INTRODUCTION TO

THE 21 CENTURY
ST
WHAT IS LITERATURE?
■ An art of self expression.
■ Latin “littera” means individual written
character.
■ It represents a language or people, culture
or tradition, passion and thoughts.
■ Imitates and interprets life through
language.
Is Literature
important?

YES
■It molds man as a total human beings.
■It educates and entertains.
■It lead us to the life of a man.
■It is n expression of thought, feelings,
emotions, and attitudes towards life.
■It shapes our minds that makes us
changed individuals.
In order to appreciate a literary piece, you
may follow some guidelines to follow in
reading.
1. You have to read with a purpose, not just for the
story.
2. Do it with a good purpose.
3. Satisfy the deepest yearnings of the human
heart.
4. Discriminate between the best and the inferior
literature.
5. It should be true, honest, and pure.
 TYPES OF LITERATURE
 ORAL and WRITTEN
 ballads
 Myth
 Jokes
 Folktales and fables
 Drama
 Novel
 Poetry
 KINDS OF LITERATURE
ACCORDING TO STRUCTURE
1. POETRY
- artistic piece of philosophical, personal,
imaginative, or inspirational nature that is laid
out in lines.
2. PROSE
- written without metrical structure.
 FICTIONAL LITERATURE
- It is a product of one’s imaginative mind.
(drama, short story, novel, myth, folktale, poetry)

 NON- FICTIONAL LITERATURE

- It is true and factual account of varying
information.
(autobiography, biography, essay, literary criticism,
journal, newspaper, diary, magazine, etc.)
 LITERARY GENRES
■ POEMS
- It is a composition written in verses having standard
measurements and higher intensity of artistic beauty.
 Diction (connotation and denotation)
 Imagery
 Symbolism
 Figurative language
 Rhythm
 Rhyme
CLASSIFICATIONS:
1. LYRIC POEM
- Expresses personal thought or emotions.
- (song, sonnet, elegy)
2. NARRATIVE POEM
- It tells a story.
- (ballad, epic)
3. DRAMATIC POETRY
- Theatrical dialogue performed in stage.
- (tragedy, comedy, melodrama)
■ SHORT STORY
- Small commercial fiction
- True or imaginary
- Smaller than a novel
- It has the Plot, Conflict, Theme

 ESSAY
- Point of view about any particular topic in a detailed way
- Narrating main subject
- Descriptive, lengthy, subject oriented, and comparative