ELEMENTS OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LITERATURE

• Literary elements


  The things, parts or features that compose all literary pieces, regardless of what genre that piece belong
• Two types of literary elements

  • Verbal elements
  • Visual elements
• Direct characterization


  • Tells the audience what the personality of the character is
• Indirect characterization


  • Shows things to reveal the personality of the character through: 1. Speech 2. Thoughts 3. Effects on others 4. Actions 5. Looks
• Types of character


  • Round characters
  • Flat characters
• Internal conflict


  Often the most compelling, as they offer insight into a character's motivations and inner turmoil
• External conflict


  Involves a character battling against a force outside of them, such as another person or nature itself
• Types of internal conflict

  • Man vs Self
  • Man vs Destiny
• Types of external conflict


  • Man vs Society
  • Man vs Nature
  • Man vs Man
  • Man vs Supernatural
• Elements of a progressive plot

  • Exposition
  • Conflict
  • Rising Action
  • Climax
  • Denouement
  • End
• Line


  • The stroke marks that form part of a picture and often define its outline. It defines objects, suggest motions, direction, energy or mood, leads the viewer's eyes, symbolizes emotion based on kind like vertical-stability, horizontal-tranquility or peace.
• Color


  • Visual element of a book observed for its hue, lightness, and saturation. The hue maybe cool or warm and lightness and saturation maybe intense or pale or lack of color.
• Shape


  • Refers to the spatial forms of a picture that carries a mood or message and picture can be evaluated for its simplicity or complexity or even negativity.
• Texture


  • Refers to the impression of how it could be felt through the surface of the picture or subject.
• Composition


  • Refers to the arrangement of the visual element in a picture and the way the element relate to each other. This could also mean to the emphasis of the object in a piece such as the focal point in the picture.
• HANNAN MORE (1961): 'I'm a strange contradiction; I'm new and I'm old, I'm often in tatters, and oft deck'd in gold; Though I never could read, yet letter'd I'm found; Though blind, I enlighten; though loose, I am bound- I am always in black, and I'm always in white; I am grave and I'm gay, I am heavy and light. In form too I differ-I'm thick and I'm thin, I've no flesh, and no bones, yet I'm covered with skin; I've more points than the compass, more stops than the flute- I sing without voice, without speaking confute; I'm English, I'm German, I'm French and I'm Dutch; Some love me too fondly; some slight me too much; I often die soon, though I sometimes live ages, And no monarch alive has so many pages.'