Translate This Page
Dear visitor,
الذى فى الاعلى
Short story / Novel / Drama / Poetry
Mr. / Girgis
What do we mean by literature?
John McRae (1994) distinguishes between
literature with a capital L - the classical texts
e.g. Shakespeare, Dickens - and literature with
a small l, which refers to popular fiction,
fables and song lyrics.
The literature used in ELT classrooms today is no
longer restricted to canonical texts from certain
countries e.g. UK, USA, but includes the work
of writers from a diverse range of countries and
cultures using different forms of English.
Types of literary texts:
1 Short stories
2 Poems
3 Novels
4 Plays
5 Song Lyrics.
Importance of teaching Literature:
Literature:
1-Gets one acquainted with the world‟s
great minds, personalities and great
teachers of all ages.
2-Aims at helping one understand oneself
as well as others.-
3-Provides opportunity for development of
sensory, effective, social, intellectual and
religious senses or faculties.
4-Provides vicarious experiences to those
exposed to it
5-Trains the mind and equips the child for
independent work and unbiased judgment
i.e in analysis and criticism.
6-Helps one operate one‟s rationale facilities.
It in fact exposes one to healthy human
values and attitudes, character and behavior
and to understand the complex nature of
human being
7-Helps one in analysis, interpreting and
dealing with the world of reality.
8-Helps in the acquisition of the language
skills.
9-Imposes a high discipline on those who
are exposed to it.
10-Broadens the cultural needs and
horizon of the child.
11-Exposes the child to the beauty and
potentials of language
12-Encourages attempts at creative writing
which stems from understanding a creative
processes as well as appreciating the
principal of creativity.
A short story is a piece of brief literature, usually
written in narrative prose. Short stories can be
written in a variety of formats, but the most typical
features a small cast of characters with names
and focuses on a single, self-contained incident.
Short stories make use of a plot and other normal
literary components, just to a lesser and shorter
degree than a novel. They also vary in length.
Now that we know generally what a short story is,
we can discuss the different types of short stories.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, since
short stories come in a wide variety of lengths
and styles. But this is a list of the most common.
short stories come in a wide variety of lengths and
styles. But this is a list of the most common.
An anecdote is a short account of something
interesting and amusing, which usually tells
a story about a real person and/or incident.
Often, anecdotes are used to illustrate or
support a point in an essay, article, or chapter.
They are very short, but have no specific limits.
“In [Ralph Waldo] Emerson’s later years his
memory began increasingly to fail. He used to
refer to it as his ‘naughty memory’ when it let
him down. He would forget the names of things,
and have to refer to them in a circumlocutory
way, saying, for instance, ‘the implement that
cultivates the soil’ for plow.
Worse, he could not remember people’s names.
At Longfellow’s funeral, he remarked to a friend,
‘That gentleman has a sweet, beautiful soul,
but I have entirely forgotten his name.’
Perhaps most touching was his term for
umbrella–‘the thing that strangers take away.'”
A drabble is an exceptionally short piece of fiction,
usually of exactly 100 words in length –
not including the title. The purpose of a drabble is
extreme brevity and to test an author’s skill at
expressing himself/herself meaningfully and
interestingly in a very confined space.
A drabble example, by the lovely Matty, is available
over at Sugar and Blood: Light as a Feather.
In fact, Matty has many drabble stories!
A fable is a succinct story featuring anthropomorphic
creatures (usually animals, but also mythical
creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of
nature) to tell a story with a moral.
Often the moral is explicitly told at the end.
A fable is similar to a parable, but differs most
in the fact that fables use animals to tell a story
but parables do not.
creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces
of nature) to tell a story with a moral.
A feghoot is an interesting short story type also known
as a story pun or a poetic story joke. It is a humorous
piece ending in an atrocious pun. It can be very short,
only long enough to sufficiently illustrate the context
of the piece enough to lead up to the pun.
I found an interesting blog of all Feghoots.
This one is a good example and totally groan-
worthy as the format requires: The Buck of the Draw.
Flash fiction refers to an extremely short piece
of literature. It has no widely accepted length,
but has a debated cap of between 300 and
1000 words.
I found a whole webpage of flash fiction, called
Flash Fiction Online. It has a small section of
fantasy and I thought this one a good example
to share: One Last Night at the Carnival Before the Stars Go Out.
