Binalonan, Pangasinan
MODULE 12: PROSE AND POETRY
Name: __________________________________________________________
Course and Year: ________________________
Introduction
This module deals with the definition, elements, kinds and importance of the literary art which includes prose and poetry.
These details about prose and poetry will help the students to understand and appreciate the art of making poems and narratives.
I. Objectives
At the end of the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Distinguish the differences between a prose and poem;
2. Analyze and judge a type of prose in relation to its own interpretation and knowledge; and
3. Interpret and appreciate a poem.
II. Lecture
PART I:
Prose is that broad genre of literature that is written in paragraph form. It is an expression that does not have a regular rhythmic
pattern. It differs from poetry in the sense that it does not have measure and rhyme, besides rhythm with sustained regularity. All
genres of prose, except essays, have the following elements: setting, characters, theme, plot, conflict, and point of view.
Elements of Prose
Setting. Setting refers to the time and locale of the story. It has the following elements: locale (broad category of place), time of
year, time of day, elapsed time, mood and atmosphere, climate, geography, man-made geography, eras Of historical importance,
social/political/cultural environment, population, and ancestral influences.
Characters. The characters are categorized into principal and supporting characters. Principal characters are the protagonist
and the primary antagonist, whereas the supporting characters are the supporting antagonists, confidants, foil, and background
characters. The characters maybe dynamic (change their traits as the story progresses) or static (remain the same throughout the
story). The traits of the characters are revealed by their speech and actions, by the author's descriptions, by what other characters
say about them, and by their juxtaposition with other characters. The characterization is divided into four levels: physical (sex, age,
size, color, race, etc.), social (economic status, profession, trade, religion, family, language, and social environment), psychological
(mindsets, attitudes, and behaviors), and moral (dilemma faced by the character).
a. Protagonist. The protagonist or the hero is the main character around whom the story revolves. In the fairy tale entitled
"Cinderella," the protagonist is Cinderella. More often than not, the protagonist is a good hero or heroine. If the protagonist is a bad
one or does not possess the traits of a conventional hero, he is described as an anti-hero or an anti-heroine.
b. Antagonist. The antagonist or the villain is the main or the supporting character who opposes the protagonist. In "Cinderella,"
the antagonists are Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters. If the antagonist is not a human being but a natural force, the villain is
called an antagonistic force, for example, a fire or a cyclone.
c. Confidant/e. The confidant or confidante (feminine) is the supporting character upon whom the protagonist confides. He is the
sidekick of the hero; he is a constant companion of the hero and knows almost everything about the hero. The fairy godmother must
be the confidante of Cinderella.
d. Foil. The oil is the supporting character who serves as a contrast to the hero but does not necessarily oppose him. The traits of
the foil balance those of the hero.
e. Background Character. The background characters are those characters who provide reality to the story by their mere
presence. For example, in "Cinderella," they are the people who attended the ball sponsored by the prince.
f. Unseen Character. The unseen character is an absent character who, even in his absence, affects the development of the
story.
Theme. The theme is the idea or concept of the author expressed in a concise statement. Referred to as the message of the
story, it concretizes the abstract idea the writer wants to impart. It may be ferreted out from the title of the story, the plot, the
atmosphere, the dialogue of characters, the recurrent use of imagery, and the use of symbols, In some stories, for example, Aesop's
fables, the theme is stated as the moral of the story.
Plot. The plot is the chronological sequence of events in the story. It is divided into the following parts: exposition, rising
incident/s, complication, crisis, climax, denouement or resolution, falling incident/s, and conclusion.
a. Exposition. The first part of the plot, the exposition introduces the setting and the characters of the story. It is also called the
introduction or status quo. When the story starts in the conflict or in the middle, it is called in medias res.
b. Rising Incidents/s. The rising incidents are those incidents that lead to the complication.
c. Complication. Complication is the longest part of the narrative, in which the conflict develops.
d. Crisis. The crisis is the problem of the story.
e. Climax. Climax is the highest point of the story, during which the readers know how the conflict will be resolved.
f. Denouement or Resolution. The denouement or resolution is the part of the plot in which the conflict is resolved.
g. Falling Incident/s. falling incidents are those incidents that lead to the conclusion. Shorter than the rising action, the falling
action may still have some suspenseful moments but, for the most part, gives the reader or audience a sense of completion, with the
various unsettled issues at work within the plot reaching some state of resolution.
h. Conclusion. The conclusion is the last part of the story's plot. It gives the story some finality. There are times, however, when
the story ends with a cliffhanger and the reader is left to make his conclusion.
