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Text Types: Language of Comics

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1. REVISION OF TEXT TYPES BEFORE THE FINAL EXAMINATION
It may be of benefit for you to learn some of the most obvious conventions of various text types, that
you will have dealt with throughout the course. This glossary aims to give you 10 terms per text
type, so as not to overwhelm you. The first text types provided have already appeared in the Paper
1 examinations since 2013.
THE LANGUAGE OF COMICS
Feature
Definition
Panel
One still image in a sequence of images
Inset
A panel contained within a larger panel
Bleed Panel
Art extends over the edge of the page
Splash
A very large or full-page panel
Lettering
Any text on a comic’s page. Bold lettering is used to emphasize words, large letters in
dialogue represent shouting, and small dialogue lettering usually stands for whispering.
Dialogue and caption lettering is usually all uppercase. Display lettering includes sound
effects and any other text that is not contained in a balloon or caption (store signage, license
plates, words on a computer screen, etc.).
Word Balloon
A bordered shape containing dialogue, usually with a tail that points to the speaker. Tailless
balloons sometimes denote “voice-over” or off-panel dialogue. As with panels, balloons come
in various shapes, the most common being ovoid. You can use different shapes for different
characters or moods. To avoid distancing your readers, though, it’s best not to mix balloon
shapes and styles willy-nilly. And to avoid sounding like an amateur, don’t call balloons
“bubbles.”
Thought
A bordered shape containing a character’s unspoken thoughts. Thought balloons almost
Balloon
always have bumpy, cloudlike borders and tails that look like trails of bubbles. Do not
overuse them, especially not for lengthy internal monologues — that’s a terrible cliché in
comics. As in movies, the maxim is “show, don’t tell.”
Caption
A tool often used for narration, transitional text (“Meanwhile...”), or off-panel dialogue.
Captions usually have rectangular borders, but can also be borderless or floating letters.
Sound effects
Stylized lettering that represents noises within a scene. Most SFX are floating letters, and
(SFX)
sometimes they’re an integral part of the imagery. As with many other elements of comics,
overuse of sound effects is distracting. They should be reserved for significant sounds,
whether large (explosions) or small (a door softly closing on a lonely room).
Borders
The lines that enclose panels, balloons, and captions. Various styles and line weights can be
used to evoke different effects or moods. Typical examples include rough or jagged borders
for anger or distress; thin, wavy borders for weakness or spookiness; “electric” balloons and
tails for radio, TV, or telephone dialogue; burst or double-bordered balloons for very loud
shouting, and rounded panel corners or uneven borders for flashbacks. In some comics, such
as Sandman (DC/Vertigo), major characters have their own distinctive balloon border and
lettering styles. Different background colours or borders can also be used to denote different
characters or types of dialogue/narration.
Gutter
The space, usually white, between and around panels. Coloured or shaded gutters can help
establish mood, denote flashbacks, or be used purely for aesthetic effect.
Here are some of the ways comic panels may move from one to the next:
1.
Moment to moment: Consecutive panels portraying the same subject (e.g., a person or thing) during a sequence of
different moments, with little time elapsing between panels.
2.
Action to action: Panels showing the same subject in a sequence of different yet connected actions, with more time between
panels than in moment-to-moment transitions.
3.
Subject to subject: Panels depicting different subjects within the same scene, such as two people conversing and elements of
their surroundings.
4.
Scene to scene: As you might guess, panels that show completely different scenes. In such transitions, the gutter usually
represents a substantial distance across time, space, or both. Captions, dialogue, and panel composition are good tools for bridging scene
changes between panels.
Cartoons may feature the following literary devices:
Irony, Sarcasm, Double Entendre..
The Language of Newspapers
Homophones
Words that have same pronunciation but differ
in meaning.
Homonym
Word that has more than one meaning
Polyseme
A word that has two or more closely related
meanings, for example head can be a part of
the body or person in charge,
Intertextuality
the interrelationship between texts, especially
works of literature; the way that similar or
related texts influence, reflect, or differ from
each other: the intertextuality between two
novels with the same setting.
Sensationalism
Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass
media in which events and topics in news stories
and pieces are over-hyped to increase viewership
of readership numbers
Omission of grammatical words
determiners like the, a, this, that and
auxiliaries often left out. (attributes, roles and
qualities)
Vague Language
A device used by the media to avoid honest
reporting
Noun Phrases
Again guides the reader to feel a certain way
about topics and people.
