Literature is the root to all writings. Every day we face the aspects of literature in its many forms such as movies, music, and books. This semester, I came to understand the three main aspects of literature in a more defined way. The elements of fiction, poetry, and drama where reintroduced through Greg Johnson and Thomas R. Arp’s book Perrine’s Literature Structure, Sound & Sense, 12th Edition. The elements of fiction, poetry, and drama are essential to the writing and interpretation of literature. Individuals read fiction for a numerous amount of reasons. The sole purpose of fiction is to entertain.
Because most fiction is untrue or somewhat unrealistic, it requires no serious or intensive study, unless a story re-elaborates our thinking on a certain topic being talked about. When discussing fiction literature, it is important to distinguish the two different types. Commercial fiction is intended to entertain individuals while literary fiction is the primary subject being taught. Commercial fiction are essential for best sellers such as romance novels, thrillers, and easy-to-read short stories that appear in magazines. Commercial fiction helps the readers escape from the world to a stress-free place where the selection takes them.
Because commercial fiction is used for entertainment rather than non-fiction and facts, it is used as a money gateway industry. Literary fiction is used towards individuals on a more realistic view through the author’s imagination and artistic ability. Literary fiction uses real life situations, which enables the readers to understand and visualize problems in the author’s point of view. Not only does literary fiction entertain but it also provides a sense of understanding for the readers. My favorite fiction story I read in the textbook is “Hunters in the Snow” by Wolff.
This story is a literary fiction because it interpreted real life situations. All through the story, Tub was faced with the harsh treatment of Kenny and Frank until Tub finally had enough. Everything started turning around for Tub after he shot Kenny in the woods. At the end of the story the readers find out that they made the wrong turn going towards the hospital but Tub, Kenny, and Frank don’t know that so it leaves the following scene as a mystery. Fiction literature is extravagant for whatever reason anyone would like because of the fantasy it brings forth. Poetry is a universal language used as much as English.
Poetry is different from fiction literature because of the detail within it. Poetry explains more by corresponding emotion and detail rather than ordinary language. Poetry delivers emotion and thought deliberately because it is made to do so. When reading poetry it is important to read to hear the sounds because it is meant to be heard. Interpreting the true meaning within a poem can be challenging because poetry uses intense figurative language and symbolism. Figurative language helps the reader know the mood of the scene in a poem. One of the most important types of figurative language is Allegory.
Allegory can be referred to as the second meaning of a word or phrase in a poem. It can also be referred to as an extended metaphor because it the word or phrase goes beyond the surface of thought. In poetry, the average word has two component parts: denotation and connotation. Denotation is the dictionary meaning of the word while connotations are what the word suggests or what it expresses. For instance, the denotation of the word happy can be referred to as the act of happiness but the connotation of the word happy varies within different individuals because different things make individuals happy.
Another important aspect of poetry is imagery. Imagery can be defined as the representation through language of sense experience. Because poetry appeals directly to the readers senses, imagery is key to a successful poem. Having an image drawn in the mind attracts the reader’s attention to create memorable thoughts when reading. My personal favorite poem is “When my love swears that she is made of truth” by William Shakespeare because of the figurative language used. Shakespeare refers to his love as a liar and he talks about how his love thinks he is clueless and has the common sense of a child.
This poem is very interesting because I can relate to what he is talking about. Poetry is a phenomenal type of language and has been my favorite section this semester. Poetry is amazing because it conveys language in an extravagant way because it illustrates more emotion. When I think of the word drama in a literary term, I instantly think of plays. Drama makes use of plot and characters, develops themes, and arouses emotional responses within the audience. Because a play presents its action through actors, its impact is based upon the actors’ skills.
Since we read a play, the action of the actors depends on the values of the play. Audience members require body language and over the top skills to really understand the meaning of a play. Without the actors’ skills and body language, it is just an ordinary fiction story. The actors’ skills separates drama and diction. Different factors vary among actors in a play. A characters thoughts and emotions can be conveyed through two different aspects called aside and soliloquy. In asides, characters turn from the persons with whom they are conversing to speak directly to the audience, letting them know their inner thoughts.
In soliloquies, characters are presented as speaking to themselves, such as thinking out loud. My favorite play by far was “Othello, the Moor of Venice” by Shakespeare. The play introduced how manipulative and jealous someone could be. The play was very interesting because the level of drama was intense. Because Othello went from a noble leader to a jealous, murdering husband, it made them plot more intense. Each scene I learned how Shakespeare put together his masterpiece to form such an entertaining play.
This play is an excellent example of how drama is interpreted through readers. Drama is the root to visual literature and is a great part of literature culture. The elements of fiction, poetry, and drama all contribute to the language of literature. The main components of each element described above are all essential facts that contribute to learning about each subject. Each aspect of fiction, poetry, and drama are all responsible holding together the material. Furthering my education upon each subject has introduced me into the true world of literature.