ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE

PART ONE: GENRE & THEME

ENGLISH I HONORS

Mr. Popovich

What is Genre? Genre refers to the different types of literature.

Examples include: News Articles Short Stories Novels Essays Plays Poems

Most literature was written in verse Verse is written in metrical lines There were three kinds of verse

Epic: was meant to tell the story of a hero

Dramatic: was meant to be performed

Lyric: was meant to be sung Some “literature” was written in

prose Including history, biography, philosophy

Ancient Genres

Modern Genres Most literature written now is fiction-- it is

something created or invented; not “false” There are three kinds of fictional literature

Drama– which is meant to be performed written as dialogue; includes plays, movies, TV

Poetry– which is meant to be read aloud written in lines; includes lyric and narrative poems

Prose– which is meant to be read silently written in sentences; includes novels and short stories

Some “literature” written now is nonfiction

Including essays, news features, news articles, etc.

Main Ideas The main idea in a piece of writing is

the author’s most significant point: What is she trying to say? In nonfiction texts the main idea is explicitly stated

usually in one complete sentence

in an essay, it is called the thesis

must be supported by evidence

In fictional texts, however, the main idea is implied

MAIN IDEA

SUPPORTING DETAILS

What Is Theme? The theme is the main idea of a piece of

fictional literature. What does it all mean?

It provides insight into the human condition

It reveals the author’s general worldview

It allows readers to see things from a new and different perspective

What Theme Is NOT

A work’s theme is frequently confused with:

The subject or topic What the story is about Usually a word or

phrase

The plot of the story The events that

happen

The moral of a story The lesson it tries to

teach Most DO NOT have a

moral

Activity: ThemeIdentify each item as one of the following:plottopic moralthemesubject

Three siblings go swimming in a fast creek even though their grandfather

warns them not to. Onesibling is swept away by the current

and injured.Swimming in dangerous waters

Young people’s overconfidence can put them in danger despite warnings; Many young people often have to

learn a lesson the hard way.

You should listen to your elders.

Swimming

Indentifying Theme

In nonfiction, the main idea is stated explicitly. In fiction, however, the theme is only implied.

Consequently the reader must infer the main idea

Which is why it is difficult

BUT… there is a method!

Identifying ThemeHere is a three-step process to

identify a theme:STEP ONE: BEFORE YOU READIdentify the subject as soon as possible

Consider the title carefully– the author did!Examine any pictures or graphics if

possibleSTEP TWO: WHILE YOU READIdentify the topic as soon as possibleThe topic is more specific than the

subject!STEP THREE: AFTER YOU READ

Consider the work as a whole– What is the point?

What is the author trying to tell me about the topic?

Identifying ThemeLet’s walk through the three steps together.

STEP ONE: BEFORE YOU READConsider the title of a short story called “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant”

What do you think the

subject of this short story might be?

Fishing?

Love?Both?

Identifying ThemeNow let’s imagine you are reading the story.

STEP TWO: WHILE YOU READBelow are observations and conclusions you might make

OBSERVATIONSI have noticed that…

CONCLUSIONSThe story is about…

the narrator really wants to catch the giant bass that is

in the river

catching the “big one that got away”

he is falling in love with Sheila

teenagers falling in love

he sacrifices his chance to catch the “big one” to try to

win Sheila’s love

making sacrifices for love

he doesn’t end up with Sheila

???

Identifying ThemeFinally, let’s think about the piece as a

whole.STEP THREE: AFTER YOU READ

What is the author trying to say by telling the story of a young man who sacrifices his one

chance to catch the “big one” for love but who gets neither the fish nor the girl?

The answer to this question is the theme!“The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” reveals the extremes to which young people will go when they are in love, and it reminds readers that these sacrifices may still fail to win love.

Stating ThemeState the theme in the form of a complete sentence.

It is a generalization about the human condition.

It DOES NOT refer to specific characters or events.

In fact, many themes are universal. They apply to people everywhere because we all have common needs, desires, and experiences as human beings.

Consequently, similar themes can be found in various genres– but remember that each genre has a different purpose. Therefore the choice of genre influences how the author states his or her theme.

THE END