Creative/imaginative writing 

is different to academic/technical
writing. Style is the chief differentiating factor for both writing disciplines.
Creative writing implies that it need not have adhere to any specific style
parameters, unlike Academic/technical writing which needs to be structured and
executed under a series of informed guidelines.
The differences between creative writing and technical writing are
that creative writing is written mainly to entertain with the creativity of the mind
and technical writing is written mainly to inform in a formal manner or to incite
the reader to make an action such as purchase the writer's product.
Types of creative writing include:
 Poetry
 Plays
 Movie and television scripts
 Fiction (novels, novellas, and short stories)
 Songs
 Speeches
 Memoirs
 Personal essays

Elements of creative Writing

Suspense and conflict, figures of speech and points of
view, rhyme and rhythm, setting and scene, form and structure, diction and
dialog, exposition and narration, plot and theme, assonance and consonance,
induction and deduction, line breaks and stanzas: these are just some of the
elements of creative writing.
What is the purpose of technical writing?
The main purpose of technical writing is to provide sometimes complex
information. This is the type of writing that will: Assist a person with
understanding more about a particular item, such as a computer or a new drug
or a new piece of technology. Explain how an object works or how to complete a
project.
What is Informative Writing?
The purpose of an informative essay, sometimes called an expository
essay, is to educate on a certain topic. It is not for giving an opinion or
convincing someone to do something or change his beliefs.
Five Different Types of Writing Styles:

1. Creative
 2. Descriptive
3. Persuasive
4. Narrative
5. Expository

 Expository
Expository writing is writing that has a purpose of explaining, informing, or
describing. In other words, expository writing is about providing information to
the reader about a particular topic or subject. The purpose of expository writing
differs from creative writing or persuasive writing.
(E.g. magazines, newspapers, technical writing and other areas)

 Descriptive
DESCRIPTIVE WRITING is the clear description of people, places, objects, or
events using appropriate details. An effective description will contain sufficient
and varied elaboration of details to communicate a sense of the subject being
described
Elements of Descriptive writing
1. Sensory Details
2. Figurative Language
3. Dominant impression
4. Precise language
5. Careful Organization.

 Persuasive
Persuasive writing, also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and
reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another idea. It attempts
to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular
action.
5 Persuasive techniques
1. Appeal to Authority
2. Appeal to Reason
3. Appeal to Trust
4. Plain folks
5. Bandwagon
6. Rhetorical questions
7. Repetition

 Narrative
When you write a narrative essay, you are telling a story. Narrative
essays are told from a defined point of view, often the author's, so there is
feeling as well as specific and often sensory details provided to get the reader
involved in the elements and sequence of the story. 
Generally, these essays are written in chronological order. The purpose of
the narrative essay is to share a personal experience that a reader can
identify with or learn from. The characteristics of a narrative essay include use
of characters and setting, literary techniques, chronology and a moral to the
story.
Elements of creative writing
Techniques used in creative writing include:
 Character development.
 Plot development.
 Vivid setting.
 Underlying theme.
 Point of view.
 Dialogue.
 Anecdotes.
 Figurative Language

Creative writing includes

Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal
professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically
identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the
use of literary tropes or with various traditions of poetry and poetics.

LESSON 2: Imaging and the use of Imagery

Imagery
In creative writing, you will be making a lot of descriptions. These
descriptive details are necessary to make your writing clear because they help
generate a specific mood or emotion about people, places, and circumstances.
They are called images and sensory impressions or symbols. The use of imagery
appeals to how you see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and feel the things that you
are writing about. If you are writing from a memory, these images can also help
readers imagine or relate to some of your specific experience.
 VISUAL
Is a picture in words; something that is concrete and can be seen.
Broken hulahoops, hollow blocks, and tires are crowded atop a thatched
roof.
 AUDITORY
Is something that you can hear through your mind’s ear.
The pattering of the rain is heard against the window pane.
The screeching wheels of reckless taxi cabs and vehicles plagued my ears.
 Olfactory
Is something that you can smell through your mind’s nose.
The aroma of freshly-brewed Colombian coffee waffed into the entire
room.
The stench of body odor in a crowded LRT train seeped through the fabric
of my shirt.
 GUSTATORY
Is something that you can taste through your mind’s tongue.
Mouth-watering ripe mangoes, tender melons, and luscious cherries are
served on a tray.
I endured the pungent taste of unripe bananas.
 TACTILE
Is something that you can touch through your mind’s skin.
The soft velvety feel of silk and satin caressed my skin.
His corned working hands were brought out by years of hard work and
toil.
 THERMAL
Is something that depicts temperature.
The scorching heat of midday tropical sun made my eyes squint.
A sullen gush of December wind breezed against my face, reminding me
of Christmas.
 EROTIC
Is something that suggests sensation and feeling.
His eyes follow her wherever she goes, like a blind servant following his
omnipresent master.
I shuddered and felt a tingling sensation as his warm breath heaved
through my nape.

Figures of Speech

A figure of speech is a phrase or word which means more than its literal
meaning. It conveys meaning by identifying or comparing one thing to
another. It also has connotation or meaning familiar to the audience. That is
why it is helpful in creating vivid rhetorical effect.

Alliteration
It involves using words that begin with the same sound.
“Sally sells sea shells by the seashore.”
“Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled pepper.”
“A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook
cookies.”
“Black bug bit a big black bear. “
“Sheep should sleep in a shed.”

