THE RUDIMENTS OF LITERARY APPRECIATION

Subject:

English Literature

Topic:

THE RUDIMENTS OF LITERARY APPRECIATION

Class:

SS 1

Term:

First Term

Week:

Week 2

Instructional Materials:

• Recommended Literature Text

Reference Materials

• Scheme of Work
• Online Information
• Textbooks
• Workbooks
• 9 Year Basic Education Curriculum

Previous Knowledge:

The pupils have previous knowledge of

Introduction to Literature

Behavioural Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to

• THE RUDIMENTS OF LITERARY APPRECIATION
• APPROACHES TO LITERARY APPRECIATION
• CONCRETE ISSUES IN LITERARY APPRECIATION

Content:

WEEK TWO

TOPIC: LITERARY APPRECIATION

CONTENT

• THE RUDIMENTS OF LITERARY APPRECIATION
• APPROACHES TO LITERARY APPRECIATION
• CONCRETE ISSUES IN LITERARY APPRECIATION

THE RUDIMENTS OF LITERARY APPRECIATION

From the introduction to literature, it can be clearly deduced that literature is an imitation of life. One important medium adopted by most writers to make literature a true imitation of life is in the use of characters/casts/dramatic personae. In identifying characters in a literary piece, the reader must take into cognisance what a character says, what other characters in and around him say about him, how he thinks and reflects on issues confronting him, his characteristic nature based on that of the reader’s values and beliefs, his attitude to the society represented in the work of art to show whether he is a stereotype individual or not, how successful is the author in showing him as an appropriate character, his physiological makeup, what drives and motivates him and finally the ironies and contrast associated with his action and inaction which invariably affect the growth and changes seen in him as the literary piece progresses to its climax.

Furthermore, the socio-political context of work of arts must also be identified so as to have a good understanding of the work. This will determine the salient issues behind the work, For example, in the play, Women of Owu, the socio-political context of the play is the war in the city of Owu between the people of Owu and the people of Ife and Ijebu, which was as a result of selling the Ijebus into slavery by the Owus.

Finally, the historical background of the work of the author should be taken into consideration for a better appreciation. For instance, in Oswald Mtshali’s, ‘Boy on a Swing’, the poets makes a very successful attempt to  clearly condemn the apartheid policy of the minority government in south Africa which characterise the lives of the blacks with constant sudden raid. The poet, himself, is a victim of the policy, which had dehumanizing effect of obnoxious policies on the majority blacks. Therefore, many writers allow their socio-political background to form the basis for their writings. Literary appreciation is a literary concept, which is universally accepted as a means of understanding all the nuances that are very prevalent in literary works; be it drama, prose or poetry. It must not be confused with literary criticism. For somebody to be able to do this successfully, he must put the following basic principles in proper perspective. These include: the context of the text, the structure of the text, the device used by the writer and their effectiveness, the setting of the text and the central ideas or themes which the text symbolizes.

APPROACHES TO LITERARY APPRECIATION

THE CONTEXT OF THE TEXT: One of the basic problems confronting readers of a text is the inability to fully appreciate the context referring to the actual meaning and background conveyed by the writer, which can be literal or metaphorical. Here, the point of view of the writer must be taken into cognizance, in order to have literal and metaphorical knowledge of the work. The content of any work of art centres on its plot and theme or central issues raised in the storyline.

THE STRUTURE OF THE TEXT: Structure refers to the organization of text. It is also known as the format of any work of art, that is, the way it is presented by the writer, his use of diction and its effectiveness, as well as, techniques used. All these constitute the structure.

THE POETIC DEVICES EMPLOYED IN THE TEXT: Sometimes, we do not get the correct meaning of a word in a text until we have decided whether it is used literally, that is, according to its basic original meaning, or metaphorically, which means applying one form of meaning to another. Hence, most writers make use of both literal and metaphorical words when writing. Due to this, it is very important for readers to have a good knowledge of diction and figurative devices adopted by the writer, as a way of appreciating the text.

THE THEMES OF THE TEXT: The theme means the central message conveyed in any piece of writing. A proper understanding of the theme in a text is very important, and it is a necessary tool for good and detailed appreciation of the text itself. The theme of a text must not be mistaken for the subject matter, which may only be implied after a proper reading of the text.