A frame story is also known as a frame tale or a
nested narrative. It is a literary technique of
placing a story within a story, for the purpose of
introducing or setting the stage for a main
narrative or a series of short stories.
A few good example of a frame story would be a
flashback within a larger piece or a quest within
a larger game environment.
A mini-saga is a short story told in exactly 50 words.
It is a test in brevity – about saying a lot with a little.
I found a fascinating guide. It has a few examples
and the bottom is for filling in with your exact 50 words.
There was another page with good advice and a
progressive piece as an example.
A story sequence, also called a short story cycle or
a composite novel, is a group of short stories that
work together to form a longer piece, while still
functioning as complete short stories on their own.
It would be hard to link to an example, but the best
I can think of are several of the works of Isaac
Asimov – the Foundation books and I, Robot
(the original book, NOT the story portrayed in the
Will Smith movie) in particular. (the original book,
NOT the story portrayed in the Will Smith movie)
in particular.
They are not a novel in the traditional sense,
but instead a collection of short stories in
chronological order that both tell small stories
and one larger one.
A sketch story is a shorter than average piece
containing little or no plot. It can be merely a
description of a character or a location.
Character sketches are common, and a good
way to build a character that will eventually be
part of a longer piece.
A vignette is a short, impressionistic piece that focuses
on a single scene, character, idea, setting, or object.
There is little emphasis on adhering to conventional
theatrical or literary structure, or story development.
It can be a stand-alone piece or part of a larger work.
From grammar.about.com’s entry for the vignette ,
an example vignette by E.B. White:
“The strong streak of insanity in railroads, which
accounts for a child’s instinctive feeling for them
and for a man’s unashamed devotion to them, is
congenital; there seems to be no reason to fear
that any disturbing improvement in the railroads’
condition will set in.
Lying at peace but awake in a Pullman berth all one
hot night recently, we followed with dreamy satisfaction
the familiar symphony of the cars–the diner departing
(furioso) at midnight, the long, fever-laden silences
between runs, the timeless gossip of rail and wheel
during the runs, the crescendos and diminuendos,
the piffling poop-pooping of the diesel’s horn.
How to teach a short story in
the classroom:
1-Click here to go to( A short story lesson plan ).
Storyboarding is a wonderful way to integrate art with
story retelling. To make your own storyboard, simply
list the elements of basic story structure you want to
focus on (e.g., beginning, middle, and end) on a page
with a large empty box next to each element. In each
box, have students draw a scene from a text you’ve
read recently that illustrates that element.
The “Somebody Wanted But So Then” exercise
provides a framework for summarizing a story by
identifying and describing key story elements.
Using a table like the one below, have students fill
in each box with a brief summary from the story.
For older students, use more elements and increase
the level of detail required for each element.
4-Sample Story Map Card
Name _____________________ Part _________________
Setting:
Characters:
Time:
Place:
Problem:
Events:
Resolution:
Acting the scenes or playing the roles.
Feedback
A story map is another visual tool that helps students
summarize story structure to improve reading
comprehension. Using a text you’ve studied, have
your students describe selected story components.
This can be done as a class, in small groups, or
individually. Differentiate your maps by analyzing
simpler or more complex structure elements.
Write the story elements you’ve been studying on
cards. Break students up into small groups or pairs
and have each student pick a card without revealing
its element. One at a time, each student reads a
passage from a story you’ve studied that illustrates
the element while the other students try to identify
what’s on the card.
For older students, use a story graph to chart the story
arc of plot sub-elements such as exposition, rising
action, conflict, falling action, climax, and resolution.
On the x axis, list the desired story elements
chronologically. On the y axis, indicate excitement
level from low at the bottom to high at the top.
Have your students plot the points for each story
element to reveal the story arc.
For this project, students work in a group to design a
theme park based upon the literary elements of a
selected novel. The various aspects of the park from
the layout to the rides to the characters should be
inspired by the novel.
Students should consider the
following questions:
What are the major themes of the novel?
How can than these themes be represented
in a theme park?
What are the major plot points of the novel?
How can these be represented by the “lands”
in the theme park?
Who are the major characters of the novel?
How can these characters inspire theme park
characters and rides?
What is the setting of the novel?
How can this setting inspire the architecture
of the park?
How can the merchandise sold in the theme park
relate to the novel?
Theme Park Map
Characters
Shows
Merchandise
Just from the word tragedy, you can assume
that the ending will be sad. But there is more to a
tragedy than a play with no happy ending.