Anaphora
It uses a specific “clause” at the beginning of each sentence or point to make
a statement.
It is the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to
achieve an artistic effect.
Is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive
clauses, phrases, or sentences.
- A clause creates a complete thought (an idea or a statement that can
stand alone). A complete thought is also called a main clause or
independent clause(IC). Examples of clauses: Subject + verb. =
complete thought (IC)

NOTE: Anaphora is related to Epistrophe, also known as Epiphora,

the repetition of a word or words at the end of two or more successive
verses, clauses, or sentences, as in
“I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong.
NOTE:  Possibly the oldest literary device, has its roots in Biblical Psalms
used to emphasize certain words or phrases.

“Good night and good luck”

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.”

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of
Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." Charles
Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never fails." Bible, 1 Corinthians 13

Assonance
It focuses on the vowel sounds in a phrase, a line of text or poetry repeating
them over and over to a great effect.

- It is the repetition of vowel sounds in words grouped close together in

a sentence.

“Hera the mellow wedding bells” (Edgar Allan Poe)

“If I bleat when I speak it’s because I just got… fleeced” (Al Swearengen)
“Try to light the fire.”
“It’s hot and it’s monotonous.”

Hyperbole
It uses exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

“I am so hungry I could eat a horse.”

“I’ve told you a million times.”
“It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing hats and jackets.”
“She's so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.”

Irony
It expresses one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the
opposite.

“I love cold pizza!” (a sarcastic response when one is served cold food)
“Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”
“A fire station burns down”
“A marriage counselor files for divorce.”
“A pilot has a fear of heights.”

Metaphor
A metaphor also compares two things, but it does so more directly WITHOUT
using as or like.

“My heart is a lonely hunter that hurts on a lonely hill.”

“Her voice is music to his ears.”
“She was fairly certain that life was a fashion show.”
“The typical teenage boy’s room is a disaster area.”
“The promise between us was a delicate flower.”
Simile
It compares two things that are not really the same, but are used to
make a point about each other, usually using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

“Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.”
“She is as beautiful as Mona Lisa.”
“This house is as clean as a whistle.”
“Your explanation is as clear as mud.”
“He is as strong as an ox.”

Metonymy
It is a figure of speech in which a things or concept is called not by its own
name but rather by the name of something associated with that thing or
concept.
- The use of link term to stand in for an object or concept.

Purpose:
Is to add flavor. Instead of saying, “These chicken wings, coleslaw, and
green beans are delicious,” you could say, “This dish is delicious.” Now you
have avoided naming all the separate elements of the meal, breaking up
some of the awkwardness and making the sentence more vibrant.

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” (The word pen stands in for the
written word while the sword stands in for military aggression and force.)
“Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.” (ears used for giving
attention)

Examples:
 Suits- in place of business people.
If we don’t get the reports in today, the suits will be after us.
 Heart- to refer to love or emotions.
My dear, you have all my heart.
 Dish- for an entire plate of food.
That fancy fish dish you made was the best of the evening.
 The big house- to refer to prison.
My brother was just released from the big house.
 Track- to refer to horse racing
My cousin is preparing our horse for the track.

Paradox
It is a figure of speech that completely contradicts itself in the same
sentence. It is a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or
proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well-
founded or true.

- Is a statement that contradicts itself and it seems true somehow.

“This is the beginning of the end.”

“Youth is wasted on the young.”
“Nobody goes to the restaurant because it’s too crowded.”
“Not all people loves to vote because it’s too annoying.”
“Men work together whether they work together or apart."

Personification
It is a way of giving an inanimate object the qualities of a living thing.

“The tree quaked with fear as the wind approached.”

“The sun smiled down on her.”
“Lightning danced across the sky.”
“The wind howled in the night.”
“My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning.
“Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.”

Pun
This play on words uses different sense of the word, or different sounds that
make up the word, to create something fun and interesting.

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.’

“She had a photographic memory but never developed it.”
“The life of a patient of hypertension is always at steak.”
“Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.”
“An elephants opinion carries a lot of weight.”

Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a type of figurative language that uses a part of something to
mean the whole thing. Its meaning is not to be taken for at surface value.

“all hands on deck “is a demand for all of the crew to help, yet the word
“hands” – just a part of
The crew- stands in for the whole crew.
Those wheels are awesome!
 This example substitutes the part (wheels) for the whole (car).
 The wheels refers to the entire car. It is not the wheels that are
awesome. It is the car that is awesome.
We need more hands.
 This example substitutes the part (hands) for the whole (people).
 The hands refer to the people themselves. It is not just the hands that
are needed; it is the people.

“He earns the bread.” (Bread refers to money.)

“I don’t want to talk to gray beard.” (Grey beard refers to an old man.)

Synecdoche vs. Metonymy

Synecdoche is related to (and commonly confused with) metonymy. While

these two figures of speech are similar, they are not the same. Both
metonymy and synecdoche do create a relationship in which one thing or
idea stands in for another, but the specifics of these relationships are
different:

 In synecdoche, the relationship is one of either part-to-whole or whole-

to-part.
 In metonymy, the relationship between the two things is not part-to-
whole or whole-to-part, but is rather one of being
closely conceptually related. For example, the phrase "The pen is mightier
than the sword" contains two metonymies: one in which "pen" stands in
for writing, and another in which "sword" stands in for physical power. A
pen is not a part of writing, and a sword is not part of physical power—
each thing is related to the concept it evokes.

