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INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
INTRODUCTORY LITERATURE
LITERATURE
Etymologically, the
term Literature comes from a Latin word “Litteraturae”
which means writings. In general form Literature is applied to all fields
including Philosophical writings, historical writings as well as other
writings. But in Literature, it is used to designate fictional and imaginative
writings such as Poetry, Fiction and Drama.
Therefore, Literature is a work of art
expressed in words using a Language creatively to express human realities.
OR
It is the term which
implies creative Language and imitated social realities which can be
transmitted in the form of writing or speech and reflects human experiences. It
is distinct from other works of art such as painting, sculpture, drawing and so
on. However, both works of art express the culture of a specific society from
which they owe their essence.
IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE
IN LITERATURE
Ø Language
is very important in literature as the words are used creatively as raw
materials in structuring literary works
Ø Language is necessarily used as a medium of
communication for the intended goals or messages
Ø Language distinguishes literature from other
works of art as well as ordinary works
TYPES
OF LITERATURE
§ Originally,
there are two types of Literature, namely;
1. Oral
Literature
2. Written
Literature
ORAL LITERATURE
CLASSIFICATION
This is a Literature
presented through oral expressions. It was mostly used before the invention of
writings.
TYPES OF ORAL
LITERATURE
a.
The Folk Tale:
This is a short narrative handed down through oral tradition, passed
down from one generation to the next (human as characters).
b.
The Legend:
It is a story handed down from the past, especially one that may not be true
but it has historical derivational/historical background.
c.
Myths:
These are stories that originated in ancient times especially one dealing with
ideas or beliefs about the origin of race, things or events.
d.
Fable:
Are short stories (tales) often with animals as characters which convey a moral
message.
e.
Anecdote:
Most refers to the narrated incident in the life of an important person and
should lay claim to an element of truth.
f.
Epics:
These are long narrative poems in an elevated style/presenting characters of
high position in adventures through their relation to a central heroic figure
and their development of episodes.
g.
Ballads:
Is a form of verse to be sung or recited and characterized by its presentation
of dramatic in simple narrative form.
h.
Riddles:
Are puzzling questions, statements or description especially ones intended to
test the cleverness of those wishing to solve them.
E.g.:
It walks in four legs in the morning, two legs in the noon and three legs in
the evening-Human being.
i.
Proverbs:
Short well-known sayings that state a general truth or give advice.
Or
Are
compact fixed statements which imply question and answer.
j.
Idioms: A phrase/statement whose meaning
is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt
as a unit.
WRITTEN LITERATURE
CLASSIFICATION: PROMINENT GENRES OF LITERATURE
A: PROSE/ NOVEL
A novel is an extended
fiction prose, narrative of a considerable length in which characters and
actions as representatives of real life, are portrayed in a plot of more less
complexity.
FEATURES OF A NOVEL
a. It
is featured by fictive narrations
b. It
uses characters who are doers of actions or who the story evolves around them
c. It
is written in a considerable length than other genre of literature
d. It
is written in a narrative form
SHORT
STORIES
It is a prose narrative
which is briefer than a short novel, covering a length of twenty or thirty
pages, restricted in number of characters and normally deals with one major
event/topic.
B: POETRY
§ Is
a composition that evokes emotions and imagination by the use of vivid, intense
Language usually arranged in a pattern of words or lines with a regular
repeated accent or stress.
§ Is
a composition that is characterized by special use of Language and rhythm,
rhymes, imagery, metaphor, symbol, onomatopoeia, meter and various repetitions.
§ Is
the writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of
experiences, chosen and arranged in a particular pattern to create specific
emotional response through its meaning, sound and rhythm.
§ It
is a literary genre that uses Language in a special way by employing a lot of
figurative expressions.
§ It
is a literary genre that in line and metrical form which is sharper in figurative
Language use and very economical in the amount of words used compared to other
genres.
§ It
is a way of expressing feelings, emotions, ideas and other things that we
experience, using Language characterized by imagery and rhythmical sounds.
