GLOBAL SITE FOR IT STUDIES, INC.

3rd Floor Rosario Uy Bldg., San Jose Street, Goa, Camarines Sur
S/Y 2020 - 2021

Self – Learning Module - 1

Name:____________________________________________ Rating: _______________

Course & Year level: ________________________________ Date: ________________

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Self – Learning Module, Second Semester
 CURRICULUM
CONNECTION

LIFE PERFORMANCE OUTCOME:

I am a Globalista – a student of Global Site for I.T. Studies, Inc., a conscientious, adept
performer, achievers, competently pursuing my mission in life.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES:

Explain and apply the fundamental elements of effective conflict resolution processes
and use to reduce group conflicts and divisions, foster agreement, and promote future
collaboration.

ESSENTIAL PERFORMANCE & INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Describe and explain the new abilities they have developed as the result of self-initiated
learning experience and projects through analyzation and understanding every topic in the
chapter.

INSTRUCTION:

How to learn from this module:

1. Before working on this self-learning module, make sure you have a notebook, pen or
pencil and learning materials with you.

2. Read carefully the instructions given. Don‟t hurry. Always review your answers.

3. If you are told to go and do something, do not hesitate to do so.

4. Accomplish tasks and complete worksheet seriously and correctly.

5. Submit outputs on or before the deadline at the agreed drop area like Barangay Hall or to
the assigned Barangay Official in your Barangay.

6. Guidance, support & encouragement of the parent/guardian are highly encouraged.

7. Enjoy learning.

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 CHAPTER 1:
A Close Look at the Literary Genres

Introduction to Literary Genres Defined simply as the “art of words,” literature

comes in various meanings. Rexroth (2020) defines literature as “those imaginative works
of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived
aesthetic excellence of their execution.” Citing the 11th edition of Merriam-Webster‟s
Collegiate Dictionary, Rexroth adds that literature are “writings having excellence of form or
expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.” These definitions point
out two important aspects of literature: excellence and expression. For a work to be
considered literature, it should not simply express humankind‟s thoughts, feelings,
experiences and aspirations, but should also reflect merit and brilliance of expression. Due
to the depth and breadth of literature, various academics have classified it based on its
different aspects such as content, technique, tone, or simply definition. On the basis of
content, literature is divided into two major forms – fiction and nonfiction. As to techniques
used, literature is also classified into prose and poetry.

Genre refers to a type of art, literature, or music characterized by a distinct form,

content, and style. In literature, there are four literary genres: poetry, drama, fiction, and
nonfiction. All these literary genres have specific functions and features which distinguish
one from the others. As readers of literature, part of understanding a text is knowing to
which genre a material belongs since the message it conveys may be affected by certain
conventions. When you have mastered what distinguishes one from the other, it is easier to
grasp what the writer is trying to tell you hence putting you in a better position to think
critically about the material you have read. Different genres also have different roles.
Fiction, for instance, may let you into a world which is totally different from ours. Poetry
may enrich your emotional and imaginative powers while drama can help improve your
communicative competencies. Nonfiction essays can give you insights about life or it may
lead you to think critically or persuasively about things and ideas around you. Whatever
genre you read, it is imperative that you have an understanding of what delineates one from
the other for you to balance your expectations of a particular literary work‟s distinct
conventions and style.

Fiction Defined

Fiction refers to a literary work which comes from the author‟s imagination. Through
the fictional narrative, a writer may inform, entertain, inspire, or even persuade (Littlehale,
2020). Fiction has three categories: realistic, non-realistic, and semi-fiction. MasterClass
(2019) classifies fiction into 14 different forms including the following:

1. Literary Fiction. It refers to literary works with artistic value and literary
merit. Political criticism, social commentary, and reflections on humanity are
most often the content of literary fiction. Contrary to plot-driven works, they are

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 typically character-driven, and places emphasis and focus on the inner story of
the character.

2. Mystery. Also known as detective fiction, mystery often follows a plot with a
detective as character or someone playing detective and tries to solve a case with
a sprinkling of clues here and there, giving the readers a feel for suspense, creates
anticipation, and ultimately bares the truth with some unexpected turns with
nonetheless satisfying conclusions.

