Unit 5 Folk Literature

Unit 5 Folk Literature

1. Analyzing Structure and Theme

   • Repetition
     • Adds a pleasing rythym to a story
   • Patterns
     • The story structure often follows a familiar and regular pattern.
   • Symbols and Theme
     • A person, place, or object that represents something behind its literal meaning.
   • Stated and Implied Theme
     • Themes in folk literature are expressed in many different ways.
   • Simple Diction
     • An author's choice of words, phrases, and sentence structure.
   • Common Themes in Folk Literature
     • Folk Literature has several unique charcteristics that contribute to the development of the theme.
   • Archetypes
     • An element that recurs regularly in literature.

2. Oral Tradition in print

   • Fables
     • Brief Stories or poems that teach lessons.
       • "Slow and Steady Wins the Race."
   • Folk Tales
     • Stories that deal with heroes, adventure, magic, or romace.
       • Jack and the Beanstock
   • Myths
     • Fictional tales that explore the actions of gods and heroes and explain why things are a certain way.
       • Chewing Gum will stay in your stomach for 7 years.
   • Legends
     • Traditional, familiar stories about the past.
       • "Buried Alive"
   • Folk Songs
     • The ideas, values, feelings, and beliefs of a culture in musical form
       • "This Land Is Your Land."

3. Elements of Folk Literature

   • Purposes
     • Teach an Important life lesson
     • Explain something in nature
     • Entertain of amuse
   • Themes
     • Universal
       • Express insights about life that can be understood by people of most cultures.
     • Culturally Specific
       • Reflect local customs and beliefs
   • Forms
     • Folk Tales
     • Fairy Tales
     • Fables
     • Wise Sayings
     • Folk Songs
     • Myths
     • Legends

4. Characteristics of Folk Literature

   • Personification
     • Type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.
       • The fire swalloed the entire forest.
   • Irony
     • Involves surprises, unexpected events, and interesting or amusing contradictions.
       • Verbal, Situation, and Dramatic
   • Dialect
     • Form of language spoken by people of a particular region/group.
       • English
   • Hyperbole
     • Exaggeration that is often used to create a comic effect
       • I ate so much at Thanksgiving, I must weigh more than a whale
   • Fantasy
     • Writing that is highly imaginative and contains elements not found in real life.