The Importance of Sentences in Literary Writing

THE IMPORTANCE OF SENTENCES IN LITERARY WRITING

 

INTRODUCTION

A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark. A sentence is a grammatically complete idea. All sentences have a noun or pronoun component called the subject and a verb part called the predicate. A sentence may also be defined as a group of words that are put together to mean something. A sentence is the basic unit of language which expresses a complete thought. It does this by following the grammatical basic rules of syntax. For example: “Ali is walkingHudson, (1963).

A complete sentence has at least a subject and a main verb to state (declare) a complete thought. Short example: She walks. A subject is the noun that is doing the main verb. In English and many other languages, the first word of a written sentence has a capital letter. At the end of the sentence there is a punctuation mark depending on whether it is a statement, a question, a command, a request or an exclamation.

On the other hand, literary writing may be defined as creating new creative work, such as poems or novels, and compilations or volumes of creative work.For example, composinga novel is an example of literary writing.The term ‘literary writing’ calls to mind works by writers such as Shakespeare, Milton, or Wordsworth; definitive examples of all that the term implies James (1957). We instinctively associate the term with characteristics such as artistic merit, creative genius, and the expression of mankind’s noblest qualities. In this essay I will explore some of the characteristics of this kind of writing.

The purpose of literary writing

The literary purpose is used to entertain and to give aesthetic pleasure. The focus of the literary purpose is on the words themselves and on a conscious and deliberate arrangement of the words to produce a pleasing or enriching effect. A writer often expresses a worldview when using the literary purpose.

Features of literary writing

The biggest feature of literary writing is that it is very often based on imagination, ideas and unreal things. As the name suggests, the language used in literary writing is a rich one. The writer uses rich words, poetic devices other language enhancing elements to give the written piece, a good taste and appearance.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SENTENCES IN LITERARY WRITING INCLUDES:

Literary terms are important in a wide variety of ways. They allow writers and speakers to make comments on society, politics, and trends. Rhetorical devices can be used to strengthen arguments which persuade and convince audiences. Poetic figurative language can summon emotions and visions of nature and the world in unique and compelling ways. Literary terms have the power to create serious, comedic, or whimsical moods via tools of persuasion, poeticism, and wordplay.

Grammatical Accuracy

This makes writing easier and faster.  With good grammar, the writings the    readers will enjoy the write up and the meaningful words in the particular book.  For instance, the choice of Diction can: Create a certain tone that supports purpose. The purpose of a piece of writing determines its diction. In literature and fiction writing, writers often use informal diction and figures of speech—words used for non-literal meanings, like similes and metaphors.

Good sentences play a vital role in literary writing.  It help the writers in using simple words to enable the readers understand better rather than using close proximity, help instead of facilitate, for instead of in the amount of, start instead of commence. Although it is important to be aware of useful devices at your disposal, it is also important to be aware of potential mistakes you may be making. Just as there are terms for correct usage of literary devices, there are terms for incorrect usage as well. These are the errors you should work to avoid in your writing.

 

 Keep paragraphs short

Look at paragraphs; it is one of the effective ways of writing as far as sentences are concerned. It make reading easier, because our brains take in information better when it’s broken into small chunks.In academic writing for instance, each paragraph develops one idea and often includes many sentences. But in casual, everyday writing, the style is less formal and paragraphs may be as short as a single sentence or even a single word.

Write about what you know

Beginning writers always get told ‘write what you know’, but it’s good advice. Use settings, characters, background, and languagethat you are already familiar with and create new stories from the world that you already know. This is like using research you’ve already done. And remember, your background, what you bring to the act of writing, is as valid as what anyone else can bring.

Hook your readers

With good and simple sentences, readersread novels or short stories, so it’s important to hook readers right away with good grammar. Your opening sentence or paragraph should encourage them to continue, perhaps by making them laugh, or exciting their curiosity, or just making them want to find out what happens next.

Show rather than tell

Good sentences play a vital role in literary writing because it help in avoiding too much description, too many adjectives and adverbs, can slow up your narrative and cause your readers to lose interest Hayward, (1981). Where possible, it’s better to show you readers what a person, the atmosphere in the room, the relationship between your characters is like – show, that is, by what they say, how they interact, what they do. It’s more effective than telling the reader through wordy piles of information.

 

CONCLUSION

In literary writing, a sentence is a unit of written texts delimited by graph logical features such as upper case letters and markers such as periods, question marks, and exclamation marks.A piece of literature differs from specialised treatises on astronomy, political economy, philosophy, or even history, in part because it appeals, not to a particular class of readers. Literary writing is, in essence, a ‘response’, a subjective personal view which the writer expresses through his themes, ideas, thoughts, reminiscences, using his armoury of words to try to evoke, or provoke, a response in his reader.

It is not only a question of the artist looking into himself but also the of his looking into others with the experience he has of himself. The writer of this passage emphasises the distinction between writing of didactic purpose and literary writing which has that other, aesthetic, dimensionAllot (1980).

 

REFERENCES
Allot, Kenneth (Ed) The Penguin Book of Contemporary Verse. Penguin 1980

Hayward, John. (Ed) Penguin Book of Verse. Penguin 1981

Hudson, William .An Introduction to the Study of Literature.Harrap 1963

Reeves, James. The Critical Sense. Heinemann 1957.