You can tell if a play is a tragedy if it includes:
A protagonist with a tragic flaw
Circumstances that quickly get out of control
and not in a funny way
Darker themes than a melodrama, such as human
suffering, hatred, or poverty
Features the downfall of a previously heroic or
well-liked character
An irredeemable ending that results in one or
more characters’ deaths
Reaches a tragic catharsis
The purpose of a headline is to simultaneously
report key information while grabbing the attention
of the reader. A good headline tells what the
article is about and makes you want to read it.
Therefore, the words within a headline must be
carefully and purposefully chosen in order to
serve two purposes: report and persuade.
For this activity, students write three headlines
for a pre-selected book that reveal key elements
such as plot, character, and setting.
They should try to find unique angles into the
story that would catch attention while still being
relevant to the story.
of the reader. A good headline tells what the article
is about and makes you want to read it.
carefully and purposefully chosen in order to serve
two purposes: report and persuade.
For this activity, students write three headlines for a
pre-selected book that reveal key elements such
as plot, character, and setting. They should try to
find unique angles into the story that would catch
attention while still being relevant to the story.
This is also a great lesson to pair with rhetorical
devices. Students should try using rhetorical
strategies such as alliteration, puns, and repetition
to make each headline catch more attention!
Students then explain how the headlines connect
to the book and how they grab attention.
Instagram is a popular social media platform that allows
users to create magazine-like layouts of images, leave
comments, and use hashtags to target key concepts
and ideas from posts. But— you probably already knew
that! For this assignment, students create a fictitious
Instagram account for a book character of their choice.
Students should consider the following questions:
What kind of content would this character post?
How would this character explain each post?
What kind of language would this character use?
Who would this character follow on Instagram?
Who would follow this character on Instagram?
What kind of comments would people leave on
this character’s posts?
How would this character comment on other posts?
Who is friends with this character?
Who is related to this character?
Instagram feed?
The character’s Instagram page should include
the following elements:
The character’s profile
A profile pic of the character
2-3 Insta Story Highlight Covers (images, text, etc.)
3+ posts from the character
Each post must include a relevant caption that relates
to the story
Each post must contain 2-3 relevant comments
from followers
An explanation of how the IG account connects to
the book (typed & turned in separately)
Drama in literature refers to the performance of
written dialogue and stage action. It’s a literary
genre that allows actors to act out a writer’s
words directly to an audience. But there’s more
than one type of literary genre and chances are,
you’ve seen examples of them all. Here are some
explanations and examples of different types of
drama in literature.
Comedies are usually humorous plays. But being
funny isn’t the only way to define a comedy!
The elements of a comedy include:
Lighthearted tone
Clever wordplay or turns of phrase
Serious topics addressed in a humorous way
Comical misunderstandings
Happy ending
Silly, offbeat characters
Often ends with a wedding, especially in
romantic comedies
One of the most famous examples of a comedy
is William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
Beatrice and Benedick transition from foes to
lovers with clever banter and more than a few
silly misunderstandings. And, like all proper
Shakespearean comedies, it ends with a wedding!
It’s tempting to put opera and musical drama into the
same category. However, their production proves
that there are significant differences between the
two. But how can you tell a musical drama apart
from an opera? Use this checklist:
Periods of standard story-line interrupted by songs
Characters often singing in unison to express feelings
Songs as plot-changing devices
Dramatic or comedic story lines
Catchy, distinctive musical score
Often lots of singing and dancing
A farce is a type of broad comedy. It depends less
on a narrative story-line and more on physical
humor, sight gags, silly jokes. Here are the parts
of a farcical comedy:
Exaggerated humor
Slapstick gags
Nonsensical story-line
probable events
One or two settings
Humor is often crude and inappropriate
Operas are dramas in which the characters sing each
line rather than speaking. The entire production is
set to a musical score. You can tell you’re watching
an opera if it includes these attributes:
Musical soliloquies known as arias
Plot-driving passages that can be non-melodic
A (text) set to a musical score
Subject matter that is tragic, comic, or melodramatic
Can incorporate an element of dance, but typically
relies on singing performances
Elaborate sets, costume design, and production
One of the most famous operas of all time is
Giacomo Puccini’s.
It tells the tragic story of Rodolfo, Mimi, and the
world of French Bohemia. Set to one of opera’s
most memorable scores, the story reveals itself
over the course of a year.
