21 CENTURY

ST L I T E R A TU R E
O M T H E P HI L I P P I N ES AN D
FR
THE WORLD
11-ABM AND HUMSS
SCHEDULE:

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY

1:20 PM - 2:50 PM
GRADING SYSTEM
Written Work 25%
Performance Tasks 50%
Quarterly Assessment 25%

 
Total: 100%
 LESSON 1.1
ESSENCE
AND
SIGNIFICANCE
OF
ESSENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE

• Literature (origin of term - litera which means letter) deals with ideas,
thoughtsand emotions of man - thus it can be said the literature is the story of
man. (Kahayon, 1998, p.5-7); literature comes from the french phrase
"bellesletters" which means beautiful writing. (Baritugo, et al. 2004, p.1) 
• Literature in its broadest sense, is everything that has ever been written.
ESSENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE
• The best way to understand human nature fully and to know a nation
completely is to study literature. (Garcia, et al, 1993, p.3)
• Through literature, we learn the innermost feelings and thoughts of people
-the most real part of themselves, thus we gain an understanding not only
of others, but more importantly, of ourselves and of life itself. (Garcia, et al,
1993,p.4)
• Literature offers us an experience in which we should participate as we
readand test what we read by our own experience.
ESSENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE
• Literaturedoes not yield much unless we bring something of
ourselves to it!
• Literature is a faithful production of life... in a sense it is a product and
acommentary on life process.
• Literature illuminates life.
• Literature is our life's story including its struggles, ideas, failures,
sacrifices and happiness. (Ang, 2006)
ESSENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE

• Literature appeals to man's higher nature and its needs- emotional,

spiritual, intellectual, and creative. Like all other forms of art, literature
entertains and gives pleasure; it fires the imagination and arouses
noble emotions and it! enriches man by enabling him to reflect on life
and by filling him with new ideas. (Garcia, et al, 1993, pp. 1-3)
ESSENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE

• Literatureis one of the seven arts (i.e., music, dance, painting,

sculpture, theatre and architecture) and as such, literature is a
creative product of a creative work, the result of which is form and
beauty. ( Nuggets, 2004, p.2)
ESSENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE

• Why do people read literature?

For information, for amusement, for higher and keener pleasure, for
cultural upliftment and for discovery of broader dimensions in life.
Nuggets, 2004, p.2-3)
 LESSON 1.2

7 HALLMARKS
OF
7 HALLMARKS OF LITERATURE
•These are a set of characteristics to determine
whether or not a work is literary.
• The criteria was developed by writer William J. Long in his textbook
“English Literature: Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the
English-speaking World.“
UNIVERSALITY
• It appeals to everyone regardless of culture, race, sex, and time which
are considered significant. Universality describes a piece of writing
that appeals to the hearts and minds of almost any reader. The appeal
is considered universal due to its ability to cross gender, racial and
cultural barriers, regardless of the time it’s written.

1
 ARTISTRY
• It has an aesthetic appeal to everyone and
thus possesses a sense of beauty. Artistry
describes literature that is aesthetically
appealing and reveals or conveys hidden
truth and beauty. This type of literature
appeals to broad audiences and
possesses a sense of beauty in the writing
that could even feel poetic.

2
INTELLECTUAL VALUE
• It stimulates critical thinking that enriches the mental processes of abstract and
reasoning, making man realizes the fundamental truths of life and its nature.
• Intellectual value takes readers into a bit of a gray area as they may have different
opinions about what qualifies as intellectual, but from an academic point of view,
intellectual works are relevant to society and thought provoking. Literature with
intellectual value promotes critical thinking that enhances both abstract and reason-
based thought processes and makes readers focus on the fundamental truths of life and
nature.

3
SUGGESTIVENESS
• It unravels and conjures man’s emotional power to define
symbolism, nuances, implied meanings, images and message,
giving and evoking visions above and beyond the plane of ordinary
life and experiences.
• A suggestive piece of literature relies on emotional power to convey
nuances, symbolism, implied meanings, imagery and messages.
The power of suggestion allows the work to inspire and provoke
thoughts and understanding beyond the actual words written on the
page.

4
SPIRITUAL VALUE
• It elevates the spirit and the soul and thus have the
power to motivate and inspire, drawn from the
suggested morals or lessons of the different literary
genres.
• Literature with spiritual value lifts up the inner spirit
and soul and has the power to motivate and inspire
readers. It typically draws on the suggested lessons
and moral codes of society that are depicted in
various literary genres.

5
PERMANENCE
• It endures across time and draws out the time factor: TIMELINESS, occurring at
a particular time, and TIMELESSNESS, remaining invariably throughout time.
• Permanence is determined by a written work’s ability to stand the test of time,
which makes it impossible to determine at the moment of writing. Novels that
continue to be read over and over again across decades, either for enjoyment or
for fresh insights and ideas, meet this criteria. Many novels enjoy initial popularity
but ultimately fade into obscurity with time, failing the permanence test.

6
STYLE
• Style refers to the distinct way the author expresses his or her
thoughts. Words can be used in unique, creative and
entertaining ways that make the work memorable. Style is
another element that is subject to interpretation by readers in
terms of its appeal.

• It presents peculiar ways on how man sees life as evidenced

by the formation of his ideas, forms, structures, and
expressions which are marked by their memorable substance.

7
THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY!