THL1502/201/1/2023

Tutorial Letter 201/1/2023

Introduction to Literary Genres

THL1502

Semester 1
Department of Afrikaans and Theory of
Literature

This tutorial letter contains feedback and examination preparation.

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Dear Student

1. INTRODUCTION

Students had to submit Assignment 01 in order to be admitted to the examination at secure

5% towards the year mark. We also encouraged students to submit Assignments 02 Poetry
Analysis, 03 Narrative Analysis and 04 Drama Analysis since they make up 20% of your
year mark. This letter provides feedback on all three assessments.

2. ANSWERS: ASSESSMENT 01: Multiple Choices Assignment

The feedback of the correct answers is available online on myModules.

If you have questions concerning specific multiple-choice questions (MCQs), please contact
me privately in an email or raise the question on a discussion forum on myModules.

3. ASSESSMENT 02: POETRY ANALYSIS

This assignment focuses on aspects of metaphor, sound, syntax as well as rhythm and
metre. After working through your study material, you should be able to distinguish between
literal and figurative language and you should be able to identify and analyse instances of
metaphorical language in poetry. You should also be able to differentiate between various
sound repetition patterns. Syntax is another aspect you should be able to master. The
foregrounding techniques, rhythm and metre, are structural elements of poetry which you
should understand after this assignment.

QUESTION 1: METAPHOR

1. Differentiate between literal and metaphorical language and quote one metaphor
from the poem.

Literal language can be understood literally. It is logical, uncomplicated, and not in

any sense obscure or difficult to understand.

Metaphorical language, on the other hand, cannot be understood literally. Such

language has a strikingly illogical and non-literal meaning.

There are many metaphors in the poem. Make sure that you know the four types of
metaphors so that you can assess the students accordingly. Please see the different
types of metaphorical constructions under point number 3.

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2. Which specific metaphorical construction is “I have looked down the saddest

city lane” in line 4? Mention, and briefly describe the different constituent parts.

Focus and frame construction.

The saddest city lane: Adjectival focus
Frame Focus Frame
The focus is the word that does not fit in the sentence which can be an adjective, a
verb, or an adverb. In this case it is an adjective. The frame is the syntactical
environment in which the focus appears.

3. Name the other three metaphorical constructions found in poetry and give examples
of each (the examples do not have to be from the poem printed above).

Tenor and vehicle constructions: The vehicle is a noun not a verb, adjective or
adverb which modifies a noun:
The man (tenor) is a jackal (vehicle)
Genitive Construction: Formed by the possessive case using “of” or the
apostrophe "s’”.
The black hat’s dark secrets = Dark secrets are like a black hat.
Sentence metaphor: Where a sentence can be taken as literal in isolation by as
metaphorical in the context of a poem:
She is my mother (In “Nostalgia for Cape Town”) where the city is seen as the
poet’s mother.

4. Identify another example of a metaphorical construction in the second stanza.

“the sound of feet” (genitive construction)

5. Give an example of another figure of speech from the poem that is not metaphor.

Open for interpretation. There are many examples, for example, “the saddest city
lane” (personification) or “I have been acquainted with the night” (euphemism).
Compare the list under point 2.2 in the study guide for examples of the following
figures of speech: Comparison or simile, symbolism, metonomy, synecdoche,
onomatopoeia, allegory, hyperbole, euphemism, paradox, antithesis and irony.

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QUESTION2: SOUND

1. What are we referring to when we refer to “the poetic use of language”?

Its musicality.

2. Why do we study sound in a poem? Explain briefly.

Because sound is a particular means of communication in poetry. Briefly, it wants to
communicate something to the reader.

3. What four aspects do we need to distinguish in order to study a poem as a

vehicle for communicating meaning in a poem?

• the type of sound

• the sound repetition patterns and the
• connectives, and also
• establish the semantic function of words

4. Distinguish between vertical and horizontal sound patterns and provide one
example of each from the poem.

Vertical sound pattern: Sounds patterns occur across over more than one, for
example, lines 1-4:
I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain, and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
Horizontal sound pattern: When the sound occurs within the same line, for example,
line 7:
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

5. What is the distinguishing characteristic of end rhyme? Explain with reference

to two appropriate examples from Robert Lee Frost’s poem.