Understatement
It is a situation in which the thing discussed is made to seem much less
important than it really is.
Forms of Understatements:

1. Ironic Understatement
Something is ironic when it concerns the gap between how something
appears and how it really is. Most of the time when people refer to
understatement, they're referring to ironic understatement, which just
means that the speaker is using understatement to say one thing with the
intention of actually communicating something quite different. For example,
 when British Airways flight 9 lost all four of its engines, the captain made the
following announcement, which has since come to be regarded as a
masterpiece of understatement:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small
problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get
them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress.

This example is ironic because there's a gap between what the captain says
and what he obviously means—which is not simply that there is a "small
problem" which should not cause the passengers "too much distress," but
that everyone's lives are in danger and their distress is presumably
overwhelming. Although the humor of his understatement was probably lost
on his panicking passengers, understatement that's intended to be comedic
(or, as in this case, provide comic relief) is almost always ironic.

2. Non-ironic Understatement
Non-ironic understatement is pretty easy to understand. It occurs when
somebody expresses something less strongly than would be expected,
but not with the intention of communicating any alternative meaning. This
type of understatement is often used when people are trying to be humble
or polite. For instance:

 Someone who won a gold medal in the Olympics might try to downplay their
victory by saying it's "not a big deal."
 The world's most preeminent expert on black holes might say to a
stranger at a party, "I know a bit about black holes" or "I've studied them."
 Someone who is trying to be polite or avoid conflict when speaking about
politics might respond to an offensive or bigoted remark by saying "Well,
that's a controversial opinion."

“I am delighted to win 10 million dollars.”

“100 homeruns isn’t a bad record.”

Antithesis
It is a contradiction that puts two ideas against each other in a balance
way.

“You’re easy on the eyes, hard on the heart.”

“To err is human, to forgive is divine.”
“We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.”
“God sees with equal eye, the fall of a hero and a sparrow, the destruction
of an atom or a solar system.”
Euphemism
A Euphemism is a polite inoffensive expression words or phrases replaced
for one considered offensive or hurtful that contrarily might be considered
bitter, blunt or unpleasant to hear. 

“My mother passed away.”

“Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction when she performed at the
Super Bowl.”
“He has fallen asleep,-he is dead.”
“You are telling me a fairy tale, -telling a lie.”

 Collateral damage instead of accidental deaths

 Use the rest room instead of go to the bathroom
 Between jobs instead of unemployed
 Domestic engineer instead of maid

Oxymoron
It contains two contradicting words that are put together.

“This is another fine mess you have got us into.

“There is a real love hate relationship developing between the two of them.”
“Suddenly the room filled with a deafening silence.”
“The comedian was seriously funny.”
“You are clearly confused by the situation you have found yourself in.”
“Her singing was enough to raise the living dead.

EXAMPLE:
C.S Lewis wrote a moving book on grief entitled A Grief Observed ,
written after the death of his beloved wife, Helen Joy. The following passage
is an excerpt and it uses a lot of imagery.
When the House is Empty
No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the
sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same
restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.
At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or confused. There is a sort of
invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what
anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting.
Yet, I want others to be about me. I dread the moment when the house is
empty. If only they would talk to me.
There are moments, most unexpected, when something inside me tries to
assure me that I* don’t really mind so much, not so very much, after all.
Love is not the who9le of a man’s life. I was happy before I ever met H. I’ve
plenty of what are called resources…. One is ashamed to listen to this voice
but it seems for a little to be making out a good case. Then comes a sudden
jab of red-hot memory and all this “commonsense” vanishes like an ant in
the mouth of a furnace…
And no one told me about the laziness of grief.
Not only writing but even reading a letter is too much. Even shaving. What
does it matter now whether my cheek is rough or smooth? They say an
unhappy man wants distraction on a cold night, he’d rather lie there
shivering than get up and find one.

REVIEW:
1. What is the general tone of the piece?
2. How does an empty house become a fitting figure of speech to
describe grief in this piece?
3. In the first sentence, Lewis associates grief with fear. Explain the
connection.
4. What other description does the author associate grief with?
5. Identify some sensory images in the piece. Are they visual, auditory,
olfactory, gustatory, tactile, thermal, or erotic?
6. If you will write about the same theme, what images or objects will
you use as a descriptive detail?

Understanding the Genre of Poetry

The language of poetry is quite different from the languages of prose
(fiction and drama).Poetry uses a more intensified, focused, and intricate
language than prose. Because we now live in modern society that prefers
prose, we might find reading poetry a sort of a challenge. You must
remember though that in ancient times and periods, poetry was the
language of the people. So poetry developed way before prose did.
Language of poetry.

1. Poetry attempts to achieve beauty.

2. Poetry is imaginative, or makes use of the strength of imagination.
3. Poetry is musical, melodic, and rhythmical.
4. Poetry is more concentrated than prose.
5. Poetry makes use of brevity “short” and conciseness “complete”.

There are many kinds of poetry- from the ancient epic to the specific
limerick-but generally, there are about three major categories of poetry:
narrative, lyric, dramatic.

