SECTION ONE
INTRODUCTION
Elements of literature have been categorised into two categories:
(1) Form
(2) Content
These elements are inseparable. They depend on each other. Each element has its own sub elements for each as explained as it is going to be explained in this lesson.
SECTION TWO
ELEMENTS OF FORM
Form is the superstructure of any literary work. It refers to how a work of art is arranged or organized.
Form in other way means the way information is presented. The form is what makes literature take many forms and shapes. Literature can take many forms like poem, letter to the editor or letter to a friend, an essay, a story or a play.
The form is used to ensure the smooth transmission and delivery of the content.
Importance of studying Form of Literary Work:
(1) Understanding a work of art.
(2) Understanding the structure of the story.
(3) Interpreting a literary work.
(4) Improving a good response to various readings other than literary works.
Elements of Form
The following are the elements or components of form:
(1) Plot
(2) Style
(3) Setting
(4) Language
(5) Characters
Explanation of these elements of form:
(1) Plot
This refers to the series of events which form a story. To identify the plot, find the main events in the story, arrange them in chronological order, and then write them out as a brief paragraph.
(2) Style
This is the way a writer uses words to create literature. It stems from choice of words, how these words are structured or arranged, and writers point of view to the application of figurative language.
(3) Setting
This is the time, place and social conditions in which a story takes place.
(4) Language
Language is a medium of communication between human beings in the particular community. So, is the literature. Literature is the medium of communication between author and audience, and it uses language to fulfill that literary need.
(5) Characters
A character is a person in the work of art. The writers createcharacters in the story in order to make the works live and convey the indended message.
Other Literary Elements
These are other literary elements that are applied in literature. They are:
(1) Title
(2) Point of view
(3) Narrative techniques
(4) Flashback
(5) Foreshadowing
Explanation of these elements of form:
(1) Title
This is the heading of the literary work. It carries and reflects what is in the content of the book or work of art.
(2) Point of view
A point of view is a position from which the story's events and details are observed, perceived, and related. That is to say, with whose eyes we can see the actions in the literary work. It also refers to who tells the story. Therefore, it is the speaker, voice, narrator, or persona of a work of art from where we get the story. Check out Types of points of view.
(3) Narrative techniques
It is any narrative method or a storytelling mode of an author in which an account of a tale or a story is told. One narrative technique can cover the whole book or a part of it. See types of narrative techniques.
(4) Flashback
This is a narrative technique in which the end or middle of the story is found at the beginning and vice versa. Also, it occurs when a character remembers or describes the things that happened at the beginning of a book while he/she is at the middle or end of a story.
(5) Foreshadowing
This is another narrative technique in which a certain character or characters make predictions of the things that happen later in the events of the book. These characters then are said to have foreshadowed or foretold the things that come to be true at the middle or end of a literary work.
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