CHARCTERISTICS/FEATURES OF POETRY
a. Poetry
is imaginative
b. It
is rhythmical or metrical in form
c. It
is reflective/reflects experiences
d. It
is rich in figures of speech or figurative Language
e. It
arouses emotions
f. It
implies the use of lines/verses in stanza
g. It
uses repetitive sounds, especially similar sounds like anadiplosis and
parallelism
h. Implies
poetic license i.e. allows grammatical errors
i.
It uses concentrated/condensed Language
or it is very economical in the amount
of words
HOW
POETRY DIFFERS FROM OTHER GENRES
a.
Poetry uses condensed/concentrated
Language than the two other genres of Literature
b.
Poetry is written in verses/lines that
form stanzas while other genres, for instance novel, words are in paragraphs
c.
Poetry employs poetic license largely
than the other genres
d.
Poetry is more rhythmical as almost
verses or words are pronounced in stressed and unstressed syllables in a
regular interval of beats with regular pauses
e.
Poetry is rich in figures Language than
novel and play
f.
Poetry uses Language that arouses
emotion than other genres as it implies the use of more elevated Language.
Because it uses/involves the five senses of a man (hearing, smelling, sighting,
tasting as well as feeling)
g.
Poetry uses repetitive sounds especially
of musical quality like rhyme, refrain etc.
h.
Poetry is more reflective literary work
than other literary genres
i.
Poetry as poems in composition can be
sung or recited, never to other genres
j.
Poetry uses the persona as the one who
presents/speaks in the poem(s) but the prose works use characters with their
names
TERMS USED IN
POETRY/POETIC TERMS
Poem;
It is a piece of writing/composition in verses form, especially in stanza(s).
it is the best words in best order.
Poet(ess);
a person who composes poems.
Persona; this is a
person who speaks or narrates in the poem.
Poetic license;
It is the freedom of the poet to break deliberately the grammar of a particular
in use.
Verse;
it is a single line in a stanza
Stanza;
this refers to a group of verses that form a single unit.
Rhyme;
it refers to the repetition of similar sounds especially at the end of verse(s)
Rhythm;
it is the pattern of stressed and unstressed words in musical beats especially
in regular intervals.
Refrain;
it refers to the repetition of the similar words/lines at end of each stanza
Alliteration;
is a repetition of consonant sounds within the same verse at initial of words.
Consonance;
this is the repetition of similar consonant sounds at the end of verses.
Assonance;
it is a repetition of similar vowel sounds in the same verse.
Reiteration;
it is the repetition of the same word(s) in the poem.
Parallelism;
is the repetition of a line which have a similar structure with some similar
phrases/the
use of similar or identical language, structures, events or ideas in different
parts of a text.
Tone;
this is the quality of sound a persona
Mood;
this is the state of being/ the atmosphere or emotional
condition created by the piece, within the setting. It may be
sympathy, anger, regretful, sadness etc.
Attitude;
the way someone perceives something
FORMS OF POETRY
§ There
are two types of poetry as the broader category according to
perspectives/views, these are;
1. Traditional
poetry
2. Modern
poetry
TRADITIONAL
POETRY
This refers to poems
written by using rules or principles like equal number of verses in each stanza
and follows rhyming pattern.
It is known as closed
form of writing poems as it is governed by strict rules or principles.
MODERN
POETRY
It is free verse, open
form of writing poems in which the traditional strict rules and principles are
not followed, instead are ignored.
But we have types of
poetry according to form (structure) and content. Under this category, we have
three major types of poetry, namely;
I.
Narrative poetry
II.
Lyric or lyrical poetry
III.
Dramatic poetry
I.
NARRATIVE POEMS
These are kinds of
poems which tell a story that are presented in the form of narrating a story.
We have many poems (classifications) which belong to this category like
Descriptive, didactic, epic, ballad etc.
DESCRIPTIVE
POEMS:
These are specific
categories of narrative poetry and are presented by describing/giving
features/characteristics of something/things.