Conflict. Conflict is the motivating, driving force that involves both characters and readers in the narrative; Synonymous with
opposition, conflict is classified into social, physical, metaphysical, and internal or personal conflict.
a. Social Conflict. Social conflict exists when the protagonist and the antagonist are opposed to each other. Known as "man
versus man" conflict, it is exemplified by Cinderella opposed by her stepmother and stepsisters.
b. Physical Conflict. Physical conflict occurs when the protagonist struggles against physical forces such as natural calamities,
illnesses, and the like. Known as "man versus nature" conflict, it is exemplified by the father' in the short story "Thirsty Is the Arid
Land" who dies of a lingering illness.
c. Metaphysical Conflict. Metaphysical conflict exists when the protagonist fights supernatural beings such as gods and
goddesses, vampires, werewolves, elves, fairies, and the like. "Ihis "man versus supernatural beings" conflict is shown in the novels
of J. K. Rowling, tho Harry Potter series, and of J.R.R. Tolkien, the "Lord of the Rings" series.
d. Personal or Internal or Psychological Conflict. Personal or internal conflict occurs when the character experiences a
dilemma. The conflict exists within the person as what Rose encountered in "Titanic" when she was torn between two lovers, Jack
and her fiancé.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Point of View. The point of view is the angle of narration. The frame of reference the author takes in telling the story is either
first person or third person (omniscient, objective, or selective).
Autobiographical Point of View. The autobiographical point of view is the first person or the "I" point of view. When the narrator
is either the principal character or any of the supporting characters who reports his experiences to the readers, the Writer
employs a participant's first-person point of view. On the other hand, when the narrator does not take an active part in the story,
the writer uses an observer's first-person point of view.
Omniscient Third-Person Point of View. The omniscient third-person viewpoint is employed by the author when the narrator
does not take part in the story, but as an all-knowing (omniscient) observer, he sees all the events and knows the speech,
actions, thoughts, and emotions (SATE) of the characters and reports them to the readers.
Objective Third-Person Point of View. The objective third-person viewpoint is used by the writer when the narrator does not
take part in the story, but reports objectively the events in the story. He states only what he observes, that is, the speech and
actions of the characters, and not their thoughts and emotions.
Selective Third-Person Point of View. The selective third-person viewpoint is used by the writer when the narrator does not
take part in the story, but he knows the speech, actions, thoughts, and emotions of some characters and reports them; however,
with the rest of the characters, he reports only their speech and actions.
Tone. Tone is the emotional climate inherent in the story. It can be tragic, angry, humorous, pathetic, condemning,
condescending, accusing, satirical, cynical, romantic, sympathetic, etc.
Atmosphere. The atmosphere is either the psychological environment or the predominant tone or mood of the literary piece.
Kinds of Prose Works
Fiction. The counterpart of narrative poetry, fiction includes prose works that tell a story. It is classified into short stories, novels,
and novelettes.
a. Short Story. A short story is a narrative prose that has one to ten pages, a single setting, few characters (from two to five), a
singular theme, and a simple plot. Because it is short, it is read in one sitting. Based on focus, short stories are categorized into
stories of character, stories of plot, stories of theme, and stories of atmosphere or setting. A story of character focuses on the
protagonist who takes an active role in the development of the plot; a story of plot centers on the series of events that influence
the actions of the protagonist; a story of theme emphasizes the central idea which the writer intends to relate to the life of the
protagonist; and a story of setting places utmost importance to the time and locale of the story a through vivid description of
the two and how these affect the protagonist.
b. Novel. A novel is a narrative prose that has about 50 pages or more, multiple setting, many characters (20 or more), a plurality
of themes, and a complicated plot. Because of its length, it is read in more than one sitting. Novels are classified into detective
novels, romantic novels, philosophical novels, historical novels, religious novels, symbolic novels, naturalistic novels, realistic
novels, stream-of-consciousness novels, bildungsnoman, and novels of the sea, novels of the soil, and novels of adventure.
c. Novelette. A novelette is a short novel. It is a narrative prose intermediate between a novel and a short story.
