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GENERAL TYPES OF LITERATURE
PROSE-consists of those written within the commonflowof conversation in sentencesandparagraphsPOETRY-
refersto thoseexpressions in verse, withmeasureand rhyme, lineandstanzaand hasa more melodioustone.I.
PROSEa. Novels.Along narrativedivided into chaptersandevents are takenfrom true-to-lifestories.Example:
WITHOUTSEEING THE DAWNbyStevan Javellanab. Short story.This isa narrative involvingoneormore
characters, oneplot andonesingle impression.Example:THE LAUGHTEROFMYFATHERby CarlosBulosanc.
Plays.Thisispresented ona stage, isdivided into actsand eachacthasmany scenes.Example:THIRTEENPLAYS
byWilfredoM. Guerrerod.Legends.Thesearefictitious narratives,usuallyaboutorigins.Example: THE BIKOL LEGEND
byPio Durane. Fables.Thesearealsofictitious andtheydealwithanimals and inanimate things whospeakandact like
people and theirpurpose is toenlighten themindsof childrento eventsthat can moldtheirways andattitudes.Example:
THE MONKEYANDTHETURTLEf.Anecdotes.Thesearemerelyproducts of the writer’s imaginationandthe main
aim istobringoutlessons to the reader.Example: THE MOTHANDTHE LAMPg. Essay.This expresses the
viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular problem orevent.Thebestexample of this
isthe Editorialpageof anewspaper.

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h. Biography.Thisdeals withthe lifeof aperson whichmay beabout himself,hisautobiographyorthat of
others.Example: CAYETANOARELLANO bySocorro O. Alberti. News.This isa reportof everydayevents in society,
government, science andindustry,and accidents,happeningnationallyornot. j. Oration. This is a formal
treatment of a subject and is intended to be spoken inpublic.Itappealsto theintellect, to the wil orto
theemotionsof theaudience.II. POETRYA. NARRATIVE POETRY.Thisform describes importantevents in
lifeeitherrealorimaginary.The different varietiesare:1.Epic.This isan extended narrativeaboutheroicexploits often
undersupernaturalcontrol. Example:THE HARVESTSONG OFALIGUYONtranslated in English byAmador
T.Daguio2. MetricalTale.This is anarrative which is written in verse and canbeclassified eitherasaballad orametrical
romance.Examples: BAYANI NGBUKIDbyAlPerez HEROOFTHE FIELDSbyAlPerez3.Ballads. Of thenarrative
poems, thisisconsideredtheshortest and simplest. Ithasasimple structureand tellsof a single incident. There arealso
variationsof these: loveballads, warballads,and sea ballads, humorous,moral,andhistoricalormythicalballads.In the
earlytime,this referred toa songaccompanyingadance.B. LYRIC POETRY.Originally,this refersto that kind of
poetrymeantto be sungtothe accompaniment ofalyre,butnow, thisappliesto anytypeof poetrythatexpresses
emotionsand feelingsof thepoet.Theyareusuallyshort, simpleandeasytounderstand.1. Folksongs
(AwitingBayan).Theseare shortpoems intended tobe sung. Thecommontheme is love,despair, grief,doubt, joy, hope
andsorrow.Example:CHIT-CHIRIT-CHIT2. Sonnets.This is alyricpoemof 14 linesdealingwithan emotion, afeeling,
oran idea.Thesearetwo types: theItalian and theShakespearean.Example:SANTANGBUDSbyAlfonsoP.Santos
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3.Elegy.Thisis a lyricpoem which expressesfeelingsof grief andmelancholy,andwhosethemeis death.Example:THE
LOVER’S DEATHbyRicaredoDemetilo4. Ode. This isa poemof anoble feeling, expressed withdignity, with no
definitenumberof syllablesordefinite numberof lines ina stanza.5.Psalms (Dalit).This is a songpraisingGod orthe Virgin
Maryand containingaphilosophy of life.6.Awit (Song). Thesehavemeasuresof twelvesyllables (dodecasyllabic)
andslowlysungto the accompaniment of a guitarorbanduria. Example:FLORANTEATLAURAbyFranciso
Balagtas7. Corridos (Kuridos). Thesehavemeasuresof eight syllables (octosyllabic)and recitedtoamartialbeat.
Example:IBONGADARNAC. DRAMATIC POETRY1.Comedy. The wordcomedy comes fromthe Greek
term “komos”meaningfestivity orrevelry.Thisform usuallyis lightand written withthe purpose of amusing, and usuallyhas
ahappyending.2. Melodrama. This is usuallyused inmusicalplays with theopera.Today,this isrelatedto tragedy justas
thefarce isto comedy.It arouses immediateand intense emotionand is usuallysad but there is ahappyendingforthe
principalcharacter.3. Tragedy. This involvesthe hero strugglingmightilyagainstdynamicforces;hemeetsdeathorruin
without success and satisfactionobtained bytheprotagonist in acomedy.4. Farce.This isanexaggerated comedy. It
seeksto arouse mirthbylaughable lines;situations aretoo ridiculousto betrue;the characters seemto be caricaturesand
themotivesundignified andabsurd.5.SocialPoems.Thisform iseitherpurelycomicortragicandit picturesthe life
oftoday.Itmayaimtobringaboutchanges in the socialconditions.Verse– lineof metricalwritingandused inpoetry.a.

Couplet – made up of two lines of verse that form a unit alone or as part of apoem,esp.two
that rhyme andhave the same meterb.

Tercet – is a group of three lines of verse that rhyme with each other or withanother
group of threec.

Haiku –formof Japanesepoetry w/17 syllables inthree unrhymedlinesoffive-seven-five syllables,oftendescribingnature

ora seasond.

Quatrain– consistsof fourlines, esp.one with lines that rhymealternativelye.

Limerick–five-linehumorouspoem with acharacteristic rhythm,often w/arisqué subject

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f.

Sestet – consists of six lines, esp. the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnetg.

Sonnet– short poem with14 lines,usually ten-syllable rhyming lines,dividedinto two, three or four sections