LECTURES

M5-M8
 Analyzing Literature as a Means of Understanding
Unchanging Values in the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex,
Ambiguous) World
You have learned from your previous lessonss that literature has two
major classifications: prose and poetry. This lesson focuses on prose
and how to analyze it.

Prose is a literary device that has no formal metrical structure. It

applies a natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure,
rather than rhythmic structure, such as in the case of traditional
poetry. It has two types: (a) fiction and (b) non-fiction.
Fiction refers to literature created from the imagination. This
includes literary works that deals with mysteries, science-fiction,
romance, fantasy and thrillers. Below are some of the types of
prose fiction:
• Fable – allegorical tale conveying a moral or principle of
behavior.
• Legend – stories of some wonderful events passed down through
the ages.
• Myth – traditional tales common to the members of a tribe, race,
or nation.
• Novel – prose narratives on a large scale.
• Short story – prose narrative of limited length.
Non-fiction refers to literature based on facts. Written materials concerning business,
cooking, health, history, and the like are examples of non-fictional works. There are
various types of prose non-fiction, below are some of its types:
• Anecdote – is a brief story or event which maybe unusual, humorous, and
interesting.
• Biography – is a written story about a person’s life.
• Essay – is a short literary composition dealing with a single subject.
• Aphorism – is a short saying or statement that provides wisdom in a witty way.
• Autobiography – is a person’s life story written by himself.
• Journal – is a scientific paper that provides theoretical information and is supported
by facts and evidence.
• Literary Criticism – a narrative that judges and comments on the qualities and
attributes of literary works.
• Diary – is a compilation of one’s experiences.
Fictional and non-fictional literary pieces have various differences. These
differences are attributed to its quality, structure, contents, and author’s
purpose.
Poetry is different from prose for it uses
words and language that is structured to
evoke a writer's feelings and thoughts. The
main purpose of writing a poem is to convey
an idea or emotion in beautiful language. It
paints a picture of what the poet feels about a
thing, person, idea, concept, or even an
object.
 VUCA World
Volatility is the speed of change in the world. The more volatile the world is, the more and
faster things change.
Uncertainty is the extent to which we cannot confidently predict the future. The more
uncertain the world is, the harder it is to predict.
Complexity is the number of factors that we need to take into account, their variety and the
relationships between them. The more complex the world is, the harder it is to analyze; and
Ambiguity is the haziness of reality, the potential for misreads, and the mixed meanings of
conditions; cause-and-effect confusion;
It is important to still hold on to our values. Values are basic and fundamental
beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help us to determine what is
important. These are the motives behind purposeful action.
 Kinds of Values

Personal values are personal beliefs about right and

wrong and may or may not be considered moral.

Cultural values are values accepted by religions or

societies and reflect what is important in each
context.
 Free Verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free
from limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed
forms. expression.

 Here is an example of a free verse poem because it has no rhythm and rhyme schemes.
 Rhymed Poem is a work of poetry that contains rhyming vowel sounds at
particular moments where common vowel sounds are also known as
“assonance”

 Here is an example of a rhymed poem because it has rhyming vowel sound found at the end of each line called end
rhyme.
Poetry analysis is the process of investigating a poem's form, content,
structure and history in an informed way, with the aim of heightening one's
own and others' understanding and appreciation of the work.

6 Tips in Analyzing a Poem

1.Read the poem aloud.
Read the poem aloud. This will give
you the experience of a poem. Try
to figure out the most effective way
to perform it.
2. Read the title.
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.
3.Understand the speaker.
Understanding the speaker is at the
center of a poem, it may help the
piece appear more tangible and you
will beable to imagine a person
behind the language.
4. Identify the mood and tone.
It is important to address the attitude or
mood the poem is attempting to convey.
It helps in understanding the message of
the poem.
Tone is the author's attitude towards the
topic.
5.Look for Literary Devices
Know how the writer created meaning in their poem. Look for common
techniques and try to understand what they are representing.
Sample Literary Devices:
Simile-used when something is made to be like something else.
It uses like or as.
Example: The poem is like a word salad.
Metaphor-similar technique as simile but instead of being like
something else, they are something else. These tends to be more intense than
simile.
Example: The poem read was a word salad.
Imagery-language used by poets, novelists and others.
6.Identify the theme
Get to the core of what the poem is about by identifying its
theme. The theme of a poem relates to a universal truth, issue,
or conflict. To determine the theme, look over your entire
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?
As a student, you have read short stories from books,
from the internet, and from other different sources.
Reading a short story is one thing, but analyzing it is
another thing. In this world where you are offered a
wide array of things to read, it is important that you
know how to analyze what you read. It will help you
become more selective in choosing what you want and
what you need to read.
 What is a Short Story?