DIDACTIC
POEMS:
Are those poems which
give instructions and are composed for educative purposes/issues. For example,
“Front line” by George Shea
EPIC
POEMS:
These are gland heroic
poems that try to narrate about phenomena or events of heroes/heroic figures in
a given society. Or it is a form of poem that recounts/tells accomplishment of
a heroic figure. It includes expansive setting, superhuman feats, gods and
supernatural being.
BALLAD:
Is a poem where by it
involves more than oneself/personal in conversation or speaking in turn.
These are some of
narrative poetry as there are others like reflective, expressive etc.
II.
LYRICAL POEMS:
Are poems which express
strong feelings/emotions of the speaker or persona. There are three
classifications of lyrical poems, which are ode, elegy and sonnet.
ODE:
Is a poem that
expresses serious issues/addresses a person or celebration of events.
ELEGY:
Is a poem that
expresses sorrowful or sad strong feelings especially on death of a close
person. Or is a type of poem in which a poet mourns the death of a specific
person. For example,“The Funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.” by Nikki Glovanni.
SONNET:
Is a poem that
expresses feelings using fourteen verses/ is a fourteen line poem normally with
a distinctive rhyme skills and a metrical pattern. “If we must die” “Merry-go-round” and “The
strange wind” are good examples of sonnet poems.
III.
DRAMATIC POETRY:
Is a kind of poetry
that involves dramatic narrative form and using more than one-self/persona.
There are two specifications of dramatic poetry;
MONLOGUE:
Refer to poems that are
under this category that involve one speaker who is in charge of more than him/herself.
E.g. “Song of Lawino”
DIALOGUE:
Refer to poems which
are involving more than one speaker or persona.
C: DRAMA/PLAY:
Is a piece of writing
performed by actors in a theater, television or radio. It ought to be a just
and likely image of human nature, reproducing the passions and humours and the
change of fortune to which it is subjected for the delight and instructions of
mankind.
It refers to the
imitation of complete actions adapted to the sympathetic attention of man,
developed in a succession of continuously related incidents acted and expressed
by means of speech and the symbol actualities and conditions of life. If a
drama does not use/employ words instead it only uses gestures, it is now called
a pantomime
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA/PLAY
a)
Setting;
this refers to the place where the literary work is set and time referring to
the story. Normally, the setting is real or imaginative in nature. The setting
can be specific (e.g., New York City in 1930) or ambiguous (e.g., a large urban
city during economic hard times). Also refers directly to a description
thereof.
b)
Characterization/dramatic personage:
is a process of choosing characters/actors/actress and shape them to represent
and portray the intended message. On the other hand, this is the author’s means of conveying
to the reader a character’s personality, life history, values, physical
attributes, etc. Also refers directly to a description thereof.
c)
Plot:
this is the arrangement (organization) or series of events/incidents in a
narrative or play/drama. It is a superstructure of literary work specifically a
novel or drama/play.
Plot
is the interplay and sequence of events in a story artistically arranged so
that the author may attain a specific aesthetic or artistic impact. It can be
arranged chronologically or achronologically depending on the author’s interest.
d)
Audience:
these are the people who receive the desired message through listening,
reading, observing or watching a drama/play.
e)
Diction:
this is the choice and use of words in a literary work.
f)
Style/technique:
refers to the way on how a literary work is structured/presented by the
author/playwright.
g)
Theme: The main idea or message conveyed by the piece of writing. A
theme is generally stated as a complete sentence; an idea expressed as a single
word or fragmentary phrase is called a motif.
h)
Motif: A
recurring important idea or image. A motif differs from a theme in that it can
be expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase, while a theme usually must
be expressed as a complete sentence.
DIFERRENCES BETWEEN
DRAMA AND PLAY
1.
Drama uses physical setting but play is
shaped by words
2.
Drama uses actual actions as acted while
play uses words to shape actions
3.
Drama has many audience than play as it
involves illiterate and literate people in the society
4.
Drama started before play
5.