 Narrative – may be short and simple; others long and complex, (e.g.
Iliad, Lord Randall)
A spoken or written account of connected events.
 Lyric poems are brief in structure and subjective in expressing the
thoughts and emotions of the persona, the speaker of the poem. Originally
written to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre (hence the term), the
words in these poems could be lyrics.

(E.g. songs, sonnet, haiku, odes, elegies, and pastoral poems.)

 Songs – meant to be sung.
 Sonnets – a poem of 14 lines and using any of the number of formal
rhyme schemes.
 Haiku – Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in 3 lines of 5,7, and 5.
 Odes – same with the song, but with additional form that addresses
something in particular, specifically a subject.
 Elegies – a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.
 Dramatic – employs dramatic technique such as dialogue or characters,
instead of just a single persona.

Elements and conventions of poetry

 Imagery – a literal representation of an experience or object that is
perceived through the senses . Presented in a language that we can
see, smell, hear, taste, touch, or feel, as allowed by the imagination.
 Figurative language – are figures of speech that help beautify or make
the language more poetic than it already is.
Figures of speech

 Simile – makes comparison, showing similarities between two different

things. Draws resemblance with the help of two words, “as and like”.

o Your blog post is “like” a bland dish.

o On her first day, Iane was as cool as a cucumber.
o As light as a feather.
o As hard as nails.
o As hot as hell.

 Metaphor – states that something is something else without using “like or

as”. (E.g. Your blog post is a bland dish.) (Noah has a heart of a lion.)
o My brother was boiling mad.
o The assignment was a breeze.
o Her voice was music to his ears.
o Her dance is a great poem.

 Personification – gives human traits and qualities, such as emotions,

desires, sensations, gestures, and speech.)
E.g.
o The leaves “waved” in the wind.
o The ocean heaved a “sigh”.
o The sun “smiled” at us.
o The lighting “danced” at the sky.
o The wind “howled” at the night.
o The traffic slowed to a “crawl”.

 Hyperbole – extreme exaggeration used to make a point.

o I’m so hungry I can eat a horse.
o It was so cold I saw polar bears wearing jackets.
o I’ve told you to clean your room a million times.
o I have a million things to do today.
 Alliteration – describes a literary stylistic device. Alliteration occurs when
a series of words in a row, (or close together) have the same first consonant
sounds.
o Janie read a book, by the bubbling brook.
o He acts silly at times, but he was a blessed with a brilliant brain.
o The beautiful bouquet blossomed in the bright sun.
 Oxymoron – two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect.
o Living – death
o Cruel – kindness
o Fine – mess
o Deafening – silence
o Silent – scream

 Sounds – poetry is as much an oral as it is visual in form. Therefore, it is

meant to be recited and read aloud, so to reveal its true merit. The rhyme
scheme and the meter that the poem employs add to the sound of the poem.
 Persona – the speaker of the poem is not necessarily the poet. In many
cases, poets create a persona, “the mask”, to speak the poem in first person.
Since a poem does not have characters, it is the persona and his or her
perspective where we are able to perceive his or her experience.
Sorrow flows from the first sunrise She can feel the complete braille of hate
Eyes deeper than winter and rainfall --- cascade around the emptiness
A painful combination never felt before
At core death awaits Throughout her poise frostbite travels in
- laughing while she begs for clemency! Midnight Summer dreams are near an end
In her eyes, fault is found in every sunset Autumn bones covered by winter sleet
- after coming down from cloud nine. A deadly force condemns all because of one
Impossible to move --- her body stiffen
That very moment, A precious Waltz - Lost years crumbled like an avalanche
Expired! Way deep down inside.......
Coldplay and winter mist set in She paints the rain like no other heartache
Ruins of love clinch an endless echo Leaving winter residue behind every step
- taunting the very merry memory. "Black Ice" sits close to the cold canvas on her
The auditory sensation of broken trust pale
- stride across the way.
Icing every thought in a sullen, cold rink. If you seek closely, she is there
She fell - She crumbled Immobilized in a waltz, in a waltz, in a waltz
- In a world where hope once existed
Never to linger or trust
Today, she will sway alone without a The "HE" that spoke of love, then melted away
lullaby
In a room with no warmth
One time a sweet symphony, now a sour
moon REVIEW EXAMIN ATION
At last, a different tune begins to fiddle
As she grooms the icicles in her room. Answer the following questions.
On every mid-moon, she stares and
stares
towards the old shriveled lipstick on his
pillow
 1. What does the poem tell you about its message? Is there any
particular stanza that emphasizes the idea that the writer intends to
convey?
2. The poem makes typical use of alliteration (Unseen coldness,
unsatisfied, incomplete tears.) What is alliteration? What impression
does it entice in when employed in this particular poem?