3. Thriller. This fiction type is characterized by dark, mysterious and suspenseful

plots. It rarely utilizes humor but highlights techniques like plot twists, red
herrings, and cliffhangers which can keep readers guessing until the very end.

4. Horror. Written to shock, startle, scare, and even repulse the readers, horror
fiction creates a horrifying sense of dread and may include characters like ghosts,
vampires, werewolves, witches, and monsters. Horror themes may be of death,
demons, evil spirits, the afterlife, and even fear itself.

5. Historical. This type of fiction involves the creative use of research to be able to
transport readers to another time and place. This time and place may be real,
imagined, or a combination of both. Some historical fiction may utilize characters
who were historical figures and use real events in history.

6. Romance. Created with a light-hearted, oftentimes optimistic tone, and most

often a satisfying conclusion, romantic fiction highlights love stories between
people.

7. Western. Stories of this type often portray characters and setting of the western
frontier like cowboys, outlaws, and settlers of the American Old West. One
distinct feature of this form is that it relies mostly on the specific locale, culture,
and language of that era in history.

8. Bildungsroman. Literally translated as “a novel of education” or “a novel of

formation,” this form highlights the transition or metamorphosis of a character
from youth into adulthood. The transition from immaturity to maturity
experienced by the character may involve a profound loss, an insightful journey,
or an intense conflict.

9. Speculative fiction. This type may be a combination of different fiction forms

like dystopian, science fiction, and fantasy, or any other combination. The setting
may be in a world so unlike the world we live in. Considered as a supergenre,

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 writers of speculative fiction have limitless use of the possibilities beyond the
human imagination.

10. Science Fiction. Classified under speculative fiction, sci-fi uses elements that
do not exist in the real world. Inspired by both natural science (physics,
chemistry, and astronomy) and social sciences (psychology, anthropology, and
sociology), sci-fi stories may focus on time travel, space exploration, and societies
of the future.

11. Fantasy. Another type of speculative fiction, fantasy has imaginary characters
and worlds and may have influences of mythology and folklore which can be
appealing to both children and adults alike.

12. Dystopian. In contrast to utopian fiction which portrays a world better than the
one we have, dystopian fiction depicts a society that is worse than ours.
Dystopian fiction is also another type of science fiction.

13. Magical realism. The world portrayed in magical realism is similar to our real
world but with added magical elements which are considered “natural” in which
the story takes place.

14. Realist literature. This type of fiction portrays a world very much like ours,
with all the elements created as truthful as it can be as it happens in our world.

On the other hand, some academics also classify fiction into sub-genres which
include the following:

1. Short Story. Shorter in length than a novel, a short story is a fictional

prose work which usually focuses on one plot, one main character
(with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme. It
aims at unity of effect and creation of mood rather than on plot. Edgar
Allan Poe‟s “The Philosophy of Composition” describes a short story as
one that “should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to
two hours. In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000
to 20,000 words.”

2. Novel. A novel is a narrative prose work of considerable length that

talks about significant human experience. The novel‟s beginnings date
back to as early as the writing of “Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu;
later, in the early seventeenth century, European novels came to be
written (Prahl, 2019).

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 A novel is also characterized by the following: (1) written in prose
form, (2) considerable length or word count, (3) fictional content, and
(4) individualism; that is, it appeals to an individual audience as a
reader rather than to a group.

3. Myth. Derived from the Greek mythos, which has a range of meanings
from “word,” through “saying” and “story,” to “fiction,” a myth is a
symbolic narrative of unknown origin and tells events which are partly
traditional and associated 7 with religious beliefs. Myths are specific
accounts with gods or superhuman beings as characters involved in
extraordinary events or circumstances in a time that is unspecified but
which is understood as existing apart from ordinary human
experience. Mythology, on the other hand, refers to both the study of
myth and the body of myths belonging to a particular religious
tradition.

4. Legend. A legend is traditional tale which is thought to have historical

bases.

5. Fable. A fable is an instructive story about human social behaviour

with personified animals or natural objects as characters and always
ends with an explicit moral message. The concept of time and space is
also not specific in a fable.

Poetry Defined

Poetry is a means of sharing experiences, telling a story, or expressing feelings or

ideas through the use of language in a particular way. As opposed to prose writing, poetry in
written form has a distinct structure and words may form patterns of sound, verse or
thought. The creation of pictures with words is very important in poetry, hence poets
carefully choose words which will appeal to the imagination of the readers and create vivid
visual images.