When you hear drama, you probably think of melodrama .
Melodramas tell a serious story in serious ways.
Not sure if a drama is a melodrama?
Check if it includes the following:
Character tropes such as heroes, heroines, villains,
mentors, etc.
Sweeping stories of romance or serious topics
Larger-than-life plots and circumstances (or very
small stories told in big ways)
Exaggerated character reactions
Clear literary themes
Flawed characters who must overcome their
faults in order to reach their resolution
Ending that is sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy
Consider Henrik Ibsen’s A doll's house when referring
to a melodrama. Nora’s over-the-top reactions place
the play right into the definition of melodrama.
The ending is a mix of both happiness and hope
for Nora, and sadness and despair for Torvald.
Just from the word tragedy, you can assume that
the ending will be sad. But there is more to a
tragedy than a play with no happy
ending. You can tell if a play is a tragedy if it includes:
Circumstances that quickly get out of control –
Darker themes than a melodrama, such as
human suffering, hatred, or poverty
An irredeemable ending that results in one or more
characters’ deaths
When you combine the elements of a comedy
and a tragedy, you get a tragicomedy!
Tragicomedies are more complex than a drama
with a few jokes, or a comedy with a serious scene.
Some ways to tell if you’re watching a tragicomedy
are if it has:
A serious story-line told in a humorous, sardonic,
or snide way
Tragically flawed characters whose actions don’t
result in death
An ambiguous theme
Broad characters who act in classically comical ways
Neither a happy nor a comic ending.
How to teach a play in the classroom:
Task 1
Discussion about the age, background, author, title
Task 2
Discussion to elicit the theme of the play
Task 3
Eliciting the meaning of the new vocabulary
Task 4
Extensive reading for skimming the main ideas
Intensive reading for scanning the specific details
Task 5
Devising a plot for a play:
Divide the students up into groups. Groups can
number between three to five students.
One set of task cards is needed for every three
groups with one set as a spare.
Take the Character cards and, without showing
them the words on the back, ask each group
to pick two cards.
Do the same with the Emotion cards and
Prop cards, making sure that a different
group picks first every time.
Each group should end up with:two
Character cards, two Emotion cards o
and two Prop cards.
Tell the groups to think of a simple plot for a
play that uses all their different cards.
They can add in other characters, emotions
and props, but they must include the ones that
they already have. If a group gets stuck, they
can exchange three cards with the ones in
the spare set.
When the groups have finished, ask a
spokesperson from each group to tell
the whole class which cards their group
picked and how they turned them into a story.
Task 6
Summary plot-lines
Task 7
Extension activity
Ask the students if they can write the first scene
of their play in groups.
Homework
Ask the students to write a review of a film or a play
that they have seen recently.
POETRY- has an overall central theme or idea
within each poem
Images - the mental pictures the poet creates
through language
Diction - the selection of specific words
Form - the arrangement of words, lines, verses,
rhymes, and other features.
Cadence - A rhythmic change in the inflection of
sounds from words being spoken. Sometimes referred
to the flow of words.
Couplet - two lines of verse that rhyme at the end
and are thought as one unit
Meter - A rhythm that continuously repeats a single
basic pattern.
Rhyme - Words that end with similar sounds.
Usually at the end of a line of the poem.
Rhyming - Two lines of a poem together with the
same rhythm
Rhythm - A pattern created with sounds: hard -
soft, long - short, bouncy, quiet - loud, weak - strong .
Stanza - A part of a poem with similar rhythm and
rhyme that will usually repeat later in the poem.
Verse - A line of a poem, or a group of lines within a
long poem.
Form:
Types of poems:
1. Lyric Poetry:
It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily
the poet) who expresses strong thoughts and
feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones,
are lyric poems.
It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles
the plot line of a story [i.e. the introduction of conflict
and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement].
3. Descriptive Poem:
Ode:
It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length,
with a serious subject, an elevated style, and
an elaborate stanza pattern,
An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an
individual, an idea, or an event. In ancient
Greece, odes were originally accompanied by music
—in fact, the word “ode” comes from the Greek
word aeidein, which means to sing or to chant.
Odes are often ceremonial, and formal in tone..
Elegy:
It is a lyric poem that mourns the dead. [It's not to
be confused with a eulogy.]It has no set metric or
stanzaic pattern, but it usually begins by reminiscing
about the dead person, then laments the reason
for the death, and then resolves the grief by
concluding that death leads to immortality.
