What are the basic elements of a short story?

 In analyzing a short story, there are six elements that the

reader should look for in the story. All stories begin with a
seed of an idea. From that point, the author then should plan
his story around these elements:

Setting, Conflict, Character, Plot, Theme, Point of view

Each of these aspects should be expected in the story. Not all stories
will have the same importance placed on each element. For
example, in the story “To Build a Fire,” one of the most important
elements is the setting. It is the Yukon with 75 degrees below zero.

Setting

This element refers to the place and time of the story. When
evaluating the setting, look for where the action takes place. In
addition, the historical period may be important.

Conflict

In every story, there has to be a problem. The main character has to

be challenged in some way or the story will go nowhere. There are
four basic conflicts to look for that may face the main character:

 Man versus man

 Man versus nature
 Man versus himself
 Man versus society
Character

The development of the characters is important to the short

story. The characters are the heart of the story. The two primary
characters are called the protagonist and the antagonist.

The protagonist is the main character. It is not safe to call him the
hero because the main character is not always heroic. He/she is the
person with which the story is most concerned.

The antagonist does not have to be a human being. If he is a person,

he may be the villain. This character does not have the main
character’s best interest at heart. In some stories, nature is the
antagonist. Remember “To Build a Fire.” The main character has to
face nature and hope that he survives.

Some characters do not change in a story: these characters are

called flat. The characters that change or grow are called round.

A character is considered flat (or static) when he or she does not

experience change of any kind, does not grow from beginning to end.
Shakespeare often uses comic villains as flat characters, like Don Jon
in Much Ado About Nothing..

Plot

The plot is the arrangement of the events in the story. The plot should follow
some logical sequence of events. There are five elements to look in the plot.

The Exposition-The initial events, the introduction of characters, and

beginning of the story.

The Rising Action- The beginning of the conflict. Complications arise.

The Climax-This is the highest point of interest in the story. It is the turning
point that aims toward the conclusion of the story.

The Falling Action- The events that occur which begin to resolve the conflict.
Theme

This is the controlling idea or the insight that the author wants the reader to
understand at the end of the story. The theme is often the author’s thoughts
or view of a subject.

Point of view

This element of the story is how the story is told . It also determines
who will be the narrator of the story.

First Person-One of the characters tells the story and interacts in the
story as well.

Third Person-the author can narrate the story using a “god-like”

position in which he can see into the minds of the characters.

Limited Omniscient- Still in third person, the narrator will only know
what the character knows or what the author tells the narrator.
Poetry Forms - Definitions and Examples

Sonnet - a short rhyming poem with 14 lines. The original sonnet form was invented in
the 13/14th century by Dante and an Italian philosopher named Francisco Petrarch. The
form remained largely unknown until it was found and developed by writers such as
Shakespeare. Sonnets use iambic meter in each line and use line-ending rhymes.

Limerick - a five-line witty poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth
lines, the longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme. (A-A-B-B-A).

Haiku - This ancient form of poem writing is renowned for its small size as well as the
precise punctuation and syllables needed on its three lines. It is of ancient Asian origin.

Haiku's are composed of 3 lines, each a phrase. The first line typically has 5 syllables,
second line has 7 and the 3rd and last line repeats another 5. In addition there is a
seasonal reference included

Narrative - A narrative poem tells the story of an event in the form of a poem. There is a
strong sense of narration, characters, and plot. It may be dramatic, with objectives and
diverse characters. Narrative poetry may be short or long, and the story it relates to may
be simple or complex.

Epic - a lengthy narrative poem in grand language celebrating the adventures and
accomplishments of a legendary or conventional hero

Couplet - two lines of verse which rhyme and form a unit alone or as part of a poem.

Free Verse - A Free Verse Poem does not follow any rules. Their creation is completely
in the hands of the author. Rhyming, syllable count, punctuation, number of lines,
number of stanzas, and line formation can be done however the author wants in order
to convey the idea. There is no right or wrong way to create a Free Verse poem.

Acrostic - An acrostic poem is a poem where the one letter in each line spells out a
word or phrase vertically that acts as the theme or message of the poem. The word
used for the acrostic can be the name of the person you are writing the acrostic about, a
message such as Happy Birthdayor a theme such as Acceptance, Love or Hope.