6. Identify by means of the following examples different patterns of sound repetition in

the poem Acquainted With The Night (remember to underline the consonants and
vowels in question):

6.1 Assonance: the furthest city light

6.2 Alliteration: I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

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QUESTION 3: SYNTAX

1. To create poetry of quality, the poet purposely needs to apply three

techniques. Name all two.

• Deviate from grammatical rules

• Create grammatical patterns
• Introduce the unexpected by the manipulation of the relations between the
topographical unit of lines and stanzas and syntax.

2. What is the function of syntactic deviations in poetic language?

To create new or altered meanings in poems.

3. Identify the kind of syntactical deviation (phenomenon) that occurs in the

poetic use of language in lines 2 to 5 of the poem Acquainted With The Night

Explain: In poetic language, the poet follows a different procedure: he or she

deliberately repeats the same syntactic patterns/structure. This striking use of
patterning is called syntactic (over)regulation or extra patterning.
The aim of the poet in creating this similar syntactic structuring (extra patterning) is
to

• create equivalent meaning (semantic equivalence) and

• create equivalence between lexical items of the same part of speech in the
same syntactic position.

4. Briefly explain three other techniques, also known as syntactic deviation,

which can be used within poetic sentences.

• displacement/dislocation (disturbance of the normal sequence of the

constituents of the sentence (subject, verb, object) and the creation of unusual
sequences)
• deletion (omission of certain constituents so that gaps are created)

OR

QUESTION 4: RHYTHM AND METRE

1. Explain the technical difference between rhythm and metre in poetry.

Metre is a structural foregrounding technique in poetry. Metre is a regular beat like the
beat of a metronome. It is the measure of beats and the way they follow each other at

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regular intervals. Grove (1986: 79) refers to it as “the mathematically correct

succession of rises and falls” of accents in a line.

Rhythm is emotive and flows along the line of verse in its own distinctive way.
According to Grové (1986:82) rhythm is a self-directed and vigorous energy that
opposes the fixed, law-like regularity of the metre.

2. Name six types of metrical patterning found in poetry.

Spondiac, amphibrachic, dactyl, iambic, trochaic, anapaestic.

3. Name the metrical pattern which occurs prominently in poetry.

lambic

4. Write down the signs referring to prominent and unstressed syllables in a poem.

/ = prominent
v = unstressed

5. Explain in your own words why you think that rhythm and metre are core
components of Acquainted With The Night by Robert Lee Frost.

This question is open for interpretation. However, the student must show an
understanding of the difference between metre and rhythm and provide a short
analysis of the poem.

6. Scan the following stanza and write down the metrical pattern:

v / v / v / v / v /
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.

v / v / v / v / v /
I have been one acquainted with the night.

ASSESSMENT 03: NARRATIVE ANALYSIS

You had to choose a story from the list provided in the 101-study letter as your example to
analyse in this assignment. The stories are available in Modern South African stories
(edited by Stephen Gray). If you cannot get access to these books you may use any short
story from any source. However, be sure to reference the title and the author of the short
story. Please use your chosen story again when you choose to do Narrative Analysis in
Section B of the examination paper. We will penalise you if you use “The Suit” by Can
Temba as your example in this section of the examination paper.
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During the take home examination, you are allowed to access your prescribed works and
the study material. You are however not allowed to copy verbatim from your study material.
You should provide answers in your own words. In the case of any cheating or plagiarism
no mark will be allocated. Students suspected of dishonest conduct during the
examinations will be subjected to disciplinary processes. UNISA has a zero tolerance
for plagiarism and/or any other forms of academic dishonesty.

QUESTION 1

Name three implied key terms constituting “Narrative text” and discuss their interdepended
levels.

A "Narrative text" is made up of the terms recit, histoire, and narration. This implies that a
narrative text must tell a story and that someone must recount the events as arranged in the
text. When answering this question, the student is expected to provide a theoretical
approach as well as an analysed example from the selected short story.

QUESTION 2
2.1 Explain, theoretically, the constituents of temporal relations.