Writing Tips
No one can really answer the question, How can I become a good poet? Even the best and the most
revered poets and teachers do not have an answer. But they can suggest that you start by reading
poetry. You may follow some of these helpful tips:
 Think of a certain vivid experience or memory or feeling from your past. And then
relate this to a particular image that you can use. For example, a marble can be a
perfect image of the games you played when you were young. This could serve as a
starting point for a poem.
 Use specific sensory details. Remember, poems are made to be visualize, and felt,
and heard, and smelled. Use words that appeal to the senses.
 Read some of the lines that you have written aloud. You will know it is good if it
sounds effective.
 Make sure that each word in the poem has its use. Poems, generally, are not long.
Make sure that all the words that you employed count and contribute to the general
impression of the poems.
 1. Write a four-stanza-poem using this title, I am. In this short poem,
write about your thoughts about yourself-your character, fears, and
virtues. You can also write about your dreams and aspirations.
2. Peer-edit each other’s draft based on the following:

o Clear use of imagery and figurative language.

o Well-developed and creatively presented idea.
o The use of persona that reflects the poem’s intent.
o Effective sounds when read aloud.
o Basic rules of spelling and grammar.

Revised the draft of the poem on the observations and comments

made by your peer and then submit the revised version to your teacher.

Two kids outside the house. Kid A is reading a book and does not want to be disturbed. Kid B, on the other hand,
wants to ride a bicycle and catch butterflies. Kid B persuades Kid A to do the same but Kid A wants to finish
reading the story.

Culminating Task

Instructions:
1. Study the situation. Try to imagine and visualize the situation.
2. You have the option to submit a draft story, a draft play, or a poem
based on the situation. Your choice will depend on your strength as a
writer.
3. Fiction: If you are submitting a draft story, write a paragraph describing
the setting of the story and the two characters. Be aware of the details
of storytelling.
4. Play: If you plan to submit a draft play, write a half page dialogue of the
two characters. Make sure that the two characters have different
personalities which are revealed through their dialogues.
5. Poem: If you are plan to submit a poem, write one with six to eight lines
addressing the difference between the two kids and their preferences.
Use images and figurative languages.
6. Submit this to your teacher for checking and critiquing.

Diction

Diction can be defined as style of speaking or writing, determined by

the choice of words by a speaker or a writer. Diction, or choice of words,
often separates good writing from bad writing. It depends on a number of
factors. Firstly, the word has to be right and accurate. Secondly, words
should be appropriate to the context in which they are used. Lastly, the
choice of words should be such that the listener or reader understands
easily.

Proper diction, or proper choice of words, is important to get the

message across. On the other hand, the wrong choice of words can easily
divert listeners or readers, which results in misinterpretation of the message
intended to be conveyed.

Types of Diction

Individuals vary their diction depending on different contexts and settings.

Therefore, we come across various types of diction.

 Formal diction – formal words are used in formal situations, such as

press conferences and presentations.
 Informal diction – uses informal words and conversation, such as
writing or talking to friends.
 Colloquial diction – uses words common in everyday speech, which
may be different in different regions or communities.
 Slang diction – is the use of words that are newly coined, or even
impolite.

Example #1: Ode on a Grecian Urn (By John Keats)

John Keats, in his Ode on a Grecian Urn, uses formal diction to achieve a

certain effect. He says:
“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on …”

Notice the use of the formal “ye,” instead of the informal “you.” The
formality here is due to the respect the urn inspires in Keats. In the
same poem he says:

“Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed

Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu.”

It is more formal to use “adieu” than to say “goodbye.”

Example #2: The Sun Rising (By John Donne)

In sharp contrast to Keats, John Donne uses colloquialism in his poem The

Sun Rising:

“Busy old fool, unruly Sun,

Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains, call on us?
Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run?
Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide. “

Treating the sun as a real human being in this excerpt, the poet speaks to
the sun in an informal way, using colloquial expressions. He rebukes the sun
because it has appeared to spoil the good time he is having with his beloved.
Further, he orders the “saucy pedantic sun” to go away.

Example #3: The School (By Donald Barthelme)

Writers skillfully choose words to develop a certain tone and atmosphere in

their works. Read the following excerpt from a short story The School, by
Donald Barthelme:

“And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don’t know why they died,
they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we
got from the nursery wasn’t the best. We complained about it. So we’ve got
thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and we’ve
got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks,
it was depressing.”

The use of the words “died,” “dead,” “brown sticks,” and “depressing” gives
a gloomy tone to the passage.
Example #4: A Tale of Two Cities (By Charles Dickens)

Sometimes writers repeat their chosen words or phrases to achieve an

artistic effect, such as in the following example from A Tale of Two Cities, by
Charles Dickens:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of
Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

By repeating the phrase “It was the …” throughout the passage, the writer

ensures that the readers will give more consideration to the characteristic of
the era they are going to read about in the novel.

Function of Diction

In literature, writers choose words to create and convey a

typical mood, tone, and atmosphere to their readers. A writer’s choice of
words, and his selection of graphic words, not only affect the
reader’s attitude, but also conveys the writer’s feelings toward the literary
work. Moreover, poetry is known for its unique diction, which separates it
from prose. Usually, a poetic diction is marked by the use of figures of
speech, rhyming words, and other devices.

THEME

One of the first questions to ask upon hearing someone has written
a story is, “What’s it about?” or “What’s the point?” Short answers may
range from love to betrayal or from the coming of age to the haziness of
memory. The central idea, topic, or point of a story, essay, or narrative is its
theme.
 