The story is easier grasped in drama
than in play
6.
Drama is in spoken while play is always
in written language
7.
Drama uses real characters while play
uses imaginary characters shaped by words.
TYPES OF PLAY/DRAMA
There are about four
types of drama/play but the two types are the major ones of the four
TRAGEDY:
It is a type of drama
that involves seriousness of actions/issues and leads the hero of the drama to
endanger his life or ending to death or isolation. E.g. “An enemy of the
people” and “Death of a salesman”
COMEDY:
It is a kind of drama
which uses humorous/funny actions that can make people laugh. It is normally
characterized by mistaken identity as well as happy ending.
TRAGICOMEDY:
It is the combination
of both seriousness and humour but never the hero to die even when he is faced
with dangerous situations.
MELO
DRAMA:
This involves
excitement of actions very exaggerated and musical sounds, elements in the play
for entertainment.
ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
1.
FORM
2.
CONTENTS
FORM;
Consists of the
following,
a.
Setting
b.
Style
c.
Plot
d.
Diction
e.
Linguistic techniques
f.
Characterization
STYLE
In a normal sense,
style is a method of doing or performing something especially in the arts or
science. In a literary work, technique/style refers to the way the work has
been structured. There are many styles being used in presenting literary works,
some of them are as discussed below;
Flashback/analepsis: is an interjected scene that takes the
narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Not only
that but also flashback can be defined as an achronological movement back in
time, so that a chronologically earlier incident is related later in the text.
Generally, flashback is
referred to as the insertion of an earlier event into the chronological
structure of a novel, motion picture, play and films.
Oral traditional
style/straight forward: this is the style in which a
story is told from the beginning, middle and to its end. It is a commonly and
older used literary technique unlike others.
Overshadowing/prolepsis:
it
is a literary technique which involves showing a little insight of what the
work of art is comprised and then giving detailed information as the work is
developed
PLOT
This refers to an
arrangement (organization) of events in a narrative or play. It is clearly
reflected through conflicts, physical, moral or personal conflict. A story is
what happens, a plot is the actions.
Plot is an interplay
and sequence of events in a story artfully arranged so that the author may
attain the desired aesthetic or artistic effect. It is built through the
following;
Exposition:
is the point that involves defining the setting and characterization.
Imposing problem/conflict:
the point where the writer starts to develop the story using conflicting ideas
of two characters/sides.
Rising action:
this involves developing actions/events from the problem/conflicting ideas to
other new developed problems.
Climax:
the highest point of interest that the story centers. Or it is the turning
point in a story, at which the end result becomes inevitable, usually where
something suddenly goes terribly wrong; the “dramatic high point” of a story.
Falling actions: the
point where the interest of the reader starts to go/drop down.
Resolution/denouncement:
the point in which solutions of the problem are found and suggestions are given
out.
CHARACTERIZATION
This is the artistic
technique which refers to the creation of imaginary persons so that they exist
for the reader as life-like.
How do we determine
characters?
Behavior, trait or
features
a)
His/her words, what he/she speaks/says
b)
His/her actions/deeds, what he/she does
c)
His/her name
d)
What is said by other characters to
another
e)
His/her own monologue
f)
What he/she thinks in armchair
g)
Physical movement
h)
Psychological set up/background which is
the mental pictures of that character
i)
Moral aspects
TYPES OF CHARACTERS
a.
Protagonist character;
these are characters that carry the burden/side of the majority as they are
used on behalf of the society interests.
b.
Antagonist characters;
are those characters that tend to go against the protagonist characters and
they are selfish, defending their personal interests.
c.
Main characters;
these are characters that are seen throughout the work whether pro or
antagonist and are used to send/convey the intended message to the society
through their conflicting ideas.
d.
Minor characters;
are helping characters who help the main characters to carry a message.
e.
Round characters;
are those characters that change their personality in the work of art. They
develop from one stage to another. In another way they are known as developing
characters.
f.