Class Shift
This is often done in headlines - Many words
have the ability to be a noun of a verb. For
example chase. By using chase as a noun in
‘BANDIT’ CAR CHASE POLICE
INSTRUCTOR FINED 750 POUNDS
AFTER DEATH OF NURSE’ the write
manages to include action without having to
include it as a verb.
The implied reader
the implied reader is the created reader
whereby the writer identifies a group who is
named in the story whom a share set of values
is given to, usually in opposition to another
group who do not share, or attack these
values.
Naming
Analyse the way people are represented
through the choice of naming: full name,
surname, nickname. What do these names
suggest?
Modality
The modal verbs used are used to guide the
reader to view ideas in the same way as the
journalist. Adverbials can also do this in the
same way.
Newsworthiness
http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/new
s/newsworthy.html. Also include relevance
and extraordinariness.
Euphemisms
A euphemism is a generally innocuous word or
expression used in place of one that may be found
offensive or suggest something unpleasant
Bias
The Language of Web Pages
The banner
Depending on how it's used, a banner is either a
graphic image that announces the name or identity
of a site (and often is spread across the width of the
Web page)
The contents page
The Footer
Like a document footer, a Web page footer contains
information listed at the bottom of the page. The
footer is also treated as its own section of the Web
page, separate from the header, content and
sidebars.
The menu bar
a horizontal bar, typically located at the top of the
screen below the title bar, containing drop-down
menus.
Links
a link from a hypertext document to another
location, activated by clicking on a highlighted word
or image.
Personalisation
Many websites may ask you to sign in so that your
experience is personalised and your web history
recorded.
Social Networking
the use of dedicated websites and applications to
interact with other users, or to find people with
similar interests to one's own.
Advertising
The Language of conversation
Filled Pause
hesitation such as ‘um’ or ‘eh’
Filler
A word of little meaning often inserted into Everyday speech
such as ‘like’ or ‘mind’
Tag question
A question attached to the end of a statement
Interrupted constructions
One construction abandoned in favour of
Another
Disjointed constructions
Utterances which aren’t grammatically
Correct
Repetitions
False starts
Changing from one grammatical
Construction in favour of another before
The initial construction has been
Completed.
Turn taking
Generally when in conversation we take
Turns. Only 5% of conversations contain
Overlapping speech
Adjacency pairs
A two-part exchange that follows a
Predictable pattern. A question followed
By an answer is an example.
Politeness Principles
Accommodation theory: Developed by Howard Giles in 1970s. It states that we adjust our speech
to accommodate others.
CONVERGENCE: We move our speech closer to another person.
DIVERGENCE: When people’s styles of speech move apart.
DOWNWARD CONVERGENCE: Aims to decrease social difference between groups. For
example, someone who speaks using Received Pronunciation may tone down his or her accent to fit
in.
UPWARD CONVERGENCE: Again to decrease social distance but this time the person with a
stronger accent might tone it down for an interview perhaps.
MUTUAL CONVERGENCE: Where both participants converge towards one another.
THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE – Grice’s
four Maxims
In order to engage in a polite conversation, without causing offence, there are certain principles to
which we adhere, perhaps unconsciously. These principles can be broken down in four maxims.
QUANTITY – where we say neither more nor less than required.
RELEVANCE- your point should be relevant to the ONGOING conversation
MANNER – Avoid ambiguity or obscurity
QUALITY – Be truthful and not say anything that you believe to be false
The Language of Propaganda
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NK6z704X3VLI3VTL5tShCSTyGOFE3mQsWQH72JAHvg/edit
See above link for further definitions.
Assertion (the Big Lie):
Assertion is commonly used in advertising and modern propaganda. An assertion is an
enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although it is not necessarily true. They
often imply that the statement requires no explanation or back up, but that it should merely be
accepted without question. Examples of assertion, although somewhat scarce in wartime
propaganda, can be found often in modern advertising propaganda. Any time an advertiser
states that their product is the best without providing evidence for this, they are using an
assertion. The subject, ideally, should simply agree to the statement without searching for
additional information or reasoning. Assertions, although usually simple to spot, are often
dangerous forms of propaganda because they often include falsehoods or lies.
