BA/BS

English Literature

1426 Units 1 – 9

Prepared by:
The Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics
Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
 (All rights reserved with the publishers)

Edition ....................................................1st
First Printing ..........................................2010
Quantity..................................................
Price .........................................................
Printing Supervisor ...............................Muhammad Riaz Khan
Printer .....................................................
Publisher .................................................Allama Iqbal Open University,
Islamabad, Pakistan.

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 COURSE TEAM

Chairman Dr Abdul Hafeez

Course Development Coordinator Farzana Ursani

Writers Farzana Ursani

Attiya Ijaz

Reviewer Farzana Ursani

Editor Farzana Ursani

Contributing Writer Naveed Anwar

Composing & Layout Asrar ul Haque Malik

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 INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

Dear Student:

Welcome to the English Literature course prepared by the Department of

English Language & Applied Linguistics, Allama Iqbal Open University,
Islamabad.

In this course, you will be exposed to an interesting and diverse collection

of literary classics and contemporary literature. Selections from poetry,
short stories, novels, and drama will give you a chance to read and
understand works of authors from all around the world, especially British,
American and South Asian writers and we hope while going through the
nine units, you will acquire a great personal involvement and response.

Literature involves emotion; it is a perfect medium for involving students

personally. Literary texts are not trivial; rather they require your
imaginative interpretations and interaction. With this objective before us,
we have designed this course somewhat differently from the literature
courses that different educational institutions offer as we have primarily
used literary texts as a language learning resource. We have devised
exercises that are motivating, enjoyable, and creative and we hope that
these will not only delight, engage and inform you but will also provide
you with opportunities for multiple interpretations.

We hope that the explanations given in the nine units and the various
exercises that we have designed will engage you in the careful reading

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and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through this careful reading
of selected texts, you will deepen your understanding of the ways writers
use language to provide both meaning and pleasure to their readers.

As you explore the units of this book, you will learn to use the language to
communicate and at the same time appreciate different ways of seeing the
world through literature. The main task of this course is therefore,
twofold: deriving pleasure while reading selected literary samples and the
development of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening and
speaking). Besides you are also encouraged to apply critical skills and
sensitive response to literature and acquire vocabulary specific to
literature. As you will go through the course, you will realise that we have
focused on a work’s structure, setting, style and themes as well as such
small scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery,
symbolism, and tone etc.

We wish you best of luck in your study of this course.

Farzana Ursani

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The writers would like to acknowledge various sources: books and web
resources they have consulted to write this book. It would be hard to
acknowledge and mention each and every source; however the following
websites/web pages and books have been frequently utilised:

www.Google.com
www.teacherlink.edu.edu
www.languagearts.com
www.tlsbooks.com
www.litplans.com
www.cummingsstudyguides.net
www.enotes.com
www.scribd.com
www.englishexercises.itgo.com
www.literature-study-online.com
“Language Arts” series of books published by Macmillian / Mcgraw-Hill
“An Introduction to the Study of English Literature” (2nd edition) by W.H
Hudson, 2009.
“Pakistani Literature” (spring 1994 edition) published by The Pakistan
Academy of Letters.
“Literature” (2nd edition) by Alan Duff & Alan Maley, OUP, 2007-2008
“Routledge A -Level English Guides- The Language of Literature” by
Adrian Bread, 2003

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 CONTENTS
Page
Unit 1 Introduction to Literature................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................3
What is literature? ..................................................................................4
Why study literature? ............................................................................6
What are the different types or genres of literature? ........................8
Poetry .......................................................................................................8
Drama ....................................................................................................10
Novel......................................................................................................12
Prose .......................................................................................................13
What are the most common elements found in literature?............15
What are literary devices or figures of speech? ...............................22
Setting ....................................................................................................36
Characters..............................................................................................39
Climax ....................................................................................................41
Plot ........................................................................................................41
Sequence ................................................................................................41
Point of View ........................................................................................42
Symbolism .............................................................................................42
Style ........................................................................................................43
Theme, Mood and Moral ....................................................................44
Unit 2 Introduction to Poetry ....................................................... 45
Introduction ..........................................................................................47
Poetic Devices .......................................................................................52
Rhyme ....................................................................................................55

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 Imagery ..................................................................................................58
Irony .......................................................................................................61
Smilie .....................................................................................................63
Personification ......................................................................................65
Onomatopoeia ......................................................................................69
Speaker ..................................................................................................71
Symbols .................................................................................................71
Unit 3 Learning and Enjoying Poetry ........................................ 73
Introduction ..........................................................................................75
“Daffodils” by William Wordsworth ................................................76
Alliteration ............................................................................................80
Simile .....................................................................................................80
Hyperbole..............................................................................................81
Symbols .................................................................................................82
Themes ...................................................................................................82
“Beauty” by John Masefield ...............................................................84
“Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost ...................................................90
Literary or Poetic Devices ...................................................................94
“Life” by Dr Abdul Hafeez .................................................................97
Unit 4 Introduction to Novel...................................................... 101
Introduction ........................................................................................103
The Beginning .....................................................................................112
The Middle ..........................................................................................112
The End................................................................................................113
Elements of Novel ..............................................................................113
Plot ......................................................................................................114

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 Setting ..................................................................................................119
Character .............................................................................................126
Characterisation .................................................................................129
Theme ..................................................................................................136
Point of view .......................................................................................140
Style ......................................................................................................144
Unit 5 Understanding and Enjoying Novel ............................ 147
Introduction ........................................................................................149
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini..........................................159
Setting of the novel ............................................................................159
Characters of the novel......................................................................162
Themes of the novel ...........................................................................166
Biography of the author ....................................................................166
Unit 6 Introduction to Drama .................................................... 183
Introduction ........................................................................................185
What is Drama? ..................................................................................190
Kinds of Drama ..................................................................................190
Elements of Drama ............................................................................197
Theme ..................................................................................................198
Plot ......................................................................................................198
Character .............................................................................................200
Characterisation .................................................................................200
Types of characters ............................................................................200
Dialogue ..............................................................................................203
Music ....................................................................................................204
Stagecraft .............................................................................................204

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 Audience .............................................................................................204
Unit 7 Understanding Drama .................................................... 205
Introduction ........................................................................................207
“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare..................................................209
Plot Summary .....................................................................................210
Characters in Hamlet .........................................................................217
Themes in Hamlet ..............................................................................226
Famous Quotes from Hamlet ...........................................................228
Unit 8 Prose ................................................................................... 231
Introduction ........................................................................................233
What is Prose? ....................................................................................233
Prose vs Poetry ...................................................................................234
“The Diary of a Social Butterfly” by Moni Mohsin .......................242
“Moth Smoke” by Mohsin Hamid...................................................247
Short Stories ........................................................................................249
“Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe .............................................252
Unit 9 Literature Revisited ......................................................... 265
Introduction ........................................................................................267
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte...........................................268
“Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare ........................................270
“If” by Rudyard Kipling ..................................................................280
“The Perfect Murder” by Renate Yates ...........................................283
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee .........................................289
Mini Literature Project ......................................................................294

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