed to the audience
but not necessarily to other characters.
Abstract diction- refers to language that denotes ideas,
emotions, conditions or concepts that are intangible. Character Voice is employed in the first-third-person
viewpoints wherein the storyteller portrays how the
General- refers to groups. Ex. Furniture, people,
character views humanity and the world. in which a
institutions, houses
story's character is presented as the narrator; this
Specific- refers to individuals. Ex. Rocking chair, character is called a "viewpoint character"
Filipinos, hospitals, nipa hut
Unreliable Voice involves the use of an untrustworthy
Denotation- is the exact, literal definition of a word narrator. This mode may be employed to give the
independent of any emotional association or secondary audience a deliberate sense of disbelief in the story or a
meaning level of suspicion or mystery as to what information is
meant to be true and what is meant to be false.
Connotation- is the implicit rather than explicit meaning
of a word and consists of the suggestions, associations, Epistolary Voice uses a series of letters and other
and emotional overtones attached to a word. documents to convey the plot of the story. One
example is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which is a story
written in a sequence of letters
NARRATIVE POINT OF VIEW Third person voices narratives using the third-person
describes the stand of the narrator of the story teller. view.
The narrator is the eye of the story, expressing the story
through first-person, second-person, and alternating-
person. NARRATIVE TIME

First-Person POV can be seen in a narrator who is the determines the timeline of the story whether it may
character in his or her own story. Uses “I” or very have happened before, during, or after the narration.
seldom “we” when referring to a group

Second-Person POV is a narrator that tells the story of

another person or the narrator himself/herself. Uses
the pronoun “you”

Third-Person POV where every character is signified to

by the storyteller as “she”, “he”, “it”. The narrator
never uses “I” “we” “you”.

Alternating Person is used i novels when authors

experiment different points of view even if it is
FIGURE OF SPEECH is agaisnt society's values, ideas, norms,
culture, and values.
An expression extending language beyond its literal
 A Character Agaisnt Nature Conflict
meaning, either pictorially through metaphor, simile,
reflects a character who is wrestling
allusion, personification, and the like, or rhetorically
agaisnt natural disasters or calamities.
through repetition, balance, antithesis, and the like. A
 Character Agaisnt Himself or Herself
figure of speech is also called a trope (Frye et al., 1984).
Conflict illustrates the inner struggles
and emotions of the characters
4. PLOT- a causally related sequence of events;
ELEMENTS OF FICTION what happens as a result of the main conflict is
1. CHARACTER- are the representation of a human presented in a structure format; the sequence
being; persons involved in a conflict of events which involves the character in
TYPES OF CHARACTER conflict (Beginning, Middle, Ending)
 ROUND CHARACTER- Is a dynamic  Narrative Order – the sequence of
character the recognize changes in the events is called the narrative order.
circumstances. Is a fully develop  Chronological – the most common type
character, with many traits had and of narrative order in children books.
good shown in the story  Flashback – occurs when the author
 FLAT CHARACTER- Also known as the narrates an event that took place
stock or the stereotype character that before the current time of the story.
does not grow and develop. A flat  Time lapse – occurs when the story
character is not fully developed skips a period of time that seems
OTHERS unusual compared to the rest of the
 Protagonist – hero/heroine plot.
 Antagonist – a foil to the protagonist
 Deuteroganist – second in importance PLOT
 Fringe – one who is destroyed by his  Exposition is the beginning
inner conflict information given by the writer
 Typical or minor characters in the story. It provides the
2. SETTING- the locale (place) or period (time) in background knowledge so
which the action of a short story, play, novel or readers may understand the
the motion picture takes place (also known as story like the characters and
the background of the story); local color the settings.
described as local scenery, the writer uses  Inciting Moment takes place
words, mentions things in the native language, when the readers comprehend
gives names to character's Iines to create a vivid the problem of the story.
picture of a native place.  Dramatic Question is a
3. CONFLICT- the struggle or complication response from the inciting
involving the characters, the opposition i moment
persons or forces upon which the action  Rising Action mirrors the
depends in drama or fiction [There is conflict if essential inner conflict that will
there is a struggle which grows out of the wrestle to a complication and
interplay of opposing, forces (idea/interest)). then head start to another
TYPES OF CONFLICT conflict. In short, it is the
 One Character Agaisnt Another Conflict complicationof the plot.
shows one character having a grievance  Crisis Situation is the time
agaisnt another character. where the readers understand
 A character or Group Agaisnt Society how the writer's experience will
Conflict demonstrates a character who enable him or her to be
 successful or a failure from such  Surprise Ending – this is an ending that catches
ordeal. the reader off guard with an unexpected turn of
 Climax is the highest level of events.
the storyline since it represents  In Media Res – the technique of beginning a
the turning point that marks a story in the middle of the action, with
change of the main character. background information given later in
This is where the main part of flashbacks.
the story takes place.
'Chekhov's Gun' is a concept that describes how every
 Falling Action is the reversal of
element of a story should contribute to the whole.
the story that depicts the story
of final suspense Red herring is a kind of fallacy that is an irrelevant topic
 Denoument is the time when introduced in an argument to divert the attention of
the falling action and the listeners or readers from the original issue.
concluding scene of the
narrative takes place. Since Deus ex machina refers to the circumstance where an
conflicts are resolved, there is implausible concept or a divine character is introduced
balance among the characters into a storyline, for the purpose of resolving its conflict
as the readers undergo a and procuring an interesting outcome
catahartic effect. catahartic
effect- the release of tension
and anxiety DIALOGUE
 Resolution- (end) contains the a literary style wherein two or more characters are
last statements about the story involved in a conversation for a particular subject and
QUALITY OF PLOT topic.