There are some distinctive characteristics of poetry which sets it apart from prose:

A. the visual patterning of lines of unequal and shorter length,

B. the frequent division into stanzas (verses),
C. the possibility of unusual shapes, and
D. the distinctive use of white space which draws our eye into the compressed
essence of feelings and ideas.

Poems are usually shorter than novels, may come in many shapes and forms, and are
often (but not always) divided into stanzas (or verses). But just like prose, poems also share
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similar features like subject (what it is about), theme (what it says about the subject), and a
mood/feeling/tone (how the author feels about this or how the author wants the readers to
feel).

To make meaning out of poems, two broad approaches can be used:

A) Narrative poem – It tells a story with an orientation, complication, crisis, and

resolution, or

B) Lyrical poem – It conveys an experience, or ideas, thoughts or feelings about a subject

without necessarily having „something happen.‟

Poems also come in many forms. These forms are distinguished from the other by
the choice of structural units (couplets, quatrains, and their arrangement with the overall
poem), the layout of a poem on the page, and the organization of the lines of the poem. Here
are some of them:

1) Acrostic. It is a poem which consists of vertical first letters name of the topic while
the horizontal words describe the topic.

2) Ballad. It is a narrative poem which tells a dramatic story in four-line stanza with a
regular beat. A ballad was originally set to music and sung. Characterized by
simplicity of language, repetition of epithets and phrases, simple rhyming schemes
(usually abcd, sometimes abab) and refrains, topics are often drawn from community
life, local and national history, legend and folklore; while the verse tales are usually
of adventure, war, love, death and the supernatural

3) Chant. Dating to prehistoric time, hence one of the earliest forms of poetry, chant is
a poem of no fixed form, but in which one or more lines are repeated over and over.
It is usually meant to be spoken aloud.

4) Cinquain. It is a five line poem that follows a pattern and does not rhyme. The
cinquain consists of five lines of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 2 syllables respectively.

5) Comic Verse. It is a poem that involves humor and makes sense.

6) Diamante. It is a seven line poem in which the first and last lines are opposites or
contrasts. It is written in the shape of a diamond.

7) Elegy. It is a poem of mourning to someone‟s death.

8) Epic. It is a long narrative poem on a subject which is thought to be great and

serious.
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 9) Epigram. It is a short and pointed poem, often a witty statement in verse or prose
which may be complimentary, satiric or aphoristic.

10) Epitaph. It is a poem with a short inscription carved on a tombstone (or written
with that context in mind). It usually rhymes and lends itself to imitation and
distortion. While the epitaph in a cemetery is often serious, the form can be made
humorous.

11) Free verse. It is a poetry that does not conform to particular schemes or patterns of
rhyme, meter or form because it doesn‟t follow strict rules it has flexibility. Its
rhythm is created by the natural flow of the poet‟s thoughts and emotions. Each line
is based on speech rhythm which is often a mixture of iambic and anapestic feet -
sometimes with a regular number of stressed syllables in each line. Each line is a
meaningful unit in its own right, and in relation to other lines. There is pattern and
rhythm, though not in the traditional, regular form. Form is even more important to
free verse than to traditional verse, and it is usually quite subtle.

12) Haiku. Originated in Japan and often tells about nature, it consists of three
unrhymed lines containing 17 syllables (5, 7, 5) and portrays a single idea or feeling
while having a strong visual imagery.

13) Light verse. It is a poem that is cheerful, airy and light-hearted, it often describes
everyday events and uses language of the speaking voice.

14) Limerick. This is usually brief and lends itself to comic effects. The limerick
consists of three long and two short lines rhyming aabba. Rhyme and rhythm are
used to enhance the content.

15) Lyric. Concerned with feelings and thoughts rather than action or narrative, it
usually represents and reflects on a single experience, is intensely personal, and its
rhythms often have a musical flexibility. It does not have to tell a story, and is often
short (eg haiku, cinquain, shape, tongue twisters, rhyming couplets, acrostic poems).

16) Narrative. It tells a story with an orientation, complication and resolution eg

nursery rhymes. It can be short or long, serious, humorous, personal or impersonal.
It may come in the form of allegories, fables or accounts of everyday events.