Example 1
A man, fueled by an urge for power and control due to his own pride,
builds a supercomputer. That supercomputer then takes over the world,
causing chaos and struggle galore.
 This sci-fi style story contains many common themes. A few of its
themes include:
 Danger of excessive pride
 The risky relationship between humankind and developing technology

Example 2
A boy and a girl fall in love. The boy is forced to join the army and fights to
survive in a war-torn country as his beloved waits at home. When he returns
from war, the two are united and married.
The love story also has many common themes in literature:

 The power of true love

 Fate, which sometimes tears lovers apart and then joins them together
 War

As can be seen from these examples, themes can range widely from
ideas, as large as love and war, to others as specific as the relationship
between humankind and technology.

Types of theme

Just as a life is not constantly immersed in love, the pursuit of knowledge,

or the struggle of the individual versus society, themes are not always
constantly present in a story or composition. Rather, they weave in and out,
can disappear entirely, or appear surprisingly mid-read. This is because
there are two types of themes: major and minor themes.

1. Major Themes
Major themes are, just as they sound, the more important and enduring
themes of the narrative. Major themes are the most significant themes of
the story, and often they are a part of the entire story. A book on war would
have the major theme of war’s effect on humanity, whereas a romance novel
would have the major theme of love.

2. Minor Themes
Minor themes are, on the other hand, less important and less enduring.
They may appear for part of the narrative only to be replaced by another
minor theme later in the narrative. They provide discussion points for a
chapter or two, but do not color the entire story. A book on war may have
minor themes such as the home front’s reaction to war or the political
aspects of war. A romance novel may have minor themes such as flirtation,
marriage, and fidelity.

Importance of using Theme

 The importance of using theme in narrative is unparalleled. The theme
is the underlining idea an author is trying to convey to an audience. A story
without major ideas for the character and reader to experience, think
through, and learn from is not a story at all. A story, by its very nature,
must have a theme, sometimes many major and minor themes, all
throughout. Themes are the ideas book clubs, poets, playwrights, literature
students, film enthusiasts, movie-makers, and creative writers mull over in-
depth. They are the meaning behind the entire story, the deeper reasons
that the story has been written and shared.

Example of Theme in Literature

Theme is a prominent element in literature. Here are a few examples

of theme in poetry and prose:

“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in)” by E. E. Cummings:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
                                                      i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
 
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
 
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
 
NOTE:
This poem’s major theme is clear: love. Minor themes include fate,
togetherness, and desire.
Tone
In literature, tone is the attitude or approach that the author takes
toward the work’s central theme or subject. Works of literature can have
many different types of tone, such as humorous, solemn, distant, intimate,
ironic, arrogant, condescending, sentimental, and so on. Any emotion that
humans can feel can be an example of tone in literature.
All works of literature have a tone. Authors use elements such
as syntax, diction, imagery, details, and figurative language to create tone.
Authors must use words to convey emotions and feelings, and the choice of
these words constitutes the tone the author has toward the work’s main
subject.
Works of literature are not limited to having only one tone. Tone may
shift throughout a work as the narrator’s perspective changes, or as the plot
becomes more complex, dramatic, bizarre, etc. There also may be more
than one tone that an author takes toward a work at the same time. For
example, a novel can be both humorous and dark, or both sentimental and
formal.
Difference between Tone and Mood
Tone and mood are very often confused. While definition of tone is the
attitude the author has toward the work, the mood consists of the feelings
the work produces in an audience or reader. Authors use tone as well
as setting, theme, and voice to produce a certain mood. In cinema directors
can add the use of music, editing, and images to help create mood. For
example, horror movies almost always include suspenseful and anxiety-
producing music. If, instead, bright jazz music were playing while a
character is in danger, the audience would not feel the mood of suspense.
Common Examples of Tone
When we tell stories from everyday life to others, we always do so
with some sort of attitude toward the story. For example, if someone had
gotten flowers from a potential suitor and was retelling this to a friend, that
person would tell very different stories depending on his or her feelings
toward the suitor. If he/she were interested in the suitor, the story would be
told with excitement and optimism. If he/she were not interested, the story
would be told with eye rolls and perhaps irritation or embarrassment.
Consider these opposite tones when dealing with the same type of situation:
 “I’m so glad that jerk was fired; now I won’t have to deal with him
anymore.” Vs. “It’s terrible that Tony was let go; he was such a great
colleague!”

 “The movie was amazing! I was laughing so hard I cried!” Vs. “You can
only watch infantile humor for so long before you want to punch yourself
in the face.”
Example of Tone in Literature
Having thus lost his understanding, he unluckily stumbled upon the
oddest fancy that ever entered into a madman’s brain; for now he thought it
convenient and necessary, as well for the increase of his own honor, as the
service of the public, to turn knight-errant.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: Ironic

In this example of tone, Cervantes calls Don Quixote “a madman” and

says he has “lost his understanding.” The narrative voice clearly thinks that
Don Quixote’s decision to become a knight-errant is foolish, and much of the
novel pokes fun at Don Quixote’s attempts to prove his valiance. Cervantes
creates an ironic distance between himself as the author and Don Quixote’s
heroic quest.

CHARACTER

Definition of Character in Literature

All stories must have certain characteristics or elements. Without these
elements, any piece of literature would cease to make sense or serve a
purpose. For example, stories must have a plot, or events that take place.
Another essential story element is the character. Character can be defined
as any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work. There are
many types of characters that exist in literature, each with its own
development and function.

9 Types of Character in the Story

1. Protagonist (main character)

This is the person your story revolves around.
Most of the time they’ll also be your narrator, but not always.
For example, in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is the protagonist, but Nick is the
narrator.

