LITERATURE Literary works are sometimes grouped under two categories: imaginative literature (literature of power), under which

fall novels, short stories, poems and plays; and non-fiction (literature of knowledge) to which belong essays and biographies. Literary Types or Genres FICTION (NOVEL AND SHORT STORY) Fiction presents characters, events and ideas through narration. A novel or a short portrays people in a certain setting and situation, who become involved in that situation through their own actions. A novel, because it is the more extended work, may have more characters in a more complicated situation. On the other hand, a short story can only imply the existence of complex relationships in a highly condensed presentation of character and situation. Narrative and Lyric Poetry Narrative poems are similar to short stories in that plot and character are present to a certain extent. It has a story and character or characters. It also has a kind of point of view. They are implied or suggested rather than described and narrated. The poets aim to produce a unified impression, mood, or effect in the reader. Lyric Poems are generally short and are intense expressions of personal feelings. They are very subjective and personal, expressing deeply felt emotions.

Poetry Poetry is very different from fiction, and yet, in some ways, is quite similar to it. Aside from the fact that, like all literary works, it requires careful use and manipulation of language as a tool and material for expressing or evoking emotions and ideas, poetry may also have a discernible story or situation. Essay An essay may be defined simply as a composition which discusses a single topic. Essay is derived from the French word essai which means to attempt or to try. It was first used by Montaigne (said to be the first essayist) to describe his compositions from which developed the genre that we all essay. The essay combines instruction with entertainment, for the author presents his reader with a discussion or exploration of ideas and experiences (or thoughts about these experiences), and shares with him the discovery of new meanings or implications which they contain, while at the same time keeping his interest mainly through the manner of presentation. Drama A play may be read and enjoyed as literature. But if its qualities as drama are to be fully appreciated, we should remember that what we are reading is the script the dialogue and stage directions which the playwright has written for the actors and technicians involved in the production of the play. The play is the presentation itself, an interpretation of the script as rehearsed by the performers, under a director, and which, with the cooperation of other technicians, unfolds before the audience. The general purpose of a play is to entertain the audience; its specific aim, to tell a story. In this instance, it is very much like the short story and the novel. But whereas in the short story and the novel the plot is narrated, in play, on the other hand, a group of performers acts out the plot; that is characters in action are presented to an

audience. The three literary types, while having plot, character, setting, theme and language in common, differ in the presentation of these elements. Dramatic Modes: Tragedy and Comedy Tragedy ends in the protagonist being overcome by the forces which he opposed or tried to oppose. Comedies, on the other hand, end happily. And whereas the tragic hero falls from an originally fortunate position, the comic hero rises above obstacles which lay on his way; he is triumphant in the end. Dance Dance consists of a succession arrangement of steps and rhythmic movements to musical and/or rhythmic accompaniment. It may be performed for several purposes, such as entertainment, as part of rituals, or the expression of inner thoughts and emotions. Cinema The cinema appears to have the greatest appeal. Cinema is a term that embraces many types of films or movies: cartoons, newsreels, commercials industrial films, social documentaries, and even home movies. The cinema is a way of expressing ideas, attitudes, feelings, dreams, and fantasies to an audience through a series of images. These images or pictures, photographed by a movie camera, are projected on the surface of a screen.