Literary Style
Literature uses longer sentences, participle adverbs and ke clauses, and it offers both original works and translations.
How It Works
| Tool | Example |
|---|---|
| participle adverb | Rigardante la maron, Ana pensis pri sia patrino. |
| ke clause | Ŝi sciis, ke li ne revenos. |
| kiu clause | ... pri sia patrino, kiu forlasis la urbon antaŭ multaj jaroj. |
A literary sentence uses the ordinary grammar of the language. What differs is the length and the choice of tools: the participle adverb says when or how, the ke clause carries a thought, and a kiu clause adds a detail about a person or thing.
Original literature (originala literaturo) is written in Esperanto from the start and includes prose, poetry and theatre. Translations (tradukoj) are a large part of Esperanto literature: Zamenhof himself translated stories and novels, and PMEG quotes many examples from his translations.
Literary Esperanto also uses the freedoms from the earlier topics: a different word order for emphasis, dialogue with quotation marks, and sometimes the vowel-dropping of poetry.
Examples (5)
- Rigardante la maron, Ana pensis pri sia patrino.
Looking at the sea, Ana thought about her mother.
The participle adverb rigardante shares the subject Ana.
- Ŝi sciis, ke li ne revenos, kaj tamen ŝi daŭre atendis ĉe la fenestro.
She knew that he would not return, and yet she kept waiting at the window.
A ke clause carries the thought, and kaj tamen adds the contrast.
- La maljuna viro, sidante sub la arbo, rakontis al la infanoj historion, kiun li aŭdis en sia juneco.
The old man, sitting under the tree, told the children a story that he had heard in his youth.
A participle adverb and a kiu clause give two details in one sentence.
- Veninte hejmen, Kofi malfermis la leteron, kiun li ricevis en la mateno.
Having come home, Kofi opened the letter that he had received in the morning.
Veninte looks back at an action that came before malfermis.
- Kvankam la vojo estis longa, ŝi iris plu, ĉar ŝi volis revidi sian hejmon antaŭ la vintro.
Although the road was long, she went on, because she wanted to see her home again before winter.
Three clauses build a long sentence with their own connecting words.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Literary style uses long sentences with participle adverbs.
Related Patterns
Practice Literary Style in Bubblegum
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