2. Deuteragonist
A deuteragonist is the second-in-command to your protagonist. You
might call them a sidekick. I don’t like that word, because it makes them
seem less important. This person is very important.

3. Antagonist
 An antagonist is the person or thing that causes your protagonist all the
drama. It doesn’t have to be a person, though. Antagonists can be internal,
too. Mental health issues such as anxiety , depression , or stress  can
cause just as many problems for your protagonist as another person or
creature with an axe to grind.

4. Love interest
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the person your protagonist is
destined to fall in love with. Even if only temporarily.
You may wish to toy with your readers by having your protagonist and love
interest not get together, but be careful because if you drag this out for too
long it can get frustrating and cause you to lose people.
Usually they’re a secondary character, but sometimes they can also be a
deuteragonist and even a narrator, too.

5. Mentor
The mentor is the person that guides your protagonist through their
journey (whatever that may be).
Dumbledore and Obi-Wan Kenobi are two of the most famous mentor
examples out there.
And, like Dumbledore and Obi-Wan, most mentors die at some point during
the story. Usually when the protagonist thinks that they need him or her the
most.

6. Narrator
A narrator is the person who tells your story.
If you’re writing in first person, this will likely be your protagonist. Your
deuteragonist may also be a narrator.
If you’re writing in third person, you are your narrator.
But, unless it’s part of your writing style (like Dickens in A Christmas Carol),
you don’t want your reader to be aware of this. You still want them to forget
all about you and focus on the actions of your characters.

7. Secondary character
A secondary character is the one who joins your hero for their journey.
Sometimes there’s more than one, but if you have more than two, you’re
going to start overcomplicating things.
(See previous point about having too many protagonists.)
Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter are good examples of secondary
characters. They’re three-dimensional, but it’s clear that the story doesn’t
revolve around them. They’ll do anything they can to help the Harry,
though.
Subplots often revolve around secondary characters, such as Hermione’s
creation of S.P.E.W..

8. Tertiary character
 We know less about tertiary characters than protagonists or secondary
characters, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t still care about them or
want to know more.
Many of the teachers at Hogwarts, such as Lupin, fall into this category.
They’re not central to the story, and they’re not along for the ride. They
may, however, play a crucial role in a part of the protagonist’s journey, such
as Lupin teaching Harry about dementors.

9. Flat character
A flat character is someone we don’t need to know anything about.
They’re in one scene, maybe two.
They don’t really help to move the story along, but they do help your
protagonist with something or other.
Everything from bartenders to pets can be flat characters.
Even though they’re called flat characters, that doesn’t mean that they have
to be lacking in personality. You can still make them interesting by giving
them their own way of speaking or a memorable mannerism.

Point of View

Point of view is essentially the eyes through which a story is told. It is the
narrative voice through which readers follow the story's plot, meet its
characters, discover its setting, and enter into its relationships, emotions,
and conflicts. Point of view allows readers to experience the story as it
unfolds.
Authors can choose from the first person, the second person, or the third
person point of view. We'll spend the rest of this lesson exploring each of
these and practicing identifying them.

First Person Point of View

In the first person point of view, one of the story's characters serves as a
narrator and readers watch the story unfold through that character's eyes.
First person point of view is easy to identify because the character or
narrator speaks to readers in his or her own voice, frequently using the
pronoun 'I'.
The character or narrator is often a main character who is actively
involved in the story's events, but sometimes authors choose to tell the
story through the eyes of a minor character who merely witnesses the
unfolding story or even through the eyes of a character who didn't directly
witness the events, but retells them secondhand. In any case, this point of
view allows readers access only to the narrating character's limited
knowledge and understanding of the story and of his or her fellow
characters.
Examples of famous works with a first person point of view include Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, in which supporting character Dr.
John Watson narrates the great detective's adventures; Charlotte
Brontë's Jane Eyre, which is narrated by the title character; and Harper
Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, in which a child character tells the story.

Second Person Point of View

The second person point of view is relatively rare because it makes
the reader a character in the story and directly addresses the reader as
'you'. The Choose Your Own Adventure series of the 1980s and 1990s
features the second person point of view and allows readers to make
decisions that affect the story's plot and lead to various outcomes.

Third Person Point of View

In the third person point of view, the narrator is someone outside the
story, who frequently uses pronouns, like 'he,' 'she,' and 'they,' to describe
the characters. The third person point of view is divided into three
subcategories:
1. The objective third person, in which the narrator knows or reveals
nothing about the characters' internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations
but sticks to the external facts of the story (as in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The
Scarlet Letter)
2. The limited third person, Which is also called selective omniscience
or central intelligence, is what the narrator describes as the internal
thoughts, feelings, and motivations of one character, usually the main
character (as in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series)
3. The omniscient third person, known as the all-knowing-point of
view, in which the narrator knows and at least partially reveals the internal
thoughts, feelings, and motivations of all the characters (as in E.B.
White's Charlotte's Web).
Narrative Devices
Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique intended to render
the flow of myriad impression-visual, auditory, physical, associative and
subliminal, as they occur in the narrator’s mind, and not in a smooth,
sequential, or flowing way.
Interior monologue is a device used by writers to make the
character speak out load like delivering a speech for the readers to overhear.
PLOT
In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that
make up a story, whether it’s told, written, filmed, or sung. The plot is the
story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in
time. Plots are typically made up of five main elements:

5 Elements of plot, Pattern of Development

 Exposition: introduces the characters and dramatic situation of the
story.
 Rising action: introduces the conflict of the story or play.
 Climax: introduces the central moment of crisis that defines the conflict.
 Falling action: introduces the aftermath of conflict (whether it is
resolved or not)
 Resolution/ denouement: introduces the moment of insight,
discovery, or revelation of the character after the falling actions.