It often uses "apostrophe" (calling out to the dead
person) as a literary technique. It can have a fairly
formal style, and sound similar to an ode.
It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the
English version, is usually written in iambic pentameter.
There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the Italian
(or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean
(or Elizabethan/English) sonnet.
The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after
Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet.
The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave
(eight lines) and a sestet
(six lines). The Shakespearean sonnet consists
of three quatrains (four lines each) and a
concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan
sonnet tends to divide the thought into two parts
(argument and conclusion); the Shakespearean,
into four (the final couplet is the summary).
Ballad:
It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm
and can be sung. A ballad is usually organized
into quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm
structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people.
Epic:
It is a long narrative poem in elevated style
recounting the deeds of a legendary or
historical hero.
Qualities of an Epic Poem:
narrative poem of great scope; dealing with the
founding of a nation or some other heroic theme
requires a dignified theme requires an organic
unity requires orderly progress of the action
always has a heroic figure or figures involves
supernatural forces written in deliberately
ceremonial style
10 Famous Poets and Poems:
Birthplace: Boston
Famous poem: ”The Raven”
Famous quote: ”I have great faith in fools —
self-confidence my friends call it.”
Birthplace: Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Famous poem: ”Sonnet XVIII” (Shall I compare
thee to a summer’s day?)
Famous quote: ”All the world’s a stage, and
all the men and women merely players: they
have their exits and their entrances; and one
man in his time plays many parts. His acts
being seven ages.”
Birthplace: St. Louis
Famous poem: ”On the Pulse of Morning”
Birthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts
Famous poem: “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”
Famous quote: “Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul — and sings the tunes
without the words — and never stops at all.”
Birthplace: Chicago
Famous poem: “Where the Sidewalk Ends”
Famous quote: ”What I do is good. I wouldn’t
let it out if I didn’t think it was.”
Birthplace: San Francisco
Famous poem: “The Road Not Taken”
Famous quote: “The woods are lovely, dark
and deep. But I have promises to keep, and
miles to go before I sleep.”
Birthplace: Parral, Chile
Famous poem: “I Do Not Love You Except
Because I Love You”
Famous quote: “To feel the love of people whom
we love is a fire that feeds our life.”
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Famous poem: “i carry your heart with me”
Famous quote: “It takes courage to grow up
and become who you really are.”
Birthplace: Joplin, Missouri
Famous poem: “I Too Sing America”
Famous quote: “Hold fast to dreams for if
dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that
cannot fly.”
Birthplace: Long Island, New York
Famous poem: “I Hear America Singing”
Famous quote: “Either define the moment or
the moment will define you.”
How to teach a poen in the classroom:
Have your students read the poem once to
themselves and then aloud, all the way through,
at LEAST twice. Feel free to play a recording of
the poem or show a video of someone reading
the poem, too. Afterward, talk to your class about
their first impression and immediate responses,
both positive and negative. Also, discuss the
poem's structure and rhythm.
Think about the title and how it relates to the poem.
Titles often provide important clues about what is
at the heart of a piece.
Questions to talk about :
Does the title immediately change how you think about it?
Does the poem’s title paint a picture that gives a
specific time frame, setting or action?
Does it imply multiple possibilities?
Understanding the poet is at the center of a poem
may help the piece appear more tangible to
students because they’re able to imagine a
person behind the language.
Questions to consider are:
Who “tells” the poem?
Does the poem give any clues about the speaker’s
personality, the point of view, age, or gender?
Who is the speaker addressing?
Does the speaker seem attached or detached
from what is said?
Since you discussed figurative language, mood,
setting, and speaker—there’s no better time
than to apply what you’ve learned line-by-line.
Paraphrasing may seem pretty self-explanatory.
You should lead students line-by-line and translate
figurative language or unclear phrases into simple
r terms that will not get in the way of analyzing
the poem later on.
The theme of a poem relates to a universal truth,
issue, or conflict. To determine the theme, look
over all of your analysis and connect the dots:
What is the subject?
Who is the speaker?
What situation are they in?
How do they feel about the subject?
What is the mood?
1-Classroom Activity 1
2-Classroom Activity 2
3-Classroom Activity 3
4-Classroom Activity 4
5-Classroom Activity 5
6-Classroom Activity 6
7-Classroom Activity 7
8- Classroom Activity 8
Make a free website with Yola