Flat characters;
are those characters that do not change as throughout the entire work of art as
they are static in nature. However, they can sometimes be called static
characters.
g.
Stock characters;
are borrowed characters from another field like from oral tradition.
THE ROLE OF LITERATURE IN THE
SOCIETY
i.
To educate people; by inculcating
them with sense of awareness and self-activation. It develops the mind of
people by giving them knowledge on the existing social realities, as it makes
the person to reason.
ii.
To entertain the people by the use
of aesthetic pleasure that stimulates the sense of enjoyment. It is through
reading, listening and watching literary works like novels, plays and
films/movies.
iii.
To develop language as it uses
language as the medium of presentation, then people develop
language/communicative skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. It
improves the stock of vocabulary and grammar.
iv.
To liberate people physically and
mentally as it directs people towards their problems, they may decide to
liberate themselves through struggles as it awakens and inform of the social
realities.
v.
To criticize the society/people as
it points out the weakness, follies, vices and evils of the society as well as
giving out good things as the views of what the society should do away from the
existing circumstances.
vi.
To express people’s culture which
includes values, norms, customs, beliefs, language etc. it makes/promotes good
or useful aspects of culture. Also it makes people abandon bad practices, norms
and beliefs.
vii.
To influence people towards
changes. People may be influenced to act or do things in some ways after
reading or watching literary works. It instills revolutionary ideas.
NB:
Changes
can be positive or negative.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
The language of
literature always is not direct. It is a connotative language which implies
indirect meaning/literary meaning rather than direct/literal or denotative
meaning. And it is that language which is referred to as figurative language/literary meaning.
Hence, in order for the
interpretation to obtain meaning in any literary work, it has to be done
through;
ü Association
ü Context
ü Impact
Figurative language
includes the following;
o
Imagery
o
Figures of speech
o
Proverbs
o
Riddles
o
Sayings
o
Idioms
o
etc.
IMAGERY:
It is the figurative
language that when it is used, it paints a mental picture in the mind of the
reader/listener. Or
Imagery refers to the
use of language to represent descriptive things, actions or even abstract
ideas. On the other hand, imagery is Language which describes something in
detail, using words to substitute for and create sensory stimulation, including
visual imagery and sound imagery. Also refers to specific and recurring types
of images, such as food imagery and nature imagery.
It
involves mental picture language, for example;
“Her body has unusual black, like
soot
With terrifying rashes,
And chronic sores.
She is getting thinner, thinner and
thinner
Than a mosquito body”
When a person reads the
above verses, he/she may paint a picture/image of a person who is thinner or
becoming thinner than a mosquito body as well as her body is terribly destroyed
by rashes and black scars like soot.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Is the use of language
that one thing refers in terms of another which it symbolically resembles.
There are many figures
of speech in literature, below are some of them;
Metaphor: is
the figure of speech which implies direct comparison of two unlike things
without using conjunctions. For example;
§ He
is a lion
§ She
is a green snake in the green grass
Simile:
is
a comparison of two unlike things using conjuctions. It is an indirect relationship where one thing
or idea is expressed as being similar to another. Similes usually contain the
words “like” or “as,” but not always.
For example;
§ He
looks like a dog
§ She
is as slow as a snail
Symbolism:
is the use of specific symbols, ideas, objects or events to represent/suggest
or stand for something else. For example;
§ Blood-sacrifice,
relationship
§ Rain/water-life/hope
Personification:
this is a figure of speech that gives or endows objects, animals, ideas or
things the ability to do thing like human beings. Or
Is the giving of
attributes to inanimate that they do not deserve (inanimate means non-animals
e.g. stones, trees etc.). For example;
§ Hyena
said, let me eat
§ The
mountain rose majestically
§ All
the birds sang sorrowfully
Hyperbole/overstatement:
is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration of things, ideas or events.
For example;
§ Mr.
John invited billions of people to his party
§ Ayoub
always eats ten dishes of food
Euphemism: is
a figure of speech that is used to reduce harshness of words that could be
spoken in the public. For example;
§ Passed
away instead of died
§ Family
way instead of pregnant
§ Vagina/female
reproductive organ instead of cunt
Metonymy: is
a figure of speech characterized by the substitution of one item closely
related to another. For example;
§ Crown-king/queen
§ State
house- president
§ Chair-leadership
Irony: is
the figure of speech that tells/speaks opposite of what is meant to be. It is where
an event that occurs is unexpected, and which is in absurd or mocking
opposition to what is expected or appropriate. For example;
§ A
man of the people-enemy
§ An
enemy of the people-friend
Satire:
it is a figure of speech/literary term that use humour or wit to ridicule human
vices, follies or weakness. It is used for the purpose of improving human
institutions or humanity.
Sarcasm: this
is a figure of speech that uses language and inflicting, wounding as well as tormenting
a person. For example;
§ Despite
your richness but you have no even a single child!
§ Do
you think you are so special? If so, you are deducing yourself!
§ No
one can marry such kind of a person like you!
Onomatopoeia: refers
to the formation of words referring to the sounds produced by the originator of
the words. For example;
§ The
hissing of a snake
§ The
bang of the door
Depersonification: this
is a figure of speech which gives a human being the inanimate (non-human)
characteristics or behavior. For example;
§ He
barked like a rabid dog
§ She
has as a long neck as a giraffe
Apostrophe: an
explanation in which a person is addressing an absence or dead human being or a
non-human creature, as if they can hear or reply. For example;
§ They
visit us in dream
§ The
dead never comes back
Paradox: this
is a contradictory statement which has some truth when interpreted, where a
situation is created which cannot possibly exist, because different elements of
it cancel each other out.
§ You
will kill him with your kindness
§ Let
us develop a dangerous habit of unselfishness
Allusion: the
comparison of an ordinary person or event with a past famous or notorious
person or event. For example;
§ The
use of a passion week
§ The
use of biblical/Quranic terms
Synecdoche: the
substitution of a meaning where a part of an entity is mentioned to mean the
whole entity or the whole entity is mentioned to mean its part. For example;
§ I
employ many hands because I have many mouths to feed
§ Tanzania
won a gold medal in the Marathon
Oxymoron: a
statement in which elements of opposite meanings are used. For example;
§ Let
us agree not to disagree
§ feather
of lead
§ sick
health
§ cold
fire
Allegory: a
story that has two meanings, one open and direct meaning, and another indirect,
hidden but intended meaning, where every aspect of a story is representative,
usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or
important historical/geopolitical event.
Understatement/litotes:
this
is a figure of speech which describes or represents something being smaller or
less significant than it really is. Consider the examples below;
§ She
is becoming thinner and thinner than a mosquito body.
§ He
is shorter that he is able to sit on a paracetamol tablet.
TONE
This is the fundamental
attitude which the poet takes towards his subject or audience and to his entire
understanding so as to communicate his feeling. Tone can be expressed in the
following ways;
i.
Ironical tone
ii.
Satirical tone
iii.
Sarcastic tone
iv.
Humorous tone
v.
Wit tone
vi.
Happiness, anger, seriousness,
sorrowful, sadness, regretful etc.
STANZA
Is a poetic unit made
up of a number of lines. Stanzas also are categorized according to a number of
lines/verses it contains. They include;
¶ Couplet-2lines
¶ Triplet-3lines
¶ Quatrain-4lines
¶ Quintent-5lines
¶ Sestet-6lines
¶ Septet-7lines
¶ Octave-8lines
¶ etc.
PRACTICAL
ANALYSIS/CRITICISM ON POEMS
There are several
things that you are required to consider when you are analyzing a poem. The
following are important things to consider;
TOOLS;
poem
A dictionary
The detailed checklist for analyzing poetry
THE
DETAILED CHECKLIST
This is the list of
procedures and technicalities to be employed/considered in poetry analysis.
They include the following;
i.
The
title of a poem; the title sometimes may help you to
get a clue on what the poem is about. It is also more helpful to the reader for
predicting the content of a given poem. However, it is not necessarily that
every title is capable of suggesting the content of the poem as titles are
ironical in nature.
ii.
Form/structure;
this refers to how the poem is construed specifically in considering the verses
and/or stanzas it contains. It may have fourteen or less and more verses,
perhaps.
iii. General message/content; this
is referred to as the core message a poem contains.
iv. Other possible themes; these
are supplementary issues discussed in a poem. They are sometimes known as
motifs.
v. The speaker/persona; this
is the one who speaks in a poem. He/she may be passive persona who only
narrates about a problem/situation without him/herself being affected by it.
Also, he/she can be an active persona who is directly affected by the topic of
discussion.
vi. Language use/diction; this
is referred to the way on how a language is used to mould a poem. This is so
crucial in Literature, Language use is very influential in moulding the message
the artist wants to convey. It includes
the level of formality (i.e. formal or informal/standard or non-standard),
figures of speech as well as imagery.
vii. Musical devices; here
a reader is ought to pay much attention on issues like rhyme, rhythm, refrain,
assonance, consonance, alliteration, reiteration, anadiplosis, parallelism etc.
viii. Tone/mood/attitude of the persona; understanding
of tone/mood/attitude can help a reader to determine the message, a poet
intended to convey to his/her audience.
ix. Relevance of the poem; a
reader is supposed to relate the motifs with his/her contemporary society. The
poem may only be relevant if it reflects the social reality in the reader’s
society.
WORKED EXAMPLES ON
POEMS CRITICAL APPRECIATION
EAT MORE by Joe Corrie
Eat
more fruit, the slogan say
More
fish, more beef, more bread
But
I’m on unemployment pay
My
third year now and wed.
And
also I wonder when I see
The
slogan when I pass
The
only one that would suit me
Eat
more bloody grass.
CRITICAL CRITICISM
i.
Who speaks in the poem?
ü The
one who speaks in this poem is the active persona who is directly affected by unemployment
and he is complaining about eating balanced diet while he cannot afford it due
to his poor financial position.
ii.
What is the tone/mood/attitude of the
speaker?
ü The
persona’s tone/mood/attitude is sadness/angry (anger) and seriousness because
he is complaining on the situation of unemployment that makes him to fail to
afford eating balanced diet.
iii.
How the poem is organized (structured)?
ü The
poem is organized into two stanzas with four verses in each stanza.
iv.
Comment on the Language use
ü The
Language used in a poem is ordinary or standard Language because it uses the
common words. Also it follows the grammatical rules like punctuation.
However,
there is the use of figurative language which include the following;
o
Imagery; this can be depicted by the
description of the slogan as well the diet contents specifically in the first
stanza.
o
Figures of speech; there is a lot of figures
of speech depicted in this poem, and they include;


“Eat more fruit, the slogan says
More fish, more beef, more bread”
v.
What is the content/general idea/topic
of the poem?
ü The
general idea/content of the poem is unemployment which results to poverty,
exploitation, protest, conflict etc.
vi.
What are the poetic features used in
this poem?
ü Different
poetic features used in this poem, they include the following;
o
Rhyme; the rhymes used are; “abab”
rhyming scheme in the in the first stanza and “cdcd” rhymes in the second
stanza/last stanza.
o
Repetition of similar sounds e.g.

More fish, more beef,
more bread


“Eat more fruit, the
slogan say
More fish, more beef, more bread
But I’m on unemployment pay
My
third year now and wed.”
o
Assonance; this is seen in the second verse of the first
stanza as shown below;
“Eat more fruit, the
slogan say
More fish, more beef,
more bread
-------------------------------------- ”
vii.
What is the type of this poem?
ü It
is a lyric poem which is short and expresses strong feelings/ideas of a
persona.
viii.Is
the poem relevant to your contemporary society?
ü The
poem is so relevant to our contemporary society as in most cases people in
power insist the implementation of different slogans without even considering
their affordability to the common people.
good english literature notes
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