There are three main types of literature: prose, poetry, and drama. Prose is “Writing that is not poetry.” Poetry is “the reading and writing of poems.” Poems are “an arrangement of words, esp a rhythmical composition, sometimes rhymed in a style more imaginative than ordinary speech or prose.” Drama is “a literary composition to be performed by actors, play, esp. one that is not a comedy.”
Examples of Prose are Robinson Crusoe, G. A. Henty books, Little Men, Robin Hood, and A Christmas Carol. Examples of Petry are Idylls of the King and The Raven. Examples of Drama are The Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth. I like drama because modern movies and TV shows are examples of drama, but when I am reading, I prefer prose.
Next are elements of a good story, for example, characters, theme, and plot. My favorite book this year was “A Knight of the White Cross.” The characters were brave, perseverant, and they had skills. Next the themes. Some of the themes in “A Knight of the White Cross” are friendship, bravery, skill, and smart. Then the plot. A plot is the storyline of a book. The plot is the most important part of a book. It introduces the characters, themes, and other elements of a good story. A good book has five parts to the plot. First, the exposition, which is the beginning of a story in which the characters are usually introduced. Then the rising action, which is where the conflict is introduced. For example, the rising action in a mystery story is when the people are finding clues and getting close to their goal. Then the Climax which is when the problem reaches a dramatic height. For example, in a mystery story, the climax is when the people catch the bad guys or when they find thee missing thing. Then the falling action in which the story slows down and the problem is resolved. Then comes the Resolution which is the ending of a story.
Literature is often influenced by the author’s worldviews and his or her writing style. The Oxford dictionary defines the word worldview as a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.” Daniel Defo was probably a Christian because in his book “Robinson Crusoe”, Crusoe read his Bible and prayed every day when he was on the island. Howard Pile probably believed that all people should be free, so in his book, “Robin Hood”, he featured people who wanted to be free from taxation and government rule. Homer probably was influenced by Greek and Roman culture, so that’s probably why he wrote The Odyssey (a Greek myth). Greek mythology influenced Homer’s writings. We know this because in his writing, he puts a lot of mythological creatures like the Cyclops, Siren, Scylla, and Charybdis.
Every author has a different writing style. G. A. Henty put a lot of details into his books. He also used historical facts and details to make his books informational, but also exciting! Mark Twain writes his books in order to encourage young kids to be brave and adventurous and to remind older people what it was like being a kid. William Shakespeare wrote plays. The Taming of the Shrew was a Romantic Comedy, but Macbeth was a tragedy type of play. Poetry is another type of style of writing read this year. Edgar Allen Poe put a lot of dark stuff into his poems, like “The Raven.” “The Raven” represents Heaven, Hell, the Devil, and other dark stuff like that; although it’s only a four or five-page poem. Idylls of the King is another example of poetry; however, it is blank verse, which is “verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter. I had the opportunity to read many famous works of literature. I had heard of some of these books, but I had never read them before. Two of my favorite works of literature are “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and “Tom Sawyer”, and they are both written by Mark Twain. More works of literature I liked were “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Macbeth”, both written by William Shakespeare, and extremely famous literary author. “The Odyssey” is an extremely famous work of literary art. It was written by Homer in 8th century B.C., so “The Odyssey” has been alive for thousands of years.
Vocabulary words help analyze literature. To analyze something means to study it in greater detail. ‘Setting is a vocabulary word that I learned. It tells me where the story is taking place. Plot is another vocabulary word I learned. This one is important because it is the “main event of a novel, plan, movie, or similar work.” Another important vocabulary word is Metaphor, which is “a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as if it were another.” Vocabulary words are extremely helpful if you are trying to find the meaning of something.
Another famous book I read was “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. This book is probably read by thousands of people at Christmas time. It is one of my favorite books. Even though it was written over 150 years ago it still teaches people and it still has meaning for people today. It is a timeless tale. It teaches people that there is more to life than making money. It also teaches us to be compassionate and generous towards the poor and needy. It is a timeless tale.
Another favorite of mine is “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne. Jules Verne is sometimes called the “Father of Science Fiction.” He even made subterranean fiction popular with his book “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” This book inspired many people to start using science fiction in books and movies like “The Hobbit” or “Star Trek” or “Star Wars” and many others.
Another book I read that I like was “Alice in Wonderland”. It is a classic because it is also timeless tale, and boys and girls, you’d or old enjoyed it for many years. This book has been made into several movies. its first publication was 155 years ago, but it is a book I still like to read and listen to today.