Vietnam: What are narrative techniques? How many narrative techniques are there? What are they and what are their uses?
Vietnam: What are narrative techniques? How many narrative techniques are there?
A narrative technique is one of the artistic measures often used in literary works.
Using narrative techniques makes it easier to convey thoughts and emotions about each object or event to the reader more easily and vividly.
narrative techniques include:
Main narrative techniques:
- Lexical narrative techniques:
+ Simile;
+ Metaphor;
+ Metonymy;
+ Personification;
+ Repetition;
+ Euphemism;
+ Hyperbole;
+ Enumeration;
+ Pun.
- Syntactical narrative techniques:
+ Inversion;
+ Parallelism;
+ Interruption;
+ Rhetorical question;
+ Antithesis.
In addition, there are several other narrative techniques.
Vietnam: What are narrative techniques? How many narrative techniques are there? What are they and what are their uses? (Internet image)
Vietnam: What are the uses of narrative techniques?
Narrative techniques have a special role. Using narrative techniques helps portray images, objects, and events more clearly and vividly. Each type of narrative technique will bring different effects when the author uses them.
Below are the narrative techniques and their most commonly seen effects:
(1) Simile
- Definition: A simile is a comparison of two or more objects or events that have similarities to increase the vividness and emotional appeal of the text.
- Effect: Using a simile helps to make the described image more vivid, helping the reader easily understand, imagine, and visualize the mentioned image more clearly.
Example:
“Anh bỗng nhớ em như đông về nhớ rét
Tình yêu ta như cánh kiến hoa vàng
Như xuân đến chim rừng lông trở biếc
Tình yêu làm đất lạ hóa quê hương”
["Tiếng hát con tàu" - Che Lan Vien]
(2) Personification
- Definition: Personification is a narrative technique that uses words denoting activities, characteristics, thoughts, names... originally reserved for humans to describe inanimate objects, substances, animals, and plants to make them more lively and relatable.
- Effect: It makes inanimate objects and intangibles become more lively and thoughtful.
Example:
Sông Đuống trôi đi
Một dòng lấp lánh
Nằm nghiêng nghiêng trong kháng chiến trường kì
["Bên kia sông Đuống" – Hoang Cam]
(3) Metaphor
- Definition: A metaphor is a narrative technique that names one object or phenomenon by using the name of another one which has similarities to increase the vividness and emotional appeal of the expression.
There are 04 types of metaphors: Formal metaphor; Method metaphor; Quality metaphor; Sensory metaphor.
- Effect: It has the effect of increasing the vividness and emotional appeal.
* Note: Distinguish between metaphor and simile:
A metaphor differs from a simile in that a metaphor is considered an implied comparison. A simile usually has more easily identifiable markers, whereas a metaphor does not need words or punctuation to distinguish between the objects or events mentioned.
Example:
Ơi con chim chiền chiện
Hót chi mà vang trời
Từng giọt long lanh rơi
Tôi đưa tay tôi hứng
["Mùa xuân nho nhỏ" - Thanh Hai]
(4) Metonymy.
- Definition: Metonymy is a narrative technique that names one object or phenomenon using the name of another that is closely related to it to increase the vividness and emotional appeal of the expression.
- There are 04 types of metonymy:
+ Using a part to indicate the whole;
+ Using the container to indicate the contained;
+ Using characteristics to indicate objects;
+ Using the concrete to indicate the abstract, intangible.
- Effect: Metonymy has the effect of enhancing the vividness and emotional appeal of describing the mentioned objects or events in poetry and prose.
Example:
“Đầu xanh có tội tình gì
Má hồng đến quá nửa thì chưa thôi”
[The Tale of Kieu - Nguyen Du]
(5) Hyperbole
- Definition: Hyperbole is a narrative technique that exaggerates the degree, scale, or nature of objects and phenomena described to emphasize and make an impression, increasing expressiveness.
- Effect: Hyperbole has the effect of enhancing the vividness and emotional appeal of describing the mentioned objects or events in poetry and prose.
Example:
“Độc ác thay, trúc Nam sơn không ghi hết tội
Dơ bẩn thay, nước Đông hải không rửa sạch mùi”
["Bình Ngô đại cáo" – Nguyen Trai]
(6) Euphemism
- Definition: A euphemism is a narrative technique that uses gentle and indirect ways of expression to avoid causing feelings of too much sorrow, fear, heaviness; to avoid coarse or impolite expressions.
Example:
“Bác đã đi rồi sao Bác ơi!”
["Bác ơi" – To Huu]
(7) Repetition
- Definition: Repetition is a narrative technique that repeats a word or phrase multiple times with the intention to enhance expressive effects: emphasize, create an impression, evoke associations, emotions… and create rhythm for the sentence/paragraph.
Example:
Tre giữ làng, giữ nước, giữ mái nhà tranh, giữ đồng lúa chín”
["Cây tre Việt Nam" – Thep Moi]
(8) Enumeration
- Definition: Enumeration arranges a series of similarly categorized words or phrases consecutively to express more fully and deeply different aspects of reality or thoughts and feelings.
Example:
“Tỉnh lại em ơi, qua rồi cơn ác mộng
Em đã sống lại rồi, em đã sống!
Điện giật, dùi đâm, dao cắt, lửa nung
Không giết được em, người con gái anh hùng!”
["Người con gái anh hùng" – Tran Thi Ly]
What are requirements for identifying narrative techniques and their uses to students in Vietnam?
In the Literature program promulgated with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the requirements for identifying narrative techniques and their effects for students are clearly stated as follows:
- For students in grades 3, 4, and 5: understanding the effects of personification and similes.
- For students in grades 6 and 7: understanding narrative techniques like metaphors, metonyms, hyperboles, and euphemisms.
- For students in grades 8 and 9: understanding narrative techniques like repetition, puns, irony, and paradoxes.
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