English Home Language: Literature
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English Home Language
Study guide: Literature
Grade 10
2410-E-EHL-SG02
2410-E-EHL-SG02
CAPS aligned
L du Plooy A Mills W Pepler D Slabbert
PREFACE
PRESCRIBED BOOKS
Novel: The Mark by Edyth Bulbring.
Drama: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. (The prescribed text and study guide are complete and additional questions to test knowledge and understanding will be available online on the Optimi Learning Portal.)
Poetry: Poems from all over published by Oxford University Press.
INTRODUCTION
This study guide provides notes and exercises on the prescribed poems for the year. To pass this section of the English curriculum it is necessary to KNOW and UNDERSTAND each of these poems, so study them carefully. The notes provide insights into the poet and their time, diction, imagery, themes, structure/versification, and rhetorical devices.
The exercises provide a way for you to check your knowledge and understanding. Bear in mind that, although these questions will not count towards your SBA mark, those learners who diligently complete their extension exercises are much better prepared for the tasks and tests as well as for the final examinations.
You must read the poems as many times as possible. The notes and summaries are not a substitute for reading the poems. Read poems aloud. Poets use sound devices, pace, and rhythm, and if you do not hear the poems, you cannot appreciate these techniques which enrich the experience and enhance meaning.
All literature notes are included in the readers you received as well as the study guide. These notes provide detailed analyses of the novel, drama and poetry. Questions are set for each poem and sections of the novel and drama. These are not only to test your understanding but are sometimes aimed at helping you to extend your insight. You will benefit from doing all the questions and motivating your answers. This develops your ability to clearly express your thoughts and opinions. Use the memoranda in the facilitator’s guide as examples of how you are expected to argue your point for drama and poetry. Find the answers to the The Mark’s questions in Addendum A in this study guide on page 103.
Study the Glossary of Literary Terms in the front of the book and make sure you know what they mean and how they are applied in the study of literature.
During the July and November examinations, you will write Paper 2, which covers literature.
June examination
Section A: Poetry
• Prescribed (20)
• Unseen (10)
Section B: Novel (The Mark)
• Contextual questions (25)
• Literary essay (25)
TOTAL: 80
November examination
Section A: Poetry
• Prescribed (20)
• Unseen (10)
Section B: Novel (The Mark)
• Contextual questions (25)
OR
• Literary essay (25)
Section C: Drama (Romeo and Juliet)
• Contextual questions (25)
OR
• Literary essay (25)
TOTAL: 80
Sample
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
YEAR PLAN
Lesson 1: ‘They flee from me’
Lesson 2: ‘The Indian burying ground’
Lesson 3: ‘London, 1802’
Lesson 4: ‘Amagoduka at Glencoe Station’
Sample
Lesson 5: The Mark: Chapter 1
Lesson 6: The Mark: Chapter 2
Lesson 7: The Mark: Chapter 3
Lesson 8: The Mark: Chapter 4
Lesson 9: The Mark: Chapter 5
Lesson 10: The Mark: Chapter 6
Lesson 11: The Mark: Chapter 7
Lesson 12: The Mark: Chapter 8
Lesson 13: The Mark: Chapter 9
Lesson 14: The Mark: Chapter 10
Lesson 15: Romeo and Juliet (Prologue/Chorus – Act 1, Scenes 1 – 2)
Lesson 16: Romeo and Juliet (Act 1, Scenes 3 – 5)
Lesson 17: Romeo and Juliet (Chorus – Act 2, Scenes 1 – 2)
Week 9
Week 10
Lesson 18: Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scenes 3 – 4)
Lesson 19: Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scenes 5 – 6)
TERM 2
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Lesson 20: ‘A Martian sends a postcard home’
Lesson 21: ‘Making our clowns martyrs’
Lesson 22: The Mark: Chapter 11
Lesson 23: The Mark: Chapter 12
Lesson 24: The Mark: Chapter 13
Week 4 Lesson 25: The Mark: Chapter 14
Week 5
Week 6
Weeks 7 – 10
Lesson 26: Romeo and Juliet (Act 3, Scenes 1 – 2)
Lesson 27: Romeo and Juliet (Act 3, Scenes 3 – 5)
Revision – June examination TERM 3
Week 1
Week 2
Sample
Lesson 28: ‘Small passing’
Lesson 29: ‘What will they eat?’
Lesson 30: ‘Sedition’
Lesson 31: ‘Sonnet 130’
Lesson 32: The Mark: Chapter 15
Week 3
Week 4
Lesson 33: The Mark: Chapter 16
Lesson 34: The Mark: Chapter 17
Lesson 35: The Mark: Chapter 18
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Lesson 36: The Mark: Chapter 19
Lesson 37: The Mark: Chapter 20
Lesson 38: The Mark: Chapter 21
Lesson 39: The literary essay – novel
Lesson 40: The literary essay – novel (complete)
Lesson 41: Romeo and Juliet (Act 4, Scenes 1 – 2)
Lesson 42: Romeo and Juliet (Act 4, Scenes 3 – 4)
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Lesson 43: Romeo and Juliet (Act 4, Scene 5)
Lesson 44: Romeo and Juliet (Act 5, Scenes 1 – 2)
Lesson 45: Romeo and Juliet (Act 5, Scene 3)
Lesson 46: Revision
Weeks 1 – 10 Revision – November examination
*Additional notes and updated lesson plans are available online on the Optimi Learning Portal (OLP). Refer to OLP for all other lesson content.
LESSON ELEMENTS
Vocabulary
The meaning of new words to fully understand the text/content.
For the curious Encouragement to do in-depth research about the content. Expand the activity and exercise to such an extent that learners are encouraged to explore.
Activity
Core content and questions to test the learner’s knowledge.
Core content
Emphasise the core content; in-depth explanation of a specific section of the lesson and must be understood.
Study/Revision
Time spent studying the content in conclusion of the unit and preparation for the test or examination.
Poetry
Sample
People have been telling stories since the beginning of time.
What is the purpose of literature and why do we
study it?
Cultures are built on stories, histories, myths, legends, fables and so on.
If we are to understand and participate in the culture to which we belong, we must first learn about the stories our culture has been built around. And while books aren’t the only stories out there, they are one of the most important. Literature teaches us about the world around us, about the histories and peoples of other times and places. It surely is more fun to read a novel about another time or place than to learn about it from a textbook.
Literature builds your vocabulary and improves your reading and writing skills. The best way to become a better writer is to read more. Learners who read more often have an advantage when it comes to writing. Literature has so many purposes: to enlighten, to protest, to challenge, to educate, inform, comfort, confront, express and even to heal in some cultures. It is also a form of entertainment and allows us to use our imagination to visualise the story in our own mind.
Genre
Genre means a type of art, literature, or music characterised by a specific form, content, and style. Literature has three main genres: poetry, drama, and prose (divided into fiction and nonfiction). All these genres have features and functions that distinguish them from one another. It is important for you to know which genre you are reading to understand the message it conveys and to be able to analyse it. Make sure you know the correct terminology for each genre and use these terms when you write essays and answer questions.
Poetry
Sample
Poetry follows a metre and rhythm in each line and syllable. There are epic, narrative, romantic, dramatic, and lyric poems. You have heard of and studied odes, sonnets, elegies, and ballads.
Often poetry uses figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and alliteration to create a heightened effect and this elevates the language the poet uses from normal speech to poetry.
Drama
Drama is performed in front of an audience. It is also called a play. Its written text contains dialogues and stage directions. This genre has further categories such as comedy, tragedy, and tragicomedy. William Shakespeare is known as the father of English drama.
His well-known plays include Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. Greek playwrights were the pioneers in this field, such as Sophocles’ masterpiece Oedipus Rex and Antigone, while modern dramas include Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
Prose
Unlike poetry, prose focuses on characters and plot, rather than focusing on sounds. It includes short stories and novels, while fiction and non-fiction are its subgenres. Prose is further categorised into essays, speeches and interpretations.
Fiction
A fictional work may incorporate fantastical and imaginary ideas from everyday life. It comprises elements such as plot, exposition, foreshadowing, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Popular examples of literary fiction include Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.
Non-Fiction
Non-fiction could be creative like a personal essay, or factual, like a scientific paper. It may also use figurative language, however, not unlike poetry, or fiction. Sometimes, non-fiction tells a story, like an autobiography, or conveys information to readers.
Sample
Other examples of non-fiction include biographies, diaries, memoirs, journals, fantasies, mysteries, and romances.
How to use the glossaries
Some of the terms only appear once, because they have the same function in poetry, drama, and prose – so go through all three lists to find the one you are looking for.
‘Beowulf’ is the oldest and longest epic poem in English. Written between 700 and 750 AD, it tells the story of the brave warrior and his battles with the monster, Grendel and a dragon guarding a hoard of treasure.
GLOSSARY OF POETRY TERMS
Sample
Alliteration The repetition of identical consonant sounds, most often at the beginning of words: ‘the flying furry fox’ or ‘steaming soup’ Alliteration is used to reinforce the meaning, to link related words or to provide tone and colour.
Allusion A passing reference to a person, place, thing, or event. Typically, writers allude to something they suppose the reader will already know about. The concept may be real or imaginary, referring to anything from fiction, to folklore, to historical events.