17) Nonsense verse. Categorized as light verse that has structure and rhyme and
invented words, it is characterized by fantastic themes, absurd images, artificial
language and humor.

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 18) Nursery rhyme. Usually having regular rhymes, strong rhythms and repetition, it
could be described as jingles for children, forming part of the oral tradition of many
countries.

19) Ode. Usually celebrating a person, animal or object, an ode is often written without
the constraints of formal structure or rhyme.

20)Riddle. It indirectly describes a person, place, thing or idea and can be any length
and usually has a rhyming scheme.

21) Song lyric. It is a poem that has been set to music. The word „lyric‟ comes from the
Greek word lyre, a kind of harp that was often used to accompany songs.

22) Sonnet. It is a lyric poem that has fourteen lines of five beats each. Rather than tell a
story. It usually explores a feeling or state of mind or expresses a fixed idea. It first
appeared in Italy in the 13th century. Many sonnets have an alternating rhyme
scheme and usually have a „turning point‟ at the eighth line.

23) Tanka. A type of Japanese poem similar to haiku, it consists of five lines with the
first and third lines usually having five syllables and the others seven, making it a
total of 31.

24) Villanelle. It is a fixed form, usually containing five three-line stanzas and a four-
line stanza, with only two rhymes throughout.

Drama Defined

A drama is a composition in either verse or prose presenting a story through

pantomime or dialogue. It contains conflict of characters, particularly the ones who perform
in front of the audience on the stage. The person who writes drama for stage directions is
known as a “dramatist” or “playwright.” The term “drama” is also used for the type of play
written for theater, television, radio, and film. Because of the combination of performance,
music, dance, props, and others which enable the audience to feel like a part of the action,
drama is considered a unique and distinctive genre of literature.

There are four distinct types of drama:

A. Comedy. A comedy is a type of dramatic presentation which intends to make the

audience laugh through well-composed humorous elements. The story may be about
real-life characters, funny experiences in life, or any type of fun-provoking situation.
It may be sarcastic and raunchy, light in tone and has happy endings. Since

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 provoking laughter is not an easy task, comedy writers require high level of intellect
and perceptive faculties to attain the desired end for a comedic presentation.

B. Tragedy. One of the oldest forms of drama, tragedy exposes the plight and suffering
of humans to the audience. Common tragic themes include ruins of a dynasty,
downfall of man, emotional betrayals, moral setback, personal loss, death, and
denials. A tragedy when composed and enacted well can touch the audience deeply.
These rarely have happy endings.

C. Melodrama. This type of drama uses a technique marked by surge of feelings since
melodrama highlights exaggeration of emotions. The technique intends to make the
character and the plot more appealing to the audience although it can sometimes fail
to derive applause, because excessive display of emotions can 10 become
monotonous. On the other hand, a superbly-executed melodramatic plot can absorb
the audience‟s attention completely. This happens when it effectively depicts the
good and evil aspects of the characters involved.

D. Musical drama. In a musical drama, the story is told through acting and dialogue,
as well as through dance and music, as well. The story may be comedic, though it
may also involve serious subjects.

Other Forms of Literary Genres

Diaries/Journals

Diaries and journals both contain records of experiences by its writer. A diary records
events, transactions, or observations daily or at frequent intervals. A journal, on the other
hand, contains one‟s experiences, ideas and reflections but not necessarily on a daily basis.

Memoirs

A memoir is an author‟s narrative of his or her experiences, which makes it similar to an

autobiography, but with certain distinguishable characteristics. In terms of focus, memoirs
highlight what the writer has witnessed, more than the telling of his or her own life,
character, and developing self. Secondly, while a memoir talks about how one remembers
one's own life, an autobiography is history, requiring research, dates, and facts double-
checked.

Speeches

Merriam-Webster defines speech as “the communication or expression of thoughts in

spoken words.” Although speeches are not primary genres of literature, its significance lies
in the fact that these are important historical documents or moments and literature. A
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formal address meant to be given to an audience, speeches can be found in prose, drama,
and poetry, and their primary goals are to persuade, inform, demonstrate, or entertain a
reader, an audience, or other characters. They can also be used in nonfiction or fiction,
depending on their purpose and use. Some of the primary speech forms include persuasive,
informational, demonstrative, special occasion speech, and debate.