A short story is a work of short, narrative prose

that is usually centered around one single event.
It is limited in scope and has an introduction,
body and conclusion. Although a short story has
much in common with a novel, it is written with
much greater precision.
 An analysis of a short story requires basic knowledge of its
elements. Hence, the analysis of a short story are as follows:

1. Setting
Setting is a description of where and when the story takes place. In
a short story, there are fewer settings compared to a novel.
2. Characterization
Characterization deals with how the characters in the story are
described. In short stories, there are usually fewer characters
compared to a novel. They usually focus on one central character or
protagonist.
3. Plot
The plot is the main sequence of events that make up the story. In short
stories, the plot is usually centered around one experience or
significant moment. The normal basis for the plot in a short story is the
kind of conflict in which the characters are involved. Usually, there are
three kinds of conflict:
a. conflict arising between the main character and nature
b. conflict arising between the main character and another
person
c. conflict arising between the main character and his own
feelings or beliefs
4. Voice/Tone
The voice/tone refers to the attitude a writer takes
toward his subject and reader. It varies widely,
depending on his purpose, subject, audience, and
interests.
5. Theme
The theme is the main idea, lesson, or message in the
short story. It may be an abstract idea about the human
condition, society, or life.
Your analysis of a short story can also be in the
form of an essay where you may be asked to give
your opinions of the short story at the end.
Choose the elements that made the greatest
impression on you. Point out which
character/characters you liked the best or least
and always support your arguments.
 Literary Analysis is a closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and
exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels,
short stories, plays, poems, or any form of literary writing.

Purpose of Literary Analysis

1. To gain insight into the development of literary works.
2. To analyze how the authors use literary methods to establish
meaning.
3. To realize the perspectives that the authors take to establish a theme.
4. To appreciate the complex nature of literature.
 Five Simple Tips in Writing Literary Analysis
1. Choose a Topic
You need to choose a topic that excites you. Topics can be
divided into the main literary elements:
• Characters
• Themes
• Conflict
• Setting
• Plot
2. Focus the Topic
You need to do a lot of brainstorming, outlining, and specific
thinking about the element on which you would like to focus.
• The brainstorming process involves mapping out the different
aspects of the chosen element.
• Make a choice by narrowing down the selection and focusing the
ideas.
• Come up with a question to answer: What do you want to explore
about the topic? Why does it stand out to you?
• Answer the "why" question. Instead of simply describe the text,
"why" pushes you to analyze and even synthesize.
3. Gather Textual Evidence
Collecting material to answer or support your question is
often a time-consuming stage, because most of the close
reading will occur here. You can use the ICHL in gathering
textual evidence.
• Identify common themes, repetitions, and patterns.
• Categorize elements, tone, and narrative style.
• Highlight characterization, setting, and foreshadowing.
• Label character types, symbols, and metaphor
4. Introduce, Evidence, Analyze
Introduce
You should introduce your point in one or two clear topic sentences. Next, it's important to provide
evidence that supports the main.
Evidence
• Quotation: When providing evidence word for word from a primary or secondary source, you
should be reminded to use quotation marks only if the words have not been altered.
• Summary: You need to summarize a piece of evidence by restating it in a shorter form using your
own words.
• Paraphrase: You need to explain a piece of evidence using your own words.
Analyze
It's important that you know how to distinguish between descriptive writing and analytical writing.
Descriptive writing answers the "who," "what," "where," and "how" questions. It often tends to
summarize the text.
Analytical writing, however, answers the "why" question.
5. Conclusion
You can focus on concluding with what you
hope to get out of your analysis or provide
closure to the topic. Most importantly, you
should seize the conclusion as an opportunity
to provide your own opinion and reflection
about your process of analyzing the text.