Bandwagon:
Bandwagon is one of the most common techniques in both wartime and peacetime and plays an
important part in modern advertising. Bandwagon is also one of the seven main propaganda
techniques identified by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis in 1938. Bandwagon is an appeal
to the subject to follow the crowd, to join in because others are doing so as well. Bandwagon
propaganda is, essentially, trying to convince the subject that one side is the winning side,
because more people have joined it. The subject is meant to believe that since so many people
have joined, that victory is inevitable and defeat impossible. Since the average person always
wants to be on the winning side, he or she is compelled to join in. However, in modern
propaganda, bandwagon has taken a new twist. The subject is to be convinced by the
propaganda that since everyone else is doing it, they will be left out if they do not. This is,
effectively, the opposite of the other type of bandwagon, but usually provokes the same results.
Subjects of bandwagon are compelled to join in because everyone else is doing so as well.
When confronted with bandwagon propaganda, we should weigh the pros and cons of joining in
independently from the amount of people who have already joined, and, as with most types of
propaganda, we should seek more information.
Card stacking (Cherry Picking/Confirmation Bias):
Card stacking, or selective omission, is one of the seven techniques identified by the IPA, or
Institute for Propaganda Analysis. It involves only presenting information that is positive to an
idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it. Card stacking is used in almost all forms
of propaganda, and is extremely effective in convincing the public. Although the majority of
information presented by the card stacking approach is true, it is dangerous because it omits
important information. The best way to deal with card stacking is to get more information.
Glittering Generalities:
Glittering generalities was one of the seven main propaganda techniques identified by the
Institute for Propaganda Analysis in 1938. It also occurs very often in politics and political
propaganda. Glittering generalities are words that have different positive meaning for individual
subjects, but are linked to highly valued concepts. When these words are used, they demand
approval without thinking, simply because such an important concept is involved. For example,
when a person is asked to do something in "defense of democracy" they are more likely to
agree. The concept of democracy has a positive connotation to them because it is linked to a
concept that they value. Words often used as glittering generalities are honor, glory, love of
country, and especially in the United States, freedom. When coming across with glittering
generalities, we should especially consider the merits of the idea itself when separated from
specific words.
Lesser of Two Evils:
The "lesser of two evils" technique tries to convince us of an idea or proposal by presenting it as
the least offensive option. This technique is often implemented during wartime to convince
people of the need for sacrifices or to justify difficult decisions. This technique is often
accompanied by adding blame on an enemy country or political group. One idea or proposal is
often depicted as one of the only options or paths. When confronted with this technique, the
subject should consider the value of any proposal independently of those it is being compared
with.
Name Calling (labeling/using euphemisms):
Name calling occurs often in politics and wartime scenarios, but very seldom in advertising. It is
another of the seven main techniques designated by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis. It is
the use of derogatory language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing an
enemy. The propaganda attempts to arouse prejudice among the public by labeling the target
something that the public dislikes. Often, name calling is employed using sarcasm and ridicule,
and shows up often in political cartoons or writings. When examining name calling propaganda,
we should attempt to separate our feelings about the name and our feelings about the actual
idea or proposal.
Pinpointing the Enemy (scapegoating):
Pinpointing the enemy is used extremely often during wartime, and also in political campaigns
and debates. This is an attempt to simplify a complex situation by presenting one specific group
or person as the enemy. Although there may be other factors involved the subject is urged to
simply view the situation in terms of clear-cut right and wrong. When coming in contact with this
technique, the subject should attempt to consider all other factors tied into the situation. As with
almost all propaganda techniques, the subject should attempt to find more information on the
topic. An informed person is much less susceptible to this sort of propaganda.
Plain Folks:
The plain folks propaganda technique was another of the seven main techniques identified by
the IPA, or Institute for Propaganda Analysis. The plain folks device is an attempt by the
propagandist to convince the public that his views reflect those of the common person and that
they are also working for the benefit of the common person. The propagandist will often attempt
to use the accent of a specific audience as well as using specific idioms or jokes. Also, the
propagandist, especially during speeches, may attempt to increase the illusion through
imperfect pronunciation, stuttering, and a more limited vocabulary. Errors such as these help
add to the impression of sincerity and spontaneity. This technique is usually most effective when
used with glittering generalities, in an attempt to convince the public that the propagandist views
about highly valued ideas are similar to their own and therefore more valid. When confronted by
this type of propaganda, the subject should consider the proposals and ideas separately from
the personality of the presenter.
