LITERATURE LECTURE 3

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

MASTER JAMB LECTURE NOTE

DRAMA: TYPES AND TECHNIQUES

Tragedy: A serious play ending in the downfall of a hero due to a tragic flaw.

Comedy: A humorous play with a happy ending.

Tragicomedy: A mixture of tragedy and comedy.

Melodrama: A play with exaggerated emotions and clear good vs evil.

Farce: A highly exaggerated comedy with absurd situations.

Opera: A drama presented through music and singing.

Characterization: The way characters are created and developed in a play.

Dialogue: Conversation between characters.

Flashback: A return to past events in the story.

Mime: Acting without speech.

Costume: Clothing used to portray characters.

Music/Dance: Enhances mood and meaning.

Décor/Scenery: Physical stage setting.

Acts/Scenes: Structural divisions of a play.

Soliloquy: A speech revealing a character’s inner thoughts when alone.

Aside: A brief remark not heard by other characters.

PROSE AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Novel: A long fictional narrative with complex characters and events.

Novella/Novelette: A shorter version of a novel.

Short Story: A brief fictional narrative focusing on a single idea.

Biography: The life story of a person written by another.

Autobiography: A person’s life story written by themselves.

Memoir: A record of personal experiences.

Faction: A mixture of real facts and fiction.

First Person Narration: The narrator is part of the story and uses “I”.

Third Person Narration: The narrator is outside the story.

Omniscient Narrator: A narrator who knows all characters’ thoughts and events.

Round Character: A complex character that develops.

Flat Character: A simple character that does not change.

Foil Character: A character that contrasts another.

Hero: The main admirable character.

Anti-hero: A main character lacking traditional heroic qualities.

POETRY: TYPES AND DEVICES

Sonnet: A 14-line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme, often about love.

Ode: A poem that praises a person or object.

Lyric: A poem expressing personal feelings and emotions.

Elegy: A poem written to mourn the dead.

Ballad: A narrative poem telling a story in simple language.

Panegyric: A poem or speech that praises someone highly.

Epic: A long poem about heroic deeds and events.

Blank Verse: Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Imagery: Language that appeals to the senses.

Rhyme: Similar sounds at the end of lines.

Rhythm: The pattern of beats in poetry.

Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds.

Repetition: Repeating words for emphasis.

Pun: A play on words.

Diction: Choice of words.

Persona: The voice speaking in a poem.

LITERARY TERMS AND PRINCIPLES

Foreshadowing: A hint of what will happen later.

Suspense: A feeling of tension about future events.

Monologue: A long speech by one character.

Dialogue: Conversation between characters.

Symbolism: Use of symbols to represent ideas.

Protagonist: The main character.

Antagonist: The opposing character.

Satire: Use of humor to criticize.

Stream of Consciousness: Continuous flow of thoughts.

Direct Imitation: Literature reflects real-life actions.

Versification: The arrangement of rhythm in poetry.

Narration: The act of storytelling.

Aesthetic Value: The beauty and artistic quality of literature.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Theme: The central idea or message of a text.

Plot: The sequence of events in a story.

Setting: The time and place of the story.

Socio-political Context: The social and political background influencing the text.