The student is expected to identify order, duration, and frequency as

constituents of temporal relations and provide a theoretical explanation.

2.2 Discuss the dominating temporal relation (order, duration or frequency) employed in
your chosen short story and discuss its role and effects.
The student must identify the dominant approach to the text, which is usually order
and sometimes duration in most fictions, whereas frequency is rarely used.

QUESTION 3
3.1 Briefly explain your understanding of the term “Characterisation.”

A student is expected to provide a theoretical definition of characterisation as well

as an example.

3.2 Explain, theoretically, the three direct characterisation methods and the four indirect
methods of characterisation.

A student should recognise the positions from which characterisation emerges as

follows. The primary narrator provides authoritative statements about the
characters and events. Characters express their opinions about other
characters, revealing their own implicit characteristics. These characters, on the

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other hand, can form their own opinions about themselves based on their own
actions and decisions. This method is known as a direct definition.

In contrast, indirect definition is formed by four implicit ways of characterising

characters and events. This includes actions, speech, outward appearance, and
environment.

3.3 Provide one dominant example of the direct characterisation method and two
dominant examples of indirect characterisation methods from your chosen
short story.

The first part of the question requires a student to state that the chosen story
is mainly dominated by which method(s) of characterisation, for example direct
definition or indirect definition. The last part asks which two of the indirect
methods identified in 3.2 are used. Like with the first part, find key passages
from the texts, and provide analysis.

QUESTION 4
In your chosen short story, name and discuss the agents that focalises the space, how this
“space” is seen, and how this “space” is used to add meaning in terms of characters,
events, and theme.

Students who received good marks in this question chose a passage from their chosen
stories that gives a significant description of the setting of the particular story. Space in a
short story may relate to a particular geographical setting, e.g. the Breede River area in the
Western Cape that already features in the title of Helena Gunter’s Afrikaans short story
“Langs die Breede”. However, in other short stories space may be restricted to an indoor
space (a single room or a house). An interesting aspect of Guy de Maupassant’s
representation of space in “Miss Harriet” is the dramatic landscape in Normandy (France)
marked by high cliffs, spectacular sunsets and foggy conditions. It is precisely this
landscape that draws tourists on sight-seeing tours and artists like Leon Chenal looking for
striking scenes to paint. However, the sense of drama conveyed by the landscape
reverberates in the fiery passion experienced by Miss Harriet. The peril of the high cliffs
correlates with her dangerous feelings of consuming love for Leon Chenal. The intensity of
her passion is also expressed by the spectacular red colour of the setting sun.

When the above conditions are met, the student gets full marks and partially met, is
around six/five marks and/or below.

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ASSESSMENT 04: DRAMA ANALYSIS

QUESTION 1 (a)

To receive good marks for this question, you needed to introduce the topic you wish to
discuss for your essay. For example, a) you may begin by saying that “in this essay I will
discuss….” And then you mention the topic under discussion. Perhaps say:

“In this essay I will discuss the performance orientation of play.”

Then you can give additional information on how your discussion will unfold:

In this book, The Play. A manual, Keuris (1996) identifies the x stands for y principle, which is
a theatrical formula to explain the way in which the fictional world is created on stage.”

You also need to introduce the title and give the name of the author and year of publication
of the play you will use to illustrate the required theoretical concepts under discussion.

OR

QUESTION 1(b)

As you can see this question builds on the introduction you were required to write above.
Therefore, you need to offer a discussion of the theatrical formula: x stands for y. Although a
fictional world is enacted on stage in drama, it remains only an enactment. In drama, real
objects and people (decor and actors) are used to represent a specific fictional setting and
characters. For this question you had to explain this concept and how drama does not tell a
story but shows it. You should also elaborate on how this is reflected in the text – by
explaining the significance of the list of actors who portrayed the characters in the first
performance of the text and of the stage directions as "instructions" to the director and/or
actors in the staging of the play. It is useful to quote or paraphrase from a play/s to illustrate
these theoretical concepts. Here remember that you do not need to write an introduction; you
are in effect dealing with the body of the essay.