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RULES IN DOING THE ACTIVITY

1. Find a place in your home where you can study well.

2. Have a chair and table. Make sure you have the materials you need like paper, pen,
pencil, etc.
3. Read carefully and understand the lesson. Then, you can start answering the activity.

Activity 1. Analyzing Genre.

Instruction: Read the following excerpts from literary works and try to guess its genre form-
whether it is fiction, poetry, or drama. Then give a reason for your answer. Write your
answer on the space provided.

1. “And it drives me to certain street corners, damp houses,

towards hospitals where skeletons leap from the window,
to cobbler's shops stinking of vinegar,
to alleys awful as abysses.
I pass by calmly, with eyes and shoes, with anger and oblivion,
pass by, cross through offices,
orthopedic stores,
and yards where clothes hang down from wires:
underpants, towels, and shirts, that cry slow guilty tears.'”

-Pablo Neruda
Literary genre:____________________________________________________
Reason(s):_______________________________________________________
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2. SCENE IV.

Another part of the field

Excursions. Enter RICHARD and CLIFFORD

RICHARD. Now, Clifford, I have singled thee alone.

Suppose this arm is for the Duke of York,
And this for Rutland; both bound to revenge,

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 Wert thou environ'd with a brazen wall.

CLIFFORD. Now, Richard, I am with thee here alone.

This is the hand that stabbed thy father York;
And this the hand that slew thy brother Rutland;
And here's the heart that triumphs in their death
And cheers these hands that slew thy sire and brother
To execute the like upon thyself; And so, have at thee! [They fight]

Enter WARWICK; CLIFFORD flies

RICHARD. Nay, Warwick, single out some other chase;

For I myself will hunt this wolf to death. Exeunt

-William Shakespeare, King Henry VI (Third Part), from Shakespeare’s Complete

Works

Literary genre: __________________________________________________

Reason(s):_______________________________________________________
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3. On the morning of August 8, 1965, Robert Kincaid locked the door to his small two-
room apartment on the third door of a rambling house in Bellingham, Washington. He
carried a knapsack full of photography equipment and a suitcase down wooden stairs
and through a hallway to the back, where his old Chevrolet pickup truck was parked in a
space reserved for residents of the building.

Another knapsack, a medium-size ice chest, two tripods, cartons of Camel cigarettes,
a Thermos, and a bag of fruit were already inside. In the truck box was a guitar case.
Kincaid arranged the knapsacks on the seat and put the cooler and tripods on the floor.
He climbed into the truck box and wedged the guitar case and suitcase into a corner of
the box, bracing them with a spare tire lying on its side and 13 securing both cases to the
tire with a length of clothesline rope. Under the worn spare he shoved a black tarpaulin.

-Robert James Waller, excerpt from “The Bridges of Madison County Literary
Literary genre:_________________________________________________

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Reason(s):________________________________________________________
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Activity 2. Compare and Contrast

Instruction: Now let us see how well you can compare and contrast the different genre forms
by filling in the table below with the correct description of each form. On the third column,
enumerate and write a brief description for each element. Write the answers on the space
provided.

Major Genre Forms Definition Elements of Each Genre Form

Fiction

Poetry

Drama

HONESTY PLEDGE:

I hereby pledge that I took this tasks with all honesty and integrity.
______________________________ ____________________________
Student‟s Signature over Printed Name Parent‟s Signature over Printed Name

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 Key to Correction

Activity 1. Analyzing Genre.

1. Literary Genre: Poem

Reasons: Answers vary. The checker will analyze and read each answers of the
student. The rate will be from 1 – 10 , based on how they discuss and justify their
answer.

2. Literary Genre: Play

Reasons: Answers vary. The checker will analyze and read each answers of the
student. The rate will be from 1 – 10, based on how they discuss and justify their
answer.

3. Literary Genre: Fiction

Reasons: Answers vary. The checker will analyze and read each answers of the
student. The rate will be from 1 – 10, based on how they discuss and justify their
answer.

Activity 2. Compare and Contrast

Note: The checker will analyze and read each answers of the student. The rate will
be from 1 – 5 each questions based on how they discuss and justify their answer.

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