Simplification (Stereotyping):
Simplification is extremely similar to pinpointing the enemy, in that it often reduces a complex
situation to a clear-cut choice involving good and evil. This technique is often useful in swaying
uneducated audiences. When faced with simplification, it is often useful to examine other factors
and pieces of the proposal or idea, and, as with all other forms of propaganda, it is essential to
get more information.
Testimonials:
Testimonials are another of the seven main forms of propaganda identified by the Institute for
Propaganda Analysis. Testimonials are quotations or endorsements, in or out of context, which
attempt to connect a famous or respectable person with a product or item. Testimonials are very
closely connected to the transfer technique, in that an attempt is made to connect an agreeable
person to another item. Testimonials are often used in advertising and political campaigns.
When coming across testimonials, the subject should consider the merits of the item or proposal
independently of the person of organization giving the testimonial.
Transfer (Association):
Transfer is another of the seven main propaganda terms first used by the Institute for
Propaganda Analysis in 1938. Transfer is often used in politics and during wartime. It is an
attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item, to
link the two in the subjects mind. Although this technique is often used to transfer negative
feelings for one object to another, it can also be used in positive ways. By linking an item to
something the subject respects or enjoys, positive feelings can be generated for it. However, in
politics, transfer is most often used to transfer blame or bad feelings from one politician to
another of his friends or party members, or even to the party itself. When confronted with
propaganda using the transfer technique, we should question the merits or problems of the
proposal or idea independently of convictions about other objects or proposals.
False Dilemma
When politicians present false
dilemmas, they essentially
claim that there are only two
answers to one problem.
Name-calling and pinpointing
the enemy
It is the use of derogatory
language or words that carry a
negative connotation when
describing an enemy. The
The string of logic George W
Bush presents is simple and
binary: Americans can on the
one hand bring the battle to
the enemy, or on the other
they can deny the problem
exists, ignore it or pass it on to
future congresses. In essence
Americans are being presented
with two extremes and told to
choose between the lesser of
two evils. There is really no
choice involved in such
statements, and the dilemma
created is actually a false one.
propaganda attempts to arouse
prejudice among the public by
labeling the target something
that the public dislikes.
This is an attempt to simplify a
complex situation by presenting
one specific group or person as
the enemy. Although there may
be other factors involved the
subject is urged to simply view
the situation in terms of clear-cut
right and wrong.
Simplification
Simplifying a complicated
situation resulting in the
stereotypical formation of
stereotypical images which are
often distortions of the truth.
Glittering generalities
Words connected to worthy
abstract concepts, such as
freedom, democracy and
justice that would be difficult
if not impossible to be against.
Card Stacking
The act of selectively including
arguments that support your
cause while ignoring the
counter argument.
Bandwagon
Bandwagon is an appeal to the
subject to follow the crowd, to
join in because others are doing
so as well. Bandwagon
propaganda is, essentially, trying
to convince the subject that one
side is the winning side, because
more people have joined it.
Many groups have been
referred to as terrorists, not
just organisations behind
terrorist attacks.
Rhetorical Devices
The Language of Rhetoric
One of the popular features of Martin Luther King was his use of rhetoric, the art of using language
effectively or persuasively.
Device
Definition
Logos
Based on reasoned
argument. No
decent speech is
without this.
Pathos
Works on the
emotions of the
audience – perhaps
the most important.
Ethos
Dependent on
individual character
of the speaker –
which will determine
his viewpoint/ tone –
important when
contextualising the
speeches.
Interrogatives/
Rhetorical questions
Hypophora
Question without
expecting an
answer
Hypophora is a
figure of speech in
which the speaker
Example
poses a question
and then answers
the question.
Patterning such as
tricolon and
polysyndenton
Tripling
syndetic and
asyndetic listing
varied sentence
lengths
Listing
Emotive language
Evokes Pathos
Personal pronouns
You, I, We, Us,
They, She, He
Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
are words ending
in -self or selves that are used
when the subject
and the object of a
sentence are the
same (e.g., I believe
in myself). They
can act as either
objects or indirect
objects. The nine
English reflexive
pronouns are mysel
f, yourself, himself,
What Are Reflexive Pronouns?
Rules and Examples |
Grammarly
herself, oneself,
itself, ourselves,
yourselves, and the
mselves.
Possessive pronouns
pronouns
like mine, yours,
or theirs used to
show ownership in
the noun form
Onomatopoeia
Words used to
represent sounds
Metaphor
a figure of speech
in which a word or
phrase is applied to
an object or action
to which it is not
literally applicable
Syllogism
A logical argument
in three parts – two
premises and a
conclusion which
follows necessarily
from them.
