tone/mood

The tone and mood of any written piece is exposed through the diction. While analyzing the words and listening to the way they sound, and understanding what they mean, it is easy to detect what the author had in mind for the tone and feel of the poem. But sometimes you have to dig a little deeper, because tonal shifts can often occur, and the author suddenly changes his or her tone. For example, in the poem "To his Coy Mistress", the poem starts out using words like "love" "adore" "grow" vast". These words signify a growing love, while he speaks of time, and loving in the moment. But really there's a twist. He proves that he doesn't truly love her, throughout the tonal changes in the poem. And when words like "iron gates" "rough" "strife" and "instant fires" appear, so does a shift in mood and tone. Just using words and phrases alone, a tone and mood is set and revealed.

Diction

Diction is very important in all forms of written work. Diction often helps develop the tone and the attitude in the written work. Be it a poem, or a novel, or whichever. For example in "As I Walked Out One Evening", the diction is very smooth yet at points staccato. Because of the different dictions within the poem, they help with the transitions of tones. Also, another example, in Hamlet's classic, "To be or not to be," speech his harsh words help to express the confusion he is facing. Diction allows the readers to hear the tone and get the writing without breaking down every sentence, phrase, or word. Without Diction, there would be much more analyzing of the piece of written work before actually comprehending the poem, novel, or whichever.

Sounds of Poetry

The sounds in poetry truly make the poem, and bring it to life. "Rhyme Scheme" is one of the most popular techniques and tools to use in poetry. It adds some spice, and a certain unique attitude to the poem. It also makes the poem more fun to read and it slips off the tongue as well. Each poem has their unique tools that they use. Another common tool is onomatopoeia. Examples of this tool are words like "Bang! Zap! Swoosh!". Words with sounds bring the poem to life as well. The language in the poem and the tools that the author uses are key to its uniqueness. Sounds and tools are key to a good poem, and one we haven't heard a billion times before.

Symbols

Symbols show up in all kinds of literature, and in just about every piece of writing. Whether you may catch them or not, there is symbolism in everything. Symbolism helps accentuate the theme, and the plot of the story. Symbolism can be present in different forms. Sometimes a simple metaphor, sometimes a prop, or even a piece of the setting. For example (this is broad but...) in Pride and Prejudice, Darcy's estate is a symbol of everything he is and what he stands for. It symbolizes his wealth and successes. Although this is quite obvious, like I said, symbols can be very broad. They are objects, settings, or props that imply something deeper.

Setting!

There are many differences between the setting in a play and the setting in a novel and story. In a play, unfortunately the setting can only be so limited. Although in a play, the visual props and sets can only be as realistic as you can imagine. Because at the end of the day, Darcy really isn't bathing and swimming in a lake... he is "swimming" behind a blue see-through drape that is assumed to be water. So although sets in plays can be quite beautiful and astonishing, at the end of the day it is more about the acting and the story. But with novels and books it is completely different. The setting is in your mind, so it is really up to your imagination to decide what the set will look like. Because the story might state that in this scene that they are at a beach, but your beach might be different from my beach, so really it is up to your mind and your imagination, which is really beautiful.

Charaters

Without characters there would be no plot, and without no plot, there would be no story. There are characters in every story, novel, poem, or play. And there also is always a protagonist, and sometimes an antagonist. The story revolves around the conflicts, hardships, romance, or routines of the characters, and they are what make the story interesting and relatable. In Hamlet, Hamlet is the protagonist while Claudius is the antagonist, and through their conflicts and problems comes the plot and the story. Without the characters in each play, there would be nothing to build the plot around. They are the key concept for a written work.

Plot

The plot is the conflict, it is the romance, it is the overall story or tale. Characters and plot go hand in hand. The reason is, because if there were no characters then there would be no plot. Characters make the conflict, and conflict makes the plot. Therefore, the story comes from the people who are involved. In Pride and Prejudice, the plot is more conventional. It comes from within the characters. Two people think they hate each other, they can't be together because of their different stature in society, they realize they are in love, and they make their love work! But in Hamlet, we have an external and internal plot. The external being all that is happening in Denmark with the change of Kings, etc. And internally because of the way the plot centralizes and focuses around Hamlet, and what he reveals to the audience (his emotions, and his internal changes and realizations throughout the play). Without a plot there would be no story, no play, no poem, no fairytale. Plot is everything.