Prose Drama. The counterpart of dramatic poetry, a drama or play is a narrative prose intended to be performed on stage. It
is classified into tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, farce, melodrama, closet drama, and religious play.
*Closet Drama. A closet drama is a drama that is intended to be read, not to be staged or performed.
Essay. The counterpart of lyric poetry, an essay is a prose work dealing with a single subject, usually representing the writer's
personal experience and outlook. It is either a formal or an informal essay. Essays are grouped into reflective essays, critical
essays, editorial essays, nature essays, scientific essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, speculative essays, sociopolitical essays, character sketch essays, and biographical essays
a. Formal Essay. A formal essay is an essay which has for its subject matter "high-brow" topics such as scientific findings,
societal problems, religious conflicts, etc. Its language is technical, highly standardized, and educated, Also called
impersonal, unfamiliar, or heavy essay, it has a serious, objective' and dispassionate tone.
b. Informal Essay. An informal essay is an essay which has for its subject matter topics that are light or familiar such as pencils
or waiting for a ride. Its language may be colloquial or even slangy, also called personal, familiar, or light essay, it has a
conversational, flippant, and subjective tone.
PART II:
Poetry is that broad genre of literature that is written in stanza form. It is characterized by a regular rhythmic pattern, rhyme,
horizontal and/or vertical measure, imagery, symbolism, and figurative language.
Elements of Poetry
Measure. Measure involves the counting of the number of lines and stanzas (vertical measure) and the number of syllables and
feet (horizontal measure).
1. Vertical Measure. Poems and stanzas are classified according to the number of lines. When a stanza or a poem has two lines,
it is called a couplet; three lines, a triplet (the three lines rhyme) or tercet (the first and last lines rhyme); four lines, quatrain or quartet;
five lines, cinquain or quintain; six lines, sestet; seven lines, septet; eight lines, octave; nine lines, nonet; and so forth.
2. Horizontal Measure. Lines are described according to the number of syllables. A line with one syllable is described as
monosyllabic; with two syllables disyllabic; with thru' syllables, trisyllabic; with four syllables, tetrasyllabic; with five syllables,
pentasyllabic with six syllables, hexasyllabic; with seven syllables, heptasyllabic; with eight syllables, octosyllabic; with nine syllables,
nonasyllabic; with ten syllables, decasyllabic; with eleven syllables, undecasyllabic; and with twelve syllables, dodecasyllabic. When
lines are measured according to the number of feet or meters, they are classified as follows: a line with one foot, monometer; with
two feet, dimeter; with three feet, trimeter; with four feet, tetrameter; with five feet, pentameter; with six feet, hexameter; with seven
feet, heptameter; and with eight feet, octameter.
Rhythm. Rhythm is the regular succession of accented and unaccented syllables in a line. It is associated with the metrical feet,
which are classified as follows: iamb, a foot with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable; anapest, a foot with two
unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable; trochee, a foot with a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable;
dactyl, a foot with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables; spondee, a foot with two stressed syllables; and pyrrhic
foot, a foot with two unstressed syllables.
Rhyme. Rhyme is the presence of words that have similar or identical final sounds.
Imagery. Imagery is the creation of a picture or pictures by using words that appeal to the senses. It is visual, auditory, olfactory,
gustatory, tactile or tactual, kinesthetic, or thermal.
1. Visual Imagery. Visual imagery involves the sense of sight. Words pertaining to size (big, small, tall, etc.), shape (ovoid,
triangular, octagonal, etc.), color (azure, verdant, fuchsia, etc.), and similar physical characteristics contribute to the visual imagery.
2. Auditory Imagery. Auditory imagery involves the sense of hearing. Words pertaining to sound (loud, soft, noisy, etc.) present
auditory imagery.
3. Olfactory Imagery. Olfactory imagery involves the sense of smell. Words pertaining to odors or scents (stinking, aromatic,
pungent, etc.) present olfactory imagery.
4. Gustatory Imagery. Gustatory imagery involves the sense of taste. Words pertaining to taste (sweet, acrid, stale, etc.) present
gustatory imagery.
5. Tactile or Tactual Imagery. Tactile or tactual imagery involves the sense of touch. Words pertaining to texture (rough, smooth,
etc.,) and touch (slippery, wet, dry, etc.) contribute to tactile imagery.