His nose gets longer whenever he talks.
Anaphora
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Ballad
Words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. This is done for emphasis and typically adds rhythm to a passage.
In William Blake’s ‘London’, he uses anaphora:
‘In every cry of every Man, In every infant’s cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forg’d manacles I hear’
SampleTwo terms, phrases or ideas that contrast or have opposite meanings:
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness …’
A speaker directly addresses someone (or something) that is not present or cannot respond. The entity being addressed can be absent, dead, or imaginary, but it can also be an inanimate object (stars or the ocean), an abstract idea (love or fate), or a being (such as a muse or god).
For example, John Keats begins his ‘Ode to a Grecian Urn’ by addressing the Urn: ‘Thou still unravished bride of quietness’ and directs the whole poem to the Urn and the figures represented on it.
The repetition of identical vowel sounds in different words close to one another.
The example is from Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’:
‘Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore — While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.’
The ballad is typically arranged in quatrains and usually the second- and fourth lines rhyme (although this is not a rule). Ballads tell a story and began as folk songs and continue to be used today in modern music.
‘A ballad of John Silver’ (John Masefield)
‘We were schooner-rigged and rakish, with a long and lissome hull, And we flew the pretty colours of the cross-bones and the skull; We’d a big black Jolly Roger flapping grimly at the fore, And we sailed the Spanish Water in the happy days of yore.
We’d a long brass gun amidships, like a well-conducted ship, We had each a brace of pistols and a cutlass at the hip; It’s a point which tells against us, and a fact to be deplored, But we chased the goodly merchant-men and laid their ships aboard.’
Did you notice the allusion?
John Silver, the crossbones and the skull, the Jolly Roger – all these elements allude to the story of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. You will get better at allusion the more you read. This will help you to recognise subtle details and references to other works.
SampleBlank verse Iambic pentameter that doesn’t rhyme. Blank verse is like normal speech but creates a musical effect. It tends to capture the attention of the readers and the listeners, which is its aim.
‘Tintern Abbey’ (William Wordsworth)
‘Five years have past; five summers, with the length Of five long winters! and again I hear These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs With a soft inland murmur. —Once again Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, That on a wild secluded scene impress Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect The landscape with the quiet of the sky.’
Cliché
Refers to an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty: abandon ship, the grass is always greener, silence is golden.
Couplet
Diction
Enjambment
Foot
Consists of two lines with the same metre or rhyme that are equal in length. In the case of the latter, you would refer to it as a rhyming/heroic couplet, which is very common in poetry and has the rhyme scheme: aa, bb, cc and so on.
Diction refers to the poet’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures and the order of the words in a poem.
Poetic diction usually refers to the poet not adhering to the rules and conventions of standard written and spoken language when it comes to sentence structure, word order, the use of very old or newly coined words.
Sample
When reading a poem, consider the different meanings the words may have and how their arrangement in the poem adds to or changes those meanings. Diction reflects the writer’s vision and steers the reader’s thoughts. Poets choose words for a specific effect, e.g. a coat isn’t torn; it is tattered. Remember that each word in a poem, play or novel has a purpose.
A line with no end punctuation but running over to the next line.
Four of the first eight lines of Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 116’ are enjambed:
‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love That alters when it alteration finds Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! It is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken …’
A group of two or more syllables, one of which is stressed. The most common feet in poetry contain either a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (trochee) or an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (iamb):
Thĕ cúr | fĕw tólls | thĕ knéll | ŏf pár | tĭng dáy. |
The iambic pentameter is the most natural and common type of metre in English and elevates speech to poetry.
Hyperbole
Idiom
Overstatement/exaggeration for serious, ironic or comic effect:
‘I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you Till China and Africa meet, And the river jumps over the mountain And the salmon sing in the street .’
The tall tale of the American West is a form used mainly for comic effect. For example, Paul Bunyan, the huge lumberjack who eats 50 pancakes in one minute and dug the Grand Canyon with his axe.
SampleInternal rhyme (middle rhyme)
An idiom is a saying, phrase, or fixed expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning:
‘Fog’ (Carl Sandburg) The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
The idiom referred to in this poem is ‘nothing ever lasts’. In the poem, the city appears to be normal as usual activities are taking place. However fog comes silently like a cat and everything changes. There is no visibility and most of the work comes to a halt. Even the poet has to sit and wait for the fog to go away.
Finally after waiting for sometime, it moves on. Again change happens and so the poem depicts that nothing lasts forever.
Rhyme within a line of poetry, i.e. the middle words and the end words rhyme with one another:
‘Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping …’