The document provides an overview of how to analyze different genres of literature including poetry, novels, drama, and prose. It discusses examining various elements such as theme, plot, characters, setting, point of view, conflict, style, and dialogue. For poetry, it notes analyzing rhyme scheme, sound devices, imagery, and theme. For novels and drama, it outlines analyzing theme, plot, characters, and how the theme is handled. It also defines different types of characters, plots, settings, narrators, and conflicts that commonly appear in literature.

1. Practical Stylistics
BY ATYHA RAHMAN

2. Poetry
 When we analyze a piece of poetry we usually look
for the following things :
1. Pattern of the whole poem / the stanza
/ the piece given for analysis i.e.
 rhyming scheme ( the type of
rhyming scheme exploited ) i.e. , point
out the form of each and every stanza
.it can be a quatrain , a

3. Poetry
sonnet , a blank verse , an ode , a lyric
,an epic , a parody , a dramatic
monologue etc.
 It can be some totally new sort of
composition , then we can take out its
rhyming scheme ,and we can give it a
name , as ABAB , ACAB , ABCB etc
.there can be various forms of stanzas .

4. Poetry
2. Sound devices used in the poem :

rhythm ( the easiest and commonest thing
is to judge the musicality in the poem ). It
can be created by various devices ,i.e.
,internal rhyme ,end rhyme , alliteration ,
onomatopoeia , and parallelism .

5. Poetry
3. Portrayal in the poem
 The use of imagery /symbolism .what sort of images
the poet has used to create a particular scene ,or a
particular effect .
 Some can be without any imagery ,just simple
description can be there ,and there can be different
sorts of imagery in a single poem ,like in Keats „Ode
to Nightingale .

6. Theme
4. The main purpose of the poet /the aim /the
philosophy of life / the thought that poet wants to
convey .it is the crux , the purpose of all fabrication ,
of selecting and using all stylistic devices . So how
can we ignore the most important thing , the spirit of
poetry , i.e., the theme

7. Poetry
5. The handling of the theme
 It is really very important that how has the poet
handled the theme . And this is what makes a poem
different from others ,otherwise all the themes have
been attempted hundreds of times ,by hundreds of
poets .

8.  “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; ‟tis something,
nothing;
‟twas mine, ‟tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.”

9. Novel/ Drama
1.



Theme :
The writer‟s purpose behind the fabrication of the
story.
The message that he wants to convey through
concocting that story is the most important thing .
After all it‟s the sole purpose of his/her portraying
all the characters ,writing dialogues , and
fabricating plot.

10. Theme
 The theme is the main, underlying idea of a
piece of literature. It is woven subtly into the fabric
of the story rather than being lectured or preached
by the author.

11. Novel
2. Plot :
 Plot is the arrangement of incidents in the story . It
has great impact on the effect of the story ,and the
way readers are impressed from the story of the
novel.
 Arranging the story in a particular way ,can have a
particular effect , and in another way ,can reverse it
totally.

12. Novel
 The plot of a story is a series of interconnected
events in which every occurrence has a specific
purpose. A plot is all about establishing
connections, suggesting causes, and showing
relationships.

13.  “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth
mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in
bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his
wronger:
But O, what damnèd minutes tells he o'er
Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly
love”

14.  A Dramatic or Progressive Plot: This is a
chronological structure which first establishes the
setting and conflict, then follows the rising action
through to a climax (the peak of the action and
turning point), and concludes with a denouement (a
wrapping up of loose ends).

15.  An Episodic Plot: This is also a chronological
structure, but it consists of a series of loosely related
incidents, usually of chapter length, tied together by
a common theme and/or characters. Episodic plots
work best when the writer wishes to explore the
personalities of the characters, the nature of their
existence, and the flavor of an era.

16.  A Parallel Plot: The writer weaves two or more
dramatic plots that are usually linked by a common
character and a similar theme.
 A Flashback: This structure conveys information
about events that occurred earlier. It permits authors
to begin the story in the midst of the action but later
fill in the background for full understanding of the
present events. Flashbacks can occur more than once
and in different parts of a story.

17. Novel
3. Characters :
characters are a tool of conveying and
portraying the writer‟s point of view /his
philosophy of life . They are the tools of
representing his “isms” .they are
,sometimes his spokesperson .they speak
for him . The criteria for judging a
character is that how much it seems real
,and how much it appeals

18. Novel
types of characters :
 Major or central characters are vital to the
development and resolution of the conflict. In other
words, the plot and resolution of conflict revolves
around these characters.
 Minor characters serve to complement the major
characters and help move the plot events forward.

19. Novel
 Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person who
changes over time, usually as a result of resolving
a central conflict or facing a major crisis. Most
dynamic characters tend to be central rather than
peripheral characters, because resolving the conflict
is the major role of central characters.

20. Static & Round
 Static - A static character is someone who does not
change over time; his or her personality does not
transform or evolve.
 Round - A rounded character is anyone who has a
complex personality; he or she is often portrayed
as a conflicted and contradictory person

21. Stock
 Stock - Stock characters are those types of characters
who have become conventional or stereotypical
through repeated use in particular types of stories.
Stock characters are instantly recognizable to readers
or audience members .Stock characters are normally
one-dimensional flat characters, but sometimes
stock personalities are deeply conflicted, rounded
characters (e.g. the "Hamlet" type)

22. Flat & Protagonist
 Flat - A flat character is the opposite of a round
character. This literary personality is notable for one
kind of personality trait or characteristic.
 Protagonist - The protagonist is the central person in
a story, and is often referred to as the story's main
character. He or she (or they) is faced with a conflict
that must be resolved.

23. Antagonist
 Antagonist - The antagonist is the character(s) (or
situation) that represents the opposition against
which the protagonist must contend. In other words,
the antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist
must overcome. Anti-Hero - A major character,
usually the protagonist, who lacks conventional
nobility of mind, and who struggles for values not
deemed universally admirable.

24. Foil
 Foil - A foil is any character (usually the antagonist
or an important supporting character) whose
personal qualities contrast with another character
(usually the protagonist). By providing this contrast,
we get to know more about the other character.

25. Symbolic character
 Symbolic - A symbolic character is any major or
minor character whose very existence represents
some major idea or aspect of society. For example, in
Lord of the Flies, Piggy is a symbol of both the
rationality and physical weakness of modern
civilization; Jack, on the other hand, symbolizes the
violent tendencies (the Id) that William Golding
believes is within human nature

26. Direct presentation
 Direct presentation (or characterization) - This refers
to what the speaker or narrator directly says or
thinks about a character. In other words, in a
direct characterization, the reader is told what the
character is like. When Dickens describes Scrooge
like this: "I present him to you: Ebenezer
Scrooge....the most tightfisted hand at the
grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching,
grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!" this is very direct characterization!

27. Indirect presentation
 Indirect presentation (or characterization) - This
refers to what the character says or does. The reader
then infers what the character is all about. This
mimics how we understand people in the real world,
since we can't "get inside their heads". In other
words, in an indirect characterization, it's the
reader who is obliged to figure out what the
character is like. And sometimes the reader will get it
wrong

28. Ways to reveal a character
 a. By psychological description.
b. By physical description.
c. By probing what s/he thinks.
d. By what s/he says.
e. By how s/he says it.
f. By what s/he does.
g. By what others say about him or her.
h. By his or her environment.
i. By her reaction to others.
j. By his reaction to himself.

29. Setting
 The setting refers to the time, the geographical
locations, and the general environment and
circumstances that prevail in a narrative. The
setting helps to establish the mood of a story.

30. Types of setting
 Integral Setting: the setting is fully described in
both time and place, usually found in historical
fiction.
 Backdrop Setting: the setting is vague and
general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless
tale. This type of setting is often found in folktales
and simply sets the stage and the mood. For
example, "long ago in a cottage in the deep woods"
and "once upon a time there was a great land that
had an Emperor."

31. Internal narrator
 Internal Narrator (First-person Narrator; the
narrator uses "I" to refer to himself/herself): the
narrator is a character in the story, often, but not
necessarily, the protagonist. This narrative point of
view allows for a very personal touch in the story
telling

32. Omniscient narrator
 Omniscient Narrator (multiple points of view;
the narrator is "all-knowing"): the narrator is not a
character in the story but knows everything about
the story. The omniscient narrator can show the
thoughts and experiences of any character in the
story. It permits the writer the broadest scope.

33. Limited narrator
 Limited Narrator (External Subjective
Narrator; the 3rd person point of view): the
narrator is not a character in the story but looks at
things only through the eyes of a single
character. This type of narrative permits the
narrator to quickly build a close bond between the
protagonist and the reader, without being confined
by the protagonist‟s educational or language
restrictions

34. Conflict
 Common types of conflicts:
 The Protagonist against Another
 The Protagonist against Society
 The Protagonist against Nature
 The Protagonist against Self

35. Conflict
 A single story may contain more than one type of
conflict, although one often predominates. The
conflict provides the excitement and makes possible
the growth and development of the protagonist‟s
character.

36. Style
 1) Word Choices
 2) Writer’s tone
 3) Sentence Length and Construction
 Short sentences best convey suspense, tension,
and swift action.
 Longer sentences work best when explanations
and descriptions are needed.

37. Rhythm
 Prose has rhythm just as poetry does. Its rhythm
can be produced by the juxtaposition of sounds, the
use of repetition with a slight variation of patterns,
and the varied length of sentences.

38. Tone
 Tone refers to the author’s mood and manner of
expression in a work of literature. The tone can be
serious, didactic, humorous, satirical,
caustic/sarcastic, passionate, sensitive, sentimental,
zealous, indifferent, poignant, warm, agitated, and so
on.

39. Humor
 Incongruity is the foundation of humor. We laugh
at the tension resulting from something out of the
ordinary.
 Humor is elusive.
 Humor tends to be age specific.
 Humor can be either sympathetic or negative. One
prerequisite is that the victim must seem to deserve
the fate or the harm must not be critical.

40. Dialogues
 Characters‟ conversation among themselves is called
dialogues .
 Dialogues are a realistic and convincing way of
defining character.

41. Serious Prose
Elements to be stylistically analyzed in serious prose
:
1. Style ,including word choices ,sentence length ,
tone
2. Theme /philosophy of life
3. Any deviation ,or stylistic devices ,if they have been
used
4. Through which techniques ,the writer has used
distinction .
5. The topic explored .