INTRODUCTIO

N TO
LITERATURE
 What is Literature

 Literature comes from the Greek word “litera”,

meaning “acquaintance with letter.”
 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.”
 Webster defines literature as 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.

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 What is Literature

 It is a body of work, either written, oral, or visual,

containing imaginative language that realistically
portrays thought, emotions, and experiences of the
human condition.
 It is product of particular culture that concretizes
man’s array of values, emotions, actions and ideas.
 It is therefore a creation of human experiences that
tells about people and their world. It refers to
timeless, imaginative writings that deal with life and
human experiences in language.
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 What is Literature

 It shows experiences which communicate

more than a statement.
 Its function is not to tell us about
experience but to allow us through the
imagination to participate in it, to bring us
a sense and a perception of life, to widen
and sharpen our contact with existence.
 Therefore, Literature is LIFE itself.
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Importance of
Literature
 Importance of Literature

 Studying literature is like looking at the mirror of

life where man’s experiences, his innermost
feelings and thoughts are reflected.
 Through literature, we learn the culture of people
across time and space.
 We understand not only the past life of a nation
but also its present.
 Moreover, we become familiar not only with the
culture of neighboring countries but also with that
of others living very far from us.
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 Why do
we need to
study
Literature?
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Why do we need to study Literature?

✘ To trace our rich heritage of ideas

and handed down to us from our
forefathers.
✘ For appreciation of our heritage.
✘ To Understand that we have noble
traditions which can serve as the
means to assimilate other cultures.

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Literature and History
Together
A. Is Literature a History?
B. Is History a Literature?

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 Literature and History Together
 Literature and history are closely interrelated.
 In discovering history of a race, a country, we
basically understand their own culture and
traditions, hence the written customs and
traditions of a country, the dreams and
aspirations of its people is called Literature.
 History can also be written down and this too, is
literature. History therefore is an integral part of
literature.

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What are the
Literary
Composition
s that
influenced
the World?
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 The Literary Compositions that
influenced the World
1. The Bible or the Sacred Writings – This has
become the basis of Christianity originating from
Palestine and Greece.
2. Koran – The Muslim Bible originating from Arabia.
3. The Iliad and Odyssey – These have been the
source of myths and legends of Greece. They were
written by Homer.
4. The Mahabharata – The longest epic of the world. It
contains the history of religion of India.

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 The Literary Compositions that
influenced the World
5. Canterbury Tales – It depicts the religion and
customs of the English in the early days. This
originated from England and written by Chaucer.
6. Uncle Tom’s Cabin – by Harriet Beecher Stowe of
the US. This depicted the sad fate of slaves; this
became the basis of democracy later on.
7. The Divine Comedy – by Dante Alighieri. This
shows the religion and customs
8. El Cid – This shows the cultural characteristics of
the Spaniards and their national history.
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 The Literary Compositions that
influenced the World
9. The Song of Roland – This includes Doce Pares
and Ronscesvalles of France. It tells about the
Golden age of Christianity in France.
10. The Book of the Dead – This includes the cult of
Osiris and the mythology and theology of Egypt.
11. One Thousand and One Nights or the Arabian
Nights – From Arabia and Persia (Iran) It shows
the ways of government, of industries and of the
society of the Arabs

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 What are
the Types
of
Literature?
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 Types of Literature

1. PROSE – Is a discourse which uses sentences

and paragraphs to express ideas, feelings and
actions.
2. POETRY – Refers to writings in verse, with
rhythm and rhyme and characterized by
melodious tone.

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 Types of Prose

Short story Novel Legend

It focuses on a single main A long narrative prose
It talks about origins.
incident and is usually read in divided into chapters.
one sitting.

Myth Fable Parable

It deals with the stories about The characters are animals A stories usually Biblical in
gods and goddesses. with human attributes nature.

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 Types of Prose
Folktale
A narrative prose told for
amusement and instructional
value.
Biography
It records the facts and events
of a person’s life that is
written by another person.
Anecdote
It is an interesting, amusing
incident generally
characterized by human
interest.
Chronicle
A historical account of facts
or events in the order of time.
It is detailed but without
analysis or interpretation.
Autobiography
It deals with facts and events
of a person’s life written by
himself.
Essay
A critical literary composition
about a topic or subject from
a limited often personal point
of view.
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 Types of Prose

News Play
An account of everyday
Also called drama, it is
events in society,
written to be performed on
government, science or
stage.
industry.

Oration
Diary A formal treatment of a
It is the daily record of events subject and is intended for the
and experiences in the delivery in public.
author’s life.

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 Types of Poetry

Dramatic Lyric
It is meant to be performed
A kind of poetry that is
on stage.
intended to be sung to the
accompaniment of a lyre.

Narrative
It is a poetry that tells a story.

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 What are
the Genres
of
Literature?
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 The Genres of Literature

 Genres of Literature are important to learn about. The two

main categories separating the different genres of literature are
FICTION and NONFICTION.
1. NON-FICTION – Gives actual facts and information – it
is not invented or Make up. It sits in direct opposition to
fiction. Thus, there are several genres of literature that fall
under the nonfiction category.
2. FICTION – it portrays imaginary people caught in
imaginary situations -it is usually read for pleasure -
intended to expand and refine our life -quicken our senses

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 Types of Non-fiction
Narrative Non-
fiction
Is information based on fact
that is presented in a format
which tells story.
Autobiography
Gives the history of a peron’s
life, written of told by the
person himself/herself.
Biography
Is a written account of
another person’s life.
Speech
Is the faculty or power of
speaking; oral
communications; ability to
express one’s thoughts and
emotions by speech, sounds,
and gestures. Generally
delivered in the form of an
address or discourse.
Essays
Are short literary
composition that reflects the
author’s outlook or point. A
short literary composition on
a particular theme or subject,
usually in prose and generally
analytic, speculative, or
interpretative.
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 The General Genre of Non-fiction

 This is Informational text dealing with an actual, real-

life subject. This genre of literature offers opinions or
conjectures on facts and reality. This includes
biographies, history, essays, speech, and narrative
nonfiction, Nonfiction opposes fiction and is
distinguished from those fiction genres of literature like
poetry and drama which is the next section we will
discuss.