6. Kinesthetic imagery. Kinesthetic imagery involves the sense of movements. Words pertaining to motion (fast, slow, quaking,
etc.) present kinesthetic
7. Thermal Imagery. Thermal imagery involves the sense of heat. It is exemplified by heat-related words such as lukewarm, hot,
cold, etc.
Symbolism. Symbolism is manifested when one thing is let to represent another. A symbol is something which represents
something else by association, resemblance, or convention. For example, a mountain is used to symbolize a great obstacle; a strong
wall, a powerful or influential person; flowers, ladies or women; and butterflies and bees, men courting women.
Figures of Speech. Figures of speech are those words and phrases connotatively used by the writer to communicate an
abstract idea or to produce an effect that words used in their ordinary or denotative sense can't produce. Simile, metaphor, hyperbole,
personification, and other figures of speech.
Kinds of Poetry
Narrative Poem. A narrative poem serves to tell a story. It is either an epic, a ballad, a metrical tale, or a metrical romance,
a. Epic. An epic is a long narrative poem which deals with the exploits or adventures of a hero. It is classified as a folk epic if it is
unknown authorship or as a literary epic if it was purposely written by an author who made himself known. Tie Ilocano epic "Biag ni
Lam-ang" used to be a folk epic when it was still a part of the Ilocanos' oral literature, but when Pedro Bukaneg (considered the
Father of Ilocano Literature) put it into writing and claimed authorship of it, the epic became a literary epic.
b. Ballad. A ballad is a short narrative poem which deals with a single incident and has a singable quality. Similar to an epic, a
ballad is classified into a folk ballad ifit is not authored or a literary ballad if somebody claimed authorship of it. Francois Villon's
"The Ballad of Dead Ladies') is an example of a literary ballad.
c. Metrical Tale. A metrical tale is a short story in verse form. It lacks the single quality of a ballad.
d. Metrical Romance. A metrical romance is a love story in verse form It differs from a metrical tale for the reason that its subject
is love. performed
Dramatic Poem. A dramatic poem is a poem intended to be or staged. It is classified into tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, farce,
historical play, and religious play.
Lyric poem. A lyric poem is a poem which deals with a certain subject matter.
a. Ode. An ode is a poem addressed to some praised object, person, or quality, characteristically exhortatory and philosophical,
and using an elevated language.
b. Elegy. An elegy is a poem for the dead that is far from pessimistic, ennobling, exalted in tone, and offering an optimistic note in
the end.
c. Simple Lyric. A simple lyric is a poem that is pictorial and reflective.
d. Song. A song is a melodious poem intended to be sung and readily adapted to music.
e. Psalm. A psalm is a song of praise to God or the Virgin Mary.
f. Sonnet. A sonnet is a 14-line poem. It is classified into Petrarchan, Shakespearean, Spenserian, or Filipino.
g. Hymn. A hymn is a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service. Like a psalm, it is a song of joy or praise to
the Lord or the Virgin Mary.
III. ACTIVITY/PRACTICE
ART CRITICISM:
A. Look for a poem (Filipino/English) worth analyzing from popular books of poetry. Write your own analysis below. Avoid copying what
is found on the internet.
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B. Choose at least one example of your favorite prose (Filipino/English) you have read, make your own analysis about its elements and
message. These elements include setting, characters, plot, point of view, theme, tone or atmosphere if you choose a short story, novel
or drama. Then, the elements include theme, atmosphere, and point of view if you choose essay.
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IV. ASSESSMENT (REQUIREMENT FOR FINAL PERIOD)
PERFORMANCE TASK:
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In doing this performance, you may choose to sing, play an instrument, dance, act or do a spoken poetry.
Take a video of yourself doing your chosen performance (minimum of 2 minutes).
The rubrics/criteria will be posted in your Google Classroom.
DANCE PERFORMANCE: You may choose any genre or kind of dance you want to do.
SPOKEN POETRY: You may perform this one with a Filipino/English poem (self-written or written by another person as long
as you mentioned the poet before your performance).
DRAMA: If you preferred acting, you can make your own script and make an acting that could be done by your own or with
other persons also. Make sure you memorize your lines and put such emotions or expressions while you are acting. You may
refer to some of your favorite dramas then memorize their lines and make your own version of its acting.