Explaining key concepts for fiction and drama

Fiction is defined as “a series of imagined facts which illustrates truths
about human life. It is commonly called “stories”, and can either be short
(short story) or rather long (novella or novel). Drama also uses the
traditional conventions of fiction but has an additional distinctive
characteristic of being performed and mounted on stage.
Elements of Fiction and Drama
 Plot – the sequence of events happening in the story.
 Setting – the place and time when and where the events happened.
 Character – the person who inhabit the story.
 Theme – the central idea, or thesis, or overall message that the story
conveys.

Comparison and contrast of the conventions and devices between

fiction and drama.
1. Fiction is generally classified as short story or novel. A short story is a
brief artistic prose form that centers on a single main incident and
intends to produce a single dominant impression. A novel is an
extensive prose narrative that contains chapters and interludes.
2. All stories must have a different point of view. The point of view is the
vantage point or the angle from which the readers can see how the
story unfolds. It can be told from the perspective of a narrator, a main
 or supporting character, or an observer. It can also come from an
omniscient (all-knowing) being.
Drama also employs point of view but this is not apparent and evident
in a play. What is visible is the interplay of dialogue between and
among the characters. This is the component that moves the action of
the play. A dialogue is what the viewers see and hear in a
performance and these are the words uttered by the characters in a
dramatic play.
3. Development of plot in both fiction and drama has a pattern.
Generally, it contains the following.

Literary/narrative Devices
 Foreshadowing- used in fiction and drama as a guide or hint at what
is to happen next in the story.
 Irony- used both in fiction and drama when words that are uttered,
either by the author or the characters in the story, are the opposite of
what they actually mean.
 Flashback- employed by author or playwright through the use of
past event that will help the readers understand the present.
 Conflict- both present in fiction and drama. It provides and show
cases the opposing objectives of the protagonist and the antagonist,
or inside the protagonist.
 Deus ex machine- was once a noble strategy. Today, it is a sign of
weakness in the written work. Once referring to the Greek practice of
physically lowering a “god” to the stage at the end of the play to solve
all the problems, today it refers to a contrived element in the plot to
solve a problem.

Two kinds of books

1. Non-fiction – Biographies are examples of nonfiction works. Most
biographies are non-fiction works, but not all nonfiction works are
biographies by any means. We say “most” biographies, because a
biography of a fictional character is really a fictional book.
2. Fiction – The most commonly read books are works of fiction. Fiction
books are ones that have been made up. Perhaps some of their
elements are based on hints of truth, but they have been elaborated,
fabricated, and used to embellish into a new story.
Literary Genres
 Science Fiction
 Satire
 Drama
 Action and adventure
 Romance
 Mystery
 Horror
 Guide
 Travel
 History
 Math
 Anthology
 Poetry
 Encyclopedias
 Dictionaries
 Comics

SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE

The setting is both the time and geographic location within a narrative,
either nonfiction or fiction. A literary element, the setting helps initiate the
main backdrop and mood for a story. ... Along with the plot, character,
theme, and style, setting is considered one of the fundamental components
of fiction. While In literature, mood is the feeling created in the reader. This
feeling is the result of both the tone and atmosphere of the story.
Atmosphere is the feeling created by mood and tone.
The atmosphere takes the reader to where the story is happening and lets
them experience it much like the characters.

Common Examples of Setting

We use setting in just about every story, and even many jokes. For
example, jokes that start with “a guy walks into a bar” includes the setting of
the bar to create expectations of what may occur in that space. When we tell
even inconsequential stories we include setting, such as:

1. I was sitting at my desk at work when…

2. It was sometime past midnight and…
3. The rain was howling outside…

Note:
 Flaming candles, the 'set' of the skeletons dining, and so on all conjures a
specific atmosphere. We're usually going for spooky around Halloween, but
in literature, atmosphere refers to the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer
conveys to a reader through the description of setting and objects.

Conflict
A conflict in literature is defined as any struggle between
opposing forces. Usually, the main character struggles against some other
force. This type of conflict is what drives each and every story. Without it,
the story would have no point or purpose.
Types of Conflict
 Man vs. Self
 Man vs. Man
 Man vs. Society
 Man vs. Nature
 Man vs. Machine
 Man vs. Fate/Supernatural

IRONY

Purpose of Irony
Irony is a multi-faceted literary device that a writer uses to point out
the discrepancy between reality and how things appear or what was
expected. When a writer uses irony in a work, there is incongruity in regards
to the behavior of characters, the words that they say, or the events that
take place.

Dramatic irony is a form of irony that is expressed through a work's

structure: an audience's awareness of the situation in which a work's
characters exist differs substantially from that of the characters', and the
words and actions of the characters therefore take on a different—often
contradictory—meaning for the.

Three Types of Irony

 Verbal irony
 Situational irony
 Dramatic irony