WHAT IS LITERATURE

Literature refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to
have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ
from ordinary usage.
Literature is classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction, and whether it is
poetry or prose. It can be further distinguished according to major forms such as
the novel, short story or drama; and works are often categorized according to historical
periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).

~Literature stands related to man as science stands to nature- J. H. Newman

DIVISION OF LITERATURE

The two divisions of literature are prose and poetry. While prose is written in a
straightforward manner to appeal to the reader's intellect, poetry has a more rhythmic,
imaginative tone used to awaken the reader's emotion.
Prose is written in paragraph form and is meant to reflect common, everyday language.
The chief objectives of prose are to inform or educate the reader, or instruct the reader
to do something. Examples of prose include a novel, essay, letter or biography.
Poetry is written in verse form, with the express intent to appeal to the reader's emotion.
It relies heavily on the use of metaphors and abstract language to encourage the
readers to use their imagination.
Examples of poetry include a ballad, an epic, a sonnet or a song.

FORMS UNDER EACH FORM

Types of prose include drama, articles, novels, short stories, books, newspapers,
magazines, encyclopedias, broadcast media, films, letters, history, philosophy, and
biographies.

Types of poetry include lyric and narrative and they are: epic, ode, ballads, blank verse,
free verse, elegy, epigram, haiku, idyll, limerick, and the lay.

~ It’s important to remember though, that one piece of literature can contain parts of
another ~