EVALUATION

1    Discuss the approaches to literary appreciation.

2    How important is the rudiments of literary appreciation?

CONCRETE ISSUES IN LITERARY APPRECIATION

The concrete issues in literary appreciation are nothing but the indispensable ingredients meant for objective and apt understanding of any particular work of art. These are:

• The plot- the storyline, which must be very detailed.
• The theme- the central issues raised in any work of art.
• The style of any writing is the technical devices and the way the language is structured. A style is the manner the writing is done which can be classical, down to earth, simple or difficult.
• The mood- feeling of the writer when writing. This must be fully appreciated by the reader in other to understand the plot and characterization.
• The diction- the effective use of language to carry the theme, plot and mood of the writer.
• Literary devices used- which must be appropriate so as not to confuse the reader. It must give the reader the opportunity to understanding the work of art.
• The characters must be life-like and three-dimensional.
• The setting is the time and place in which the action of the story takes place.
• The point of view—the perspective from which the story is told.
• There are other important aspects to consider when studying literary appreciation, but these are the key concrete issues that must be kept in mind at all times. Thank you for your question.
• The concrete issues in literary appreciation are nothing but the indispensable ingredients meant for an objective and apt understanding of any particular work of art. These are:
• The plot—the storyline—must be very detailed.
• The theme—the central issues raised in any work of art.
• The style of any writing is determined by the technical devices and the way the language is structured. A style is the manner in which the writing is done, which can be classical, down to earth, simple or difficult.
• The mood-feeling of the writer when writing This must be fully appreciated by the reader in order to fully understand

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISION QUESTIONS

• List and explain the concrete issues in literary appreciation.
• Explain the significance of the concrete issue in literary appreciation.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

• ‘To drag your father from his farm is as difficult as dragging a child from his mother’s breast’, illustrates (a) metaphor (b) personification (c) simile (d) amplification
• When a poem has no regular rhyme scheme, it is called (a) a prose (b) a dramatic verse

(c) a lyrical verse (d) a blank verse

• A poem without a regular rhyme is referred to as (a) a blank verse (b) free verse

(c) solomonic verse (d) traditional verse

• ‘How can he compare our church outing with theirs? After all millions of people attended ours while very few people were seen at theirs,’ illustrate what device (a) paradox

(b) oxymoron (c) hyperbole (d) comparison

• When one work of art attempts to imitate the style of another work in a mocking manner, we describe the newer work as (a) parody (b) innuendo (c) pun (d) farce.

THEORY

1    Discuss the importance of literary appreciation to you as a student of literature

2    How relevant is the historical and socio-political background in appreciating a particular work of art.

Presentation

The topic is presented step by step

Step 1:

The subject teacher revises the previous topics

Step 2.

He introduces the new topic

Step 3:

The subject teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the need arises.

REVISION QUESTIONS

1. What are the concrete issues in literary appreciation?

2. What is the plot, and why is it important?

3. What is the theme and how does it contribute to the work of art?

4. What is the style of writing and how does it impact the reader?

5. What is the mood of the writer and how does it affect the reader?

6. What are literary devices and why are they important?

7. What are three-dimensional characters and how do they add to the work of art?

8. What is the setting and how does it contribute to the story?

9. What is the point of view and how does it affect the reader?

10. Are there any other important aspects to consider when studying literary appreciation? If so, what are they?

Answers

1. The concrete issues in literary appreciation are the key ingredients necessary for an objective and apt understanding of any particular work of art.

2. The plot is the storyline of the work of art, and it is important because it conveys the message or purpose of the artwork to the reader.

3. The theme is the central issue or concern raised in any work of art, and it contributes to the artwork by giving it a purpose or meaning.

4. The style of writing is the manner in which the work of art is written, and it impacts the reader by affecting their understanding and interpretation of the artwork.

5. The mood of the writer is the feeling or atmosphere that the writer was in when they wrote the work of art, and it affects the reader by influencing their emotions while reading.

6. Literary devices are tools used by the writer to add depth and meaning to their work of art, and they are important because they help the reader understand and appreciate the artwork.

7. Three-dimensional characters are characters that are well-rounded and have multiple layers or dimensions to their personality, and they add to the work of art by making it more relatable and realistic.

8. The setting is the time and place in which the story takes place, and it contributes to the story by providing a backdrop or context for the events that occur.

9. The point of view is the perspective from which the story is being told, and it affects the reader by influencing their understanding of the events and characters in the story.

10. Other important aspects to consider when studying literary appreciation include things like figurative language, symbolism, and allegory. These elements can add more meaning and depth to a work of art and help the reader appreciate it on a higher level.

Conclusion:

The subject teacher wraps up or concludes the lesson by giving out a short note to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.

The subject teacher also goes round to making sure that the notes are well copied or well written by the pupils.

He or she makes the necessary corrections when and where the needs arise.