Comprehensive English Literature Guide For JCE & MSCE

Definition of Literature

Literature refers to written or spoken works that express ideas, emotions, or tell stories in imaginative and artistic ways. It includes books, poems, plays, and oral traditions that reflect human experiences and creativity.

Functions of Literature

• Entertainment – Literature provides enjoyment through stories, poems, and plays.
• Education – Literature teaches language, culture, history, and values.
• Moral Instruction – Many literary works carry messages about right and wrong, encouraging good behavior.
• Cultural Preservation – Literature helps preserve traditions, beliefs, and customs.
• Awareness and Reflection – Literature can help people reflect on social issues and understand different perspectives.

Major Genres of Literature

• Prose – Written in sentences and paragraphs; includes novels, short stories, and essays.
• Poetry – Written in lines and stanzas; often uses rhythm and figurative language.
• Drama – Literature meant to be performed on stage; written in dialogue and stage directions.

1. Plot

The sequence of events in a story. It includes:

• Exposition – Introduction of characters and setting
• Rising Action – Development of conflict
• Climax – Turning point or most intense moment
• Falling Action – Events after the climax
• Resolution – End of the story

2. Characters

The people or animals in a story. Types include:

• Main characters (protagonists)
• Opposing characters (antagonists)
• Static characters – Do not change
• Dynamic characters – Undergo change

3. Setting

Where and when a story takes place. It includes:

• Place – The location of events
• Time – Historical period, season, or time of day
• Atmosphere – The mood or feeling

4. Conflict

The struggle between opposing forces.

• Internal Conflict – Struggle within a character
• External Conflict – Struggle with outside forces (e.g., another character or society)

5. Theme

The central idea or message in a story. Common themes include love, justice, courage, and greed.

6. Point of View

The perspective from which the story is told.

• First Person – Uses “I”
• Third Person – Uses “he,” “she,” or “they”
• Omniscient – The narrator knows all characters’ thoughts and feelings

1. Structure and Form

• Lines – Individual rows in a poem
• Stanzas – Groups of lines (like paragraphs in prose)
• Rhyme – Repetition of similar sounds (e.g., cat/hat)
• Meter – The rhythm or beat in a poem

2. Sound Devices

• Rhyme – End sounds that match
• Rhythm – The beat or flow of the poem
• Alliteration – Repetition of beginning consonant sounds (e.g., "Peter Piper...")
• Assonance – Repetition of vowel sounds (e.g., "rise high in the bright sky")

3. Figurative Language

• Simile – Comparison using “like” or “as” (e.g., as brave as a lion)
• Metaphor – Direct comparison (e.g., “Time is a thief”)
• Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., “The wind whispered”)

4. Imagery and Tone

• Imagery – Descriptive language that appeals to the senses
• Tone – The poet’s attitude or mood in the poem (e.g., joyful, sad, angry)

1. Acts and Scenes

• Act – A major division in a play
• Scene – A smaller part of an act showing a specific event or moment

2. Dialogue and Monologue

• Dialogue – Conversations between characters
• Monologue – A long speech by one character

3. Stage Directions

Instructions written in a script to guide actors’ movements, tone, or actions (e.g., [She walks slowly to the door.])

4. Dramatic Techniques

• Irony – When the opposite of what is expected happens
• Suspense – Tension that keeps the audience interested
• Climax – The most exciting or important part of the drama