Irony
Deliberate use of
words to mean the
opposite of their
literal meaning
Isocolon
The use of clauses
or phrases of equal
words or syllables
Antithesis
Words balanced in
contrast
Anaphora
Repetition of a
word (or more) at
the beginning of
consecutive
sentences
Hyperbole
Use of exaggeration
Litotes
Understatement
where a negative is
stated to further
affirm a positive
Allusion
Object is indirectly
referred to
Parenthesis
()
Often used to
clarify as a brief
notation (also
called a gloss) (see
what I did there) or
what is being said
is aside from the
main point
Sound Patterning
Any phonological
sounds and
patterns
“The Shot heard around the
world”
Intention of
emphasis on
what is being
described
“Not bad” = Good or mediocre
depending on tone
Biblical allusions are common
The Crucible alludes to
Shakespeare’s Macbeth when
portraying Parris’ cowardly
nature with the same use of a
dagger
Plosive
Fricative
Sibilance
monosyllabic
polysyllabic
cacophonic
euphonic
assonance
The Language of Advertising
Bandwagon effect
Bandwagon is an appeal to the
subject to follow the crowd, to
join in because others are doing
so as well. Bandwagon
propaganda is, essentially, trying
to convince the subject that one
side is the winning side, because
more people have joined it.
Testimonials
In a testimonial, an end user of a
product or service, as opposed to
the manufacturer or creator,
attests to its effectiveness and
explains how others can benefit.
Testimonial advertising uses a
number of techniques
Celebrities
A form of brand or advertising campaign
that involves a well known person using
their fame to help promote a product or
service. Manufacturers of perfumes and
clothing are some of the most common
business users of classic celebrity
endorsement techniques, such as television
ads and launch event appearances, in the
marketing of their products.
Association
Linking a product with certain
values
Image
slogan
The minimal text which should
be short, catchy and poignant.
Copy
Further info in the small print.
Signature
Traditionally ads show a
product and the company
name. However more often,
internet addresses are given
instead.
Counter-advertising
Counteradvertising is
“Advertising that takes a
position contrary to an
advertising message that
preceded it. Such advertising
may be used to take an
opposing position on a
controversial topic, or to
counter an impression that
might be made by another
party's advertising.”[1]
Counteradvertising is often
seen informally on
controversial topics like
smoking.
Anti-ads
Anti-ads, like counter ads,
breaks the conventions of a
traditional ad. Sometimes the
ad may have nothing to do
with product such as
Benetton ads which may raise
awareness of political
problems, but it shocks and if
people can stop and think then
they have been successful.
Philanthropic ads
Consumers consume
commercial products without
feeling guilty because
companies support a noble
cause such as AIDS and the
fight against animal cruelty.
Culture jamming
Where individuals and groups
distort the messages and
advertisements of large
corporations
Parody and Pastiche
When individuals take on a
well-known ad and change it
to give it new meaning, they
are in essence parodying the
style of that ad. Parody is the
art of mocking someone or
something by imitating them
or their style. Pastiche is
another way of drawing
attention to a cultural value.
It also makes use of imitation,
but not by obviously
parodying a particular text in
a genre, often passing itself off
as a genuine example of a text
type.
The Language of Poetry and Key Time Periods which could come up in the examination
Romantic
Often Romanticism An artistic and intellectual
movement originating in Europe in the late 1700s
and characterized by a heightened interest in
nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of
emotion and imagination, departure from the
attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion
against established social rules and conventions.
2. Romantic quality or spirit in thought,
expression, or action.
Metaphysical
The word ‘Metaphysical Poetry’ is a
philosophical concept used in literature where
poets portray the things/ideas that are beyond the
depiction of physical existence. Etymologically,
there is a combination of two words ‘meta’ and
‘physical in the word “metaphysical”.’ The first
word “Meta” means beyond. So metaphysical
means beyond physical, beyond the normal and
ordinary.
What is Metaphysical Poetry? (Definition and
Characteristics) - Literary English
Victorian
While Victorian interest in medievalism does
depart from Romantic poetry, it cannot be
overlooked that Romantics, such as Keats and
Coleridge, did use medieval themes in their
poetry. For examples of this see “La Belle Dame
Sans Merci,” “Christabel,” or “The Eve of St.
Agnes.”
The Victorian interest in science and technology is
one characteristic of the Victorian age and
Victorian poetry. The Victorians, for instance,
invented the modern idea of invention, meaning
that the Victorians came up with the notion that
an individual can create solutions to problems. In
other words, the Victorians, believed that the
individual could create new means of bettering
the self and the environment.
This leads to what is, perhaps, the defining
feature of the Victorian age: social responsibility.
This is the basic attitude that differentiates the
Victorians from their immediate predecessors, the
Romantics. Tennyson, for example, traveled to
Spain to help the insurgents, as Byron had gone to
Greece and Wordsworth to France. Tennyson,
unlike Byron and Wordsworth, would also posit
the need to educate the poor. Tennyson, like
Dickens, would write to promulgate a need for
larger social responsibility on the part of the
middle and upper classes.
In terms of religion, the Victorians experienced a
great age of doubt. This was the first age that
called institutional Christianity into question on
such a large scale. In literature and the visual
arts, the Victorians worked to combine Romantic
emphasizes on self, emotion, and imagination with
Neoclassical features that called upon the public
role of art and a corollary responsibility of the
artist.
Realism
Realism coincided with Victorianism, yet was a
distinct collection of aesthetic principles in its own
right. The realist novel was heavily informed by
journalistic techniques, such as objectivity and
fidelity to the facts of the matter. It is not a
coincidence that many of the better known
novelists of the time had concurrent occupations
in the publishing industry. The idea of novelwriting as a “report” grew out of this marriage
between literature and journalism. Another fair
comparison would be to think of the realist novel
as an early form of docudrama, in which fictional
persons and events are intended to seamlessly
reproduce the real world. The Victorian Period
saw growing concern with the plight of the less
fortunate in society, and the realistic novel
likewise turned its attention on subjects that
beforehand would not have warranted notice. The
balancing act that the upwardly mobile middle
class had to perform in order to retain their
position in the world was a typical subject for
realistic novels. There arose a sub-genre of
Realism called Social Realism, which in hindsight
can be interpreted as Marxist and socialist ideas
set forth in literature.
Naturalism
Naturalism sought to go further and be more
explanatory than Realism by identifying the
underlying causes for a person’s actions or
beliefs. The thinking was that certain factors,
such as heredity and social conditions, were
unavoidable determinants in one’s life. A poor
immigrant could not escape their life of poverty
because their preconditions were the only
formative aspects in his or her existence that
mattered. Naturalism almost entirely dispensed
with the notion of free will, or at least a free will
capable of enacting real change in life’s
circumstances. The theories of Charles Darwin
are often identified as playing a role in the
development of literary Naturalism; however,
such a relationship does not stand up to
investigative rigor. Darwin never applied his
theories to human social behavior, and in doing so
many authors seriously abused the actual science.
There was in the late nineteenth century a fashion
in sociology to apply evolutionary theory to
human social woes. This line of thinking came to
be knows as Social Darwinism, and today is
recognized as the systematized, scientific racism
that it is. More than a few atrocities in world
history were perpetrated by those who
misguidedly applied Darwinism to the social
realm. Naturalism, for better or worse, is in some
respects a form of Social Darwinism played out in
fiction
Modernism
The Modernist Period in English Literature
occupied the years from shortly after the
beginning of the twentieth century through
roughly 1965. In broad terms, the period was
marked by sudden and unexpected breaks with
traditional ways of viewing and interacting with
the world. Experimentation and individualism
became virtues, where in the past they were often
heartily discouraged. Modernism was set in
motion, in one sense, through a series of cultural
shocks. The first of these great shocks was the
Great War, which ravaged Europe from 1914
through 1918, known now as World War One. At
the time, this “War to End All Wars” was looked
upon with such ghastly horror that many people
simply could not imagine what the world seemed
to be plunging towards. The first hints of that
particular way of thinking called Modernism
stretch back into the nineteenth century. As
literary periods go, Modernism displays a
relatively strong sense of cohesion and similarity
across genres and locales. Furthermore, writers
who adopted the Modern point of view often did
so quite deliberately and self-consciously. Indeed,
a central preoccupation of Modernism is with the
inner self and consciousness. In contrast to the
Romantic world view, the Modernist cares rather
little for Nature, Being, or the overarching
structures of history. Instead of progress and
growth, the Modernist intelligentsia sees decay
and a growing alienation of the individual. The
machinery of modern society is perceived as
impersonal, capitalist, and antagonistic to the
artistic impulse. War most certainly had a great
deal of influence on such ways of approaching the
world. Two World Wars in the span of a
generation effectively shell-shocked all of Western
civilization.
Existentialism
The Modernist Period in English Literature
occupied the years from shortly after the
beginning of the twentieth century through
roughly 1965. In broad terms, the period was
marked by sudden and unexpected breaks with
traditional ways of viewing and interacting with
the world. Experimentation and individualism
became virtues, where in the past they were often
heartily discouraged. Modernism was set in
motion, in one sense, through a series of cultural
shocks. The first of these great shocks was the
Great War, which ravaged Europe from 1914
through 1918, known now as World War One. At
the time, this “War to End All Wars” was looked
upon with such ghastly horror that many people
simply could not imagine what the world seemed
to be plunging towards. The first hints of that
particular way of thinking called Modernism
stretch back into the nineteenth century. As
literary periods go, Modernism displays a
relatively strong sense of cohesion and similarity
across genres and locales. Furthermore, writers
who adopted the Modern point of view often did
so quite deliberately and self-consciously. Indeed,
a central preoccupation of Modernism is with the
inner self and consciousness. In contrast to the
Romantic world view, the Modernist cares rather
little for Nature, Being, or the overarching
structures of history. Instead of progress and
growth, the Modernist intelligentsia sees decay
and a growing alienation of the individual. The
machinery of modern society is perceived as
impersonal, capitalist, and antagonistic to the
artistic impulse. War most certainly had a great
deal of influence on such ways of approaching the
world. Two World Wars in the span of a
generation effectively shell-shocked all of Western
civilization.
Beat
In American in the 1950s, a new cultural and
literary movement staked its claim on the nation’s
consciousness. The Beat Generation was never a
large movement in terms of sheer numbers, but in
influence and cultural status they were more
visible than any other competing aesthetic. The
years immediately after the Second World War
saw a wholesale reappraisal of the conventional
structures of society. Just as the postwar
economic boom was taking hold, students in
universities were beginning to question the
rampant materialism of their society. The Beat
Generation was a product of this questioning.
They saw runaway capitalism as destructive to
the human spirit and antithetical to social
equality. In addition to their dissatisfaction with
consumer culture, the Beats railed against the
stifling prudery of their parents’ generation. The
taboos against frank discussions of sexuality were
seen as unhealthy and possibly damaging to the
psyche. In the world of literature and art, the
Beats stood in opposition to the clean, almost
antiseptic formalism of the early twentieth
century Modernists. They fashioned a literature
that was more bold, straightforward, and
expressive than anything that had come before.
Underground music styles like jazz were
especially evocative for Beat writers, while
threatening and sinister to the establishment. To
many, the artistic productions of the Beats
crossed the line into pornography and therefore
merited censorship. Some dismissed the Beat
Generation’s literature as mere provocation – a
means to get attention, not serious art. Time has
proven that the cultural impact of the Beat
writers was far from short-lived, as the influence
of their work continues to be widespread.
When analyzing poetry, make sure you discuss the following features
Themes and Ideas and title
Form
Connotations of title
Main issues discussed
Sub-text
ü Free Verse
ü Enjambment
ü Foregrounding
ü End focus
ü Volta
ü Meter
ü Poem form – Ballad, lyric, sonnet etc
ü Juxtaposition of content
ü Narrative type
Meter - iambic di/ tri/ tetra/ pentameter
anapestic meter - da da dum
rhyming couplets/ triplets
alternate line rhyme
Heroic couplet
internal rhyme
masculine,
half-rhyme
iambic, trochaic
volta
Caesura
Tone and mood
Literary devices
ü Metaphor
ü Simile
ü Allusion
ü Imagery
ü Symbolism
ü Personification
ü Anthropomorphism
ü Pathetic fallacy
ü Antithesis
ü Paradox
ü Oxymoron
ü Juxtaposition
ü Tripling
ü Repetition
ü Hyperbole
Linguistic devices
YOU KNOW THEM ALL!!!!
Context (If you can work out)
Grammar
ü Primary influences – including writer’s
admired
ü Characteristics
ü Background
ü Philosophy
ü Sentence type – minor, simple, compound,
complex
ü Syntax – modern word order?
ü Types of punctuation used and effect
ü Parallelism
ü Non –standard features
ü Listing (syndetic, asyndetic)
ü Declarative, interrogative, imperative
ü Tense
ü Dialect
Ellipsis
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