Module 1 BASIC CONCEPTS OF LITERATURE

Introduction to the Study of Literature

MODULE 1.1

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to:
a. simplify approach to define literature and its characteristics such as history,
literary standards and the main ingredients of literature, Specific Objectives:
b. Categorize literary pieces according to genre: prose and poetry to intensify the
relevance of fiction and non-fiction to the present time.
c. Determine and evaluate the characteristics of literary devices and rhetorical
devices which are necessary in understanding literary works.
d. Explore and critique literary pieces according to some standards on analyzing
poetry and fiction through Formalism approach

1.1. WHAT IS LITERATURE

Purpose:
a. Literature is a means of exploring what it is to be human. It is also a way of
communicating with others about a huge range of ideas and concerns.
b. Literature helps us to understand people, societies, events, culture.
c. The purpose of literature is to provide enjoyment and vicarious experiences that
can deepen and enrich our lives.
Literature Defined
➢ Literature is derived from the Latin term litera, which means letter
- in its broadest sense, literature is any written work
- etymologically, the term derives from Latin litaritura/litteratura “, a writing
formed with letters,” although some definitions include spoken or sung texts.
- most generically, literature is a body or collection of written work.
- More restrictively, literature refers to a writing considered to be an art form
or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value and
sometimes deploys language in ways that differ from ordinary usage. It is
writing that possesses literary merit.
➢ According to various writers: literature is any printed matter written within a book,
a magazine or a pamphlet. It is a faithful reproduction of man’s manifold
experiences blended into one harmonious expression. Because literature deals with
ideas, thoughts and emotions of man, literature can be said to be the story of man.
➢ Literature is man’s love, griefs, thoughts, dreams and aspirations coached in
beautiful language. In order to know the history of a nation’s spirit, one must read
its literature. Hence it is, that to understand the real spirit of a nation, one must
“trace the little rills as they course along down the ages, broadening and deepening
into the great ocean of thought which men of the present source are presently
exploring.”
➢ “literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the government, to his
surroundings, to his fellowmen and to his Divine Creator.” The expression of one’s
feelings, according to him, may be through love, sorrow, happiness, hatred, anger,
pity, contempt, or revenge”, Brother Azurin
➢ “Literature is anything that is printed, as long as it is related to the ideas and feelings
of people, whether it is true, or just a product of one’s imagination”, Webster
➢ “true literature is a piece of written work which is undying. It expresses the feelings
and emotions of people in response to his everyday efforts to live, to be happy in his
environment and, after struggles, to reach his Creator.” Atienza, Ramos, Salazar and
Nazal, PANITIKING PILIPINO
➢ “Literature raises life to a new level of meaning and understanding, and in the
process restores sanity and justice in an insane and unjust world.” – Cirilo F. Bautista
“Literature is life.” - Unknown
There are two major schools of literature, oral and written:
1. Oral literature includes ballads, folklore, jokes, and fables that are passed down
by word of mouth.
2. Written literature includes poetry and novels, with subsections for fiction, prose,
myth, short story and novel.

I.2. IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE

Ultimately literature is a collection of written work of language through different
periods and cultures by authors and scholars. The introduction of writing manifests
excessive pace in human civilization for conveying knowledge, ideas, events and even
feelings.
Why do we study literature?
When students study Literature, they learn to appreciate words and their power.
They travel to other realms and times through the texts they read. They understand
about their own culture and others'. ... Importantly, they learn to consider multiple
perspectives and understand the complexity of human nature.

History of Literature
The history of literature follows closely the development of civilization. When
defined exclusively as written work, Ancient Egyptian literature along with Sumerian
literature, are considered the world's oldest literatures.
The primary genres of the literature of Ancient Egypt—didactic texts, hymns and
prayers, and tales—were written almost entirely in verse; while use of poetic devices is
clearly recognizable, the prosody of the verse is unknown. Most Sumerian literature is
apparently poetry, as it is written in left-justified lines, and could contain line-based
organization such as the couplet or the stanza.
Different historical periods are reflected in literature. National and tribal sagas,
accounts of the origin of the world and of customs, and myths which sometimes carry
moral or spiritual messages predominate in the pre-urban eras.
The epics of Homer, dating from the early to middle Iron Age, and the great
Indian epics of a slightly later period, have more evidence of deliberate literary
authorship, surviving like the older myths through oral tradition for long periods before
being written down.

Course Description
Page 3 of 5
Module 1

USMKCC-COL-F-050
1.3. LITERARY STANDARDS

Literature, as compared to any other forms of writing, possesses distinct qualities that
separate it from the rest. These include:
1. Universality - Literature appeals to everyone, regardless of culture, race, gender, and
time which are all considered significant.
2. Artistry – Literature has an aesthetic appeal and thus possesses a sense of beauty.
3. Intellectual Value – Literature stimulates critical thinking that enriches mental
processes of abstract and reasoning, making man realize the fundamental truths of life
and its nature.
4. Suggestiveness – Literature unravels and conjures man’s emotional power to define
symbolisms, nuances, implied meanings, images and messages, giving and evoking
visions above and beyond the plane of ordinary life and experience.
5. Spiritual Value – Literature elevates the spirit and the soul and this has the power to
motivate and inspire, drawn from the suggested morals or lessons of the different
literary genres.
6. Permanence – Literature endures across time and draws out the time factor:
timeliness, occurring at a particular time, and timelessness, remaining invariable
throughout time.
7. Style – Literature presents peculiar way/s on how man sees life as evidenced by the
formation of his ideas, forms, structures, and expressions which are marked by their
memorable substances.
- The author's word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and
sentence arrangement all work together to establish mood, images, and meaning
in the text.
- In literature, style is the way in which an author writes and/or tells a story. It's
what sets one author apart from another and creates the “voice” that
audiences hear when they read.
- Style is also what determines the mood of a piece of literature, so its
importance is huge across all genres.
- Devices include, but are not limited to, point of view, symbolism, tone, imagery,
diction, voice, syntax, and the method of narration.
❖ The following criteria are suggested and used by literary bards, pundits and critics
around the world to evaluate a literary piece. Be critical. Ask yourself once in a while.
- Does it move you?
- Would it still be read and make a good reference hundreds of years from now?
- Does it tickle your imaginations?
- What does it suggest?
- What moral lessons can be drawn out?
- Does it possess multifaceted natures for all sorts of audience?
- Does the style fascinate you? Is the style used unique or forgery?

Course Description
Page 4 of 5
Module 1

USMKCC-COL-F-050
 Module 1 (Write Course No) Name: ____________________________________________
Activity No. 1. Program/Year: ____________Date Submitted: ___________

𝑐𝑢𝑡
Discuss briefly but concisely the purpose of literature in our life. (10 points each)

ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒
1. How could literature provides enjoyment and vicarious experiences that can
deepen and enrich our lives?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. Compare and contrast history and literature.

_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Course Description
Page 5 of 5
Module 1

USMKCC-COL-F-050