Introduction to English

literature
BPE210/EGE216
Definition of literature

 The human society has since time immemorial used language in several forms to
explain phenomena, express a thought, appreciate nature and describe the various
facets of human life.

 To effectively achieve these purposes among others, it is imperative that anyone who
uses language tries to embellish their speech or writing so effectively to appeal to all
the senses.

 Literature therefore, constitutes the core of human existence and serves as the
vehicle through which the ideals and ideologies of a people are shared, passed on
from one generation to another and appreciated
Definition of literature

What is literature?
Literature is anything that is written down on any subject.
So one has sales literature-about things for sale, such as cars, or soap powder, or
power generator.
Then there is literature published by government-on how to pay taxes, for
example or new education policies.
Newspapers and magazines also contain a kind of literature call journalism. This
is literature we read, use, and in time just throw away.
You could say that this is literature that is spelt with a small “l”
 CON’T

There is another kind of literature.

This type of literature is writing that is or has some claim to be a work of art.
Typical examples are novels, plays, short stories and poems.
You could say this is the literature that is spelt with a big “L”
 CON’T

Literature is explained as a body of writing that has some inherent worth, which goes
beyond its immediate appeal.
This means that literature is a creative representation of either an individual or
societal experiences, which may vary from person to person and society to society.
The recounting of these experiences must have a structure, display beauty of
expression as well as appeal to our intellectual and emotional sensibilities.
(Hogins,1984).
 CON’T

 According to Henderson and Waller (1994), literature needs to have the following
qualities;

i. It has to be concentrated and meaningful

ii. Its focus should not be just to explain or argue but to give a general sense of
pleasure in the readers desire to discover new experiences

iii. It should engage the reader or observer by demanding intense reflection and
concentration from them
 CON’T

 In a much broader perspective, literature can be explained as life itself since it

serves as a mirror that reflects the bahaviours, beliefs, attitudes, fears and hopes
of our immediate society and showcases them for us to watch and appreciate.

 A good piece of literature is one that can stand the test of time. For instance, Aryi
Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful ones are not yet born which talks about corruption
in our society still finds ample space just as Buchi Emecheta’s The joys of
Motherhood which portrays the suffering and social burden of the African woman
is still an important issue in our present time.
We often hear of African literature, American literature, latin americam
literature, Nigerian literature etc.
These represent the whole body of creative written works of a particular country,
nation or continent. The literature written by Africans will be called African
literature while literature perculiar to asia, America, or Europe will be known as
Asian literature, American literature and European literature respectively.
Con’t

Literature written by Ghanaians will be Ghanaian literature.

Literature written during a particular period usually bears the name of the era.
For example; Elizabethan literature, a term used to describe the literature
typical of the reign of queen Elizabeth of England
Mediaval literature, that is the literature that flourished during the mediaval
period or colonial literature referring to literature of the colonial era.
Con’t

Post-colonial literature, that is literature that coincide with the period after the
colonial era.
Con’t

It is often said that literature is the study of life and that the imaginative writer
primarily concerned about human life.
As Mayhead (1965) puts it, literature is not about some abstract thing called life,
but it is about your life
The literary artist is a product of society and therefore is influenced by his or her
religious, political, cultural, social convictions, and experiences within the
society to write his or stories, poems, or plays.
In fact society provides the raw materials for literature
Forms of literature

 Basically, literature has two forms - Oral literature and written literature.

 Oral literature

 Oral literature is the kind of literature that is passed on from one generation to the other by word
of mouth.

 One of the main features of oral literature is the fact that it is delivered by word of mouth before an
organised audience.

 Oral literature makes succinct appeal through the sounds that reach the ears of the audience and
also through the logic and meaning contained in those words that are employed in its composition.

 In oral literature, words are not left to speak for themselves but are accompanied with cues and
gestures that are intimately involved in the performance (Finnegan, 1970).
Written literature

 This refers to the type of literature that has been transmitted through writing.
These forms of literature are contain in books, papers, skins of animals, slates, and
bark of trees, stones and on other written materials.
 Characteristics of Written Literature
 It has authorship.
 It is written down.
 It has date of publication.
 It requires literates to appreciate it.
Importance of literature

 It relieves us from the tedium of boredom or It entertains us

 It educates us.
 It broadens our horizons.
 It perpetuates our culture.
 It develops creativity in us.
 It guides us to differentiate between right and wrong.
 It enable us acquire more vocabulary
 Literature helps us to address human nature and conditions
 Literature enables us appreciate other cultures other one’s own
 It helps develop critical and analytical minds or thinking
 Literature gives insight and context to all the world’s society
Genres of literature

 There are three forms of literature, which are viewed along prose, drama and
poetry.
 Poetry is a writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in
language chosen, and arranged to create a specific emotional response through its meaning,
sound and rhythm.

 Drama is a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character, or tell a

story usually involving conflicts and the motions through action and dialogue.

 Prose is literature that is written in continuous form. It has an element of narration. There
are two types of written prose; the fiction and non-fiction
Conclusion

 In conclusion, literature is the mirror of society which depicts the good

and bad in our society.
 Literature has also been regarded as an initiation of life because it brings about a
strong relationship between man and nature, reality, metaphysics and fantasy.
This means that, through literature, man can learn to tame and understand the
world and the people around them much better and be able to fully appreciate the
varied behavior of people and interpret their various motives.