AND

QUESTION 1 (c)

For this part of the question, it is more evident that you are required to illustrate the
theoretical concepts by referring to the play/s you have chosen to analyze. Remember to
always identify and explain the required theoretical concepts that are used in the analysis of
a play(s). Practically, in your discussion, refer to pertinent theoretical concepts. For example,
you may say that the fact that the play is written to be performed has implications for the way
it is staged; that is the representation of the characters as well as the duration of the
performance. Your discussion may incorporate the way theatrical conventions can be traced
in the written play. You may also point to the physical limitations of a performance and
expand on how space is a limiting factor in a performance. It is useful to quote or paraphrase

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from a play/s to illustrate these theoretical concepts. Here remember that you do not need to
write an introduction; you are in effect dealing with the body of the essay.

OR

QUESTION 1 (d)

In your discussion of theatrical conventions, you may mention the aside, monologue and
soliloquy, direct address of the audience, exchanging roles and role playing, as well as the
play within a play. Can you identify these concepts when analysing a play? It is useful to
quote or paraphrase from a play/s to illustrate these theoretical concepts. Here remember
that you do not need to write an introduction; you are in effect dealing with the body of the
essay.

QUESTION 2 (a)

It is evident that you need to have read the whole play to answer this question effectively. It is
best to choose an event based on your analysis of where it belongs in the overall structural
organization of your chosen play. First identify the play from which the except is taken and
identify the playwright as well the year of publication and page number. Give a brief
indication of the context of the event under discussion. Remember to outline the relevant
theoretical concept and quote and/or paraphrase from a play/s of your choice to illustrate the
theoretical concept.

AND

QUESTION 2 (b)

In this question you are required to discuss the theoretical concept applicable and then quote
and/ or paraphrase key or specific events in the play that indicate the structural progression
of events.

GENERAL REMARKS:

■ In this assignment on the analysis of drama you were especially made aware of the fact
that the dramatic text is performance orientated. The relation between the text and the
performance was discussed in quite some detail in order to show you the importance of
this aspect when analysing a dramatic text, as well as to illustrate how this plays a role
in distinguishing the drama genre from the other literary genres.

■ An important way for me to assess your understanding of the work, was to look at the
way in which you presented or formulated your answers. Many of you are capable of
getting much higher marks if you merely formulate your statements with more care.
Using an incorrect term, for example, often causes a statement to be incorrect, e.g. if
you write: “The spectator learns more about the character through the didascalie”, then
you are wrong, simply because didascalie are written words in the dramatic text, and
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does not exist as such in the performance. By formulating more carefully, this could be
corrected, e.g. “The reader learns more ...”.

■ The majority of the answers were too long. Shorten your answers for the examination:
decide what are the most important aspects to be included in your answers and make
sure that you do not repeat any information unnecessarily. Always take note of the mark
allocation when deciding on the length of your answers.

■ Many students wasted precious “time” by describing the examples from their chosen
drama in detail. Be careful not to recount the events of the drama instead of discussing
it in view of the theory.

■ Pay attention to the structure of your answers. Treat each answer as a mini-essay in
which you firstly discuss the theory, secondly apply it to your chosen text and thirdly
explain the function of the specific theory in the drama.

■ Remember to substantiate each statement that you make.

4. EXAMINATION PAPER

The format of the examination paper is as follows:

The examination will be conducted as a take home examination based on an examination

question paper.

The exact date and duration of the exam paper will be communicated as soon as it
becomes available.

PART I: POETRY

ANSWER THREE QUESTIONS

Question 1 (8)
Question 2 (7)
Question 3 (15)
OR
Question 4 (15)
Subtotal for PART I (30)

PART II: NARRATIVE

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

Question 1 (5)
Question 2 (10)
Question 3 (10)
Question 4 (10)
Subtotal for PART II (35)

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PART III: DRAMA

ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS. ONE FROM QUESTION 1 AND ONE FROM QUESTION 2
Question 1(a) (15)
OR
Question 1(b) (15)
Question 2(a) (20)
OR
Question 2(b) (20)
Subtotal for PART III (35)

TOTAL FOR QUESTIONPAPER (100)

Best wishes for the examination!

Mr D Sibuyi
(Module co-ordinator)
[email protected]

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