a. Exciting – It should be more exciting than the 2 TYPES OF DIALOGUE

everyday reality thatsurrounds us. 1. Inner Dialogue takes place when the characters
b. Good Structure – The episodes must be arranged speak to themselves
effectively, but the most important element of plot 2. Outer Dialogue is the conversation between two or
structure is tying all the incidents together, so that one more characters in the story
leads naturally to another

PLOT DEVICES
ANGLE IF THE STORY
Plot Devices are ways of propelling the storyline to
move forward. It serves to motivate the characters, depicts the theme, concept, or point of what the story
creating urgency or resolving complicated situations. will talk about. In short angle is the controlling idea that
provides elements of suprise to the readers.
 Flashback – something out of chronological
order; to reveal information, to understand a MOOD
character's nature
the atmosphere or emotional effect generated by the
 Foreshadowing – a device to give a sign of
words, images, situations in a Literary work (the
something, to come; its purpose is to create
emotional ambience of the work), for example,
suspense, to keep the readers guessing what
melancholy, joyous, tense, oppressive and so on.
will happen when.
 Suspense – this is the feeling of excitement or TONE
tension in the reader's experiences as the
a term used, sometimes broadly, to denote an attitude
action of the plot unfolds.
of feeling of the speaker or author as conveyed by the
language in its artful arrangement
SYMBOLISM together to create a unified, complete
piece.
usually applied in poetry and each symbol signifies
 Autonomy of the Text - A formalist
meaning. The writer uses symbol through hinting it
critic believes that a text should be
rather than saying it literally
analyzed on its own without
IMAGERY considering things like the author’s
intentions, historical background or the
are usually characterized by concrete qualities rather reader’s personal feelings.
than abstract meaning: these appeal to the senses of  Tone and Mood - This refers to the
taste, smell, feel, sound, or sight. emotional impact or atmosphere
Visual imagery describes what we see: comic book created by the language, structure, and
images, paintings, or images directly experienced literary devices used in a text.
through the narrator’s eyes. 2. TRADITIONAL CRITICISM- Academic literary
criticism tended to practice traditional literary
Auditory imagery describes what we hear, from music history: tracking influence, establishing the
to noise to pure silence. canon of major writers in the literary periods,
Olfactory imagery describes what we smell. and clarifying historical context and allusions
within the text.
Gustatory imagery describes what we taste. 3. READER RESPONSE CRITICISM- This approach
views "literature" not as an object, like
tactile imagery describes what we feel or touch.
formalism does, but as a dynamic interaction
between the text and reader.
4. NEW CRITICISM- As a strategy of reading, “New
THEME
Criticism” viewed the work of literature as an
the central or dominating idea in a literary work; it is aesthetic object independent of historical
the topic or subject of the selection, which is sometimes context and as a unified whole that reflected
stated by a character or by the writer himself, but the unified sensibility of the artist.
oftentimes, it is merely implied or suggested. 5. MARXISM AND CRITICAL THEORY- Marxist
literary theories tend to focus on the
representation of class conflict as well as the
FRAMEWORKS OF LITERATURE reinforcement of class distinctions through the
medium of literature.
1. “Formalism” is, as the name implies, an 6. STRUCTURALISM- “Structuralism” sought to
interpretive approach that emphasizes literary bring to literary studies a set of objective
form and the study of literary devices within the criteria for analysis and a new intellectual rigor.
text. 7. PSYCHOANALITICAL CRITICISM- this criticism
ELEMENTS OF FORMALISM centers on the psychology of the characters and
 Language - This focuses on how words analyzes character motivation, behavior and
are used, including the choice of words, actions. If you can figure out the protagonist’s
sentence structure and style. psychology, then you can use that to interpret
 Form and Structure -This refers to how the text.
a text is organized, such as its plot, 8. NEW HISTORICISM CRITICISM- Here, you
storytelling methods and flow. research the historical time period and discuss
 Literary Devices -This focuses on tools the work within its historical context. This
like metaphors, similes, repetition of theory looks at the cultural makeup of a certain
sounds, vivid descriptions, symbols, era and the ideas and values that define that
rhyme and references to other works. era.
 Unity of the Work - Formalism looks at 9. POST-COLONIAL CRTICISM- Using this critical
how all elements of a text, such as the method, you will analyze issues that are caused
plot, characters, and language, come
 by centuries of colonialism. This theory includes
the dynamics of racism and Third World politics
10. GENDER STUDIES AND QUEER THEORY- Gender
theory came to the forefront of the theoretical
scene first as feminist theory but has
subsequently come to include the investigation
of all gender and sexual categories and
identities.