• a product of and a commentary on the

life process. It is an oral or written record

of man’s thoughts, feelings and
aspirations which has stood the test of
time because of its universal appeal
 LITERARY MERITS

• the set of evaluative criteria used to

measure qualitatively the
significance/importance of a
particular literary type
 ARTISTRY/STYLE
•the quality of literature
that appeals to our sense
of beauty
INTELLECTUAL VALUE
•the value of a literary work
that stimulates thought
 PERMANENCE
•the enduring quality
of literature
 SPIRITUAL VALUE
•the quality of literature
that has the capacity of
uplift and inspire
 SUGGESTIVENESS
•the quality associated
with its emotional power
 UNIVERSALITY
•The quality of literature that
speaks of the timeliness and
timelessness of a certain literary
piece
 CATEGORIES
•1. Utilitarian
•2. Artistic/Aesthetic
 Utilitarian
• “Literature of knowledge.”
• chief aim is to supply
information
• appeals to the mind/intellect
Characteristics
1. factual
2. objective
3. impartial
4. uses direct language
e. g. news articles, memos, dictionary
 Artistic/ Aesthetic
• “Literature of power.”
• aims to arouse human interest
• appeals to feelings/emotions
Characteristics
1. fanciful
2. subjective
3. partial (at times)
4. uses indirect language/figurative language
e. g. short stories, novels, poems