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 Types of Fiction
Drama
Is the genre of literature that
subject for compositions is
dramatic art in the way it is
represented. This genre is
stories composed in verse or
prose, usually for theatrical
performance, where conflicts
and emotion are expressed
through dialogue and action.
Poetry Fantasy
Is the forming of mental
Is verse and rhythmic writing
images with strange or other
imagery that evokes an
worldly settings or characters;
emotinal response from the
fiction which invites
reader. The art of poetry is
suspension of reality.
rhythmical in composition,
written or spoken. This genre
of literature is for exciting
pleasure by beautiful,
imaginative, or elevated
thoughts.
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 Types of Fiction
Humor
Is the faculty of
perceiving what is
amusing or comical.
Fiction full of fun, fancy,
and excitement which
meant to entertain. This
genre of literature can
actually be seen and
contained within all
genres.
Fable Fairy Tales
Is a story about supernatural
Or wonder tales are a kind of
or extraordinary people
folktale or fable. Sometimes
usually in the form of
the stories are about fairies or
narration that demonstrates a
other magical creatures, usually
useful truth. In Fables,
for children.
animals often speak as
humans that are legendary
and supernatural tales.
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 Types of Fiction

Short Story Realistic Fiction Science Fiction

Is fiction of such briefness Is a story based on impact of
Is a story that can actually
that us not able to support potential science, either
happen and is true to real life.
any subplots. actual or imagined. Science
fiction is one of the genres
of literature that is set in the
future or on other planets.
Tall Tale Legend
Is a humorous story with Is a story that sometimes of a
blatant exaggerations, national or folk hero. Legend
swaggering heroes who do is based on fact but also
the impossible with includes imaginative material.
nonchalance.

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 Types of Fiction
Historical Fiction Folklore
Is a story with fictional Are songs, stories, myths,
characters and events in a and proverbs of a person of
historical setting. “folk” that was handed
down by word of mouth.
Folklore is a genre of
literature that is widely held,
but false and based on
unsubstantiated beliefs.
Horror
Is an overwhelming and
painful feeling caused by
literature that is frightfully
shocking, terrifying, or
revolting. Fiction in which
events evoke a feeling of
dread in both the characters
and the reader.
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 Types of Fiction
Mystery
Is a genre of fiction that deals
with solution of a crime or
unraveling of secrets. Anything
that is kept secret or remains
unexplained or unknown.
Mythology
is a type of legend or
traditional narrative. This is
often based in part on historical
events, that reveals human
behavior and natural
phenomena by its symbolism;
often pertaining to the actions
of the gods. A body of myths,
as that of a particular people or
that relating to a particular
person.
Fiction in Verses
Is full-length novels with
plot, subplots, themes, with
major and minor characters.
Fiction of verse is one of the
genres of literature in which
the narrative is usually
presented in blank verse
form.
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 Elements of Literature

 Elements of literature denote the things that are used to

make up a work of literature. There are different types
and forms of literature.
 They are novel, drama, poetry, biography, non-fictional
prose, essay, epic and short story. All these types of
literature have some elements.
 To complete a piece of literature, a writer, dramatist or a
novelist need to use certain elements like plot, character,
theme, etc. However, elements of fiction and
elements of drama differ from elements of poetry.

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 Elements of Fiction and
 Literary types such Drama
as fiction; drama and short story have some elements. These
include:

 Plot  Conflict

 Character  Diction

 Setting  Foreshadowing

 Theme

 Structure

 Point of View

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 Plot

 Plot is the serial arrangement of incidents, ideas

or events.
 In literature, the plot encompasses all the
incidents and provides aesthetic pleasure.
 The story of the novel progresses through various
plots and conflicts.
 Plots of dramas are divided into "Acts" and
"Scenes". Drama has five essential parts.

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 The five essential parts of Drama

1. Introduction of the story where the characters

and setting are introduced
2. Rising action
3. Climax
4. Falling action
5. Denouement
Playwrights use dialogue to develop their plots.
They reveal information about their characters such as their
background and personality.

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 Character

 Character plays a pivotal role in a drama, novel, short

story and all kinds of narratives.
 In drama, character reflects the personality of the
protagonist and other related characters.
 The method of conveying information about characters
in art is called characterization.
 Characters can be fictional or based on real, historical
entities.
 It can be human, supernatural, mythical, divine, animal
or personifications of an abstraction.

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 Types of Character

1. Round character – described by the course of

their development in a work of literature. Fully
fleshed out profile and changes throughout the
story.
2. Flat character – is with little to no complex
emotions, motivations, or personality. The
opposite of a round character.

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 Types of Character

3. Stereotypical stock character – a stock character

that is a stereotypical fictional person or type of
person in a work of art such as novel, play, or
film whom audiences recognizes from frequent
recurrences in a particular literary tradition.

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 Setting

 It refers to geographical location of the story, time

period, daily lifestyle of the characters and climate of
the story.
 In a novel, the setting plays an important role. In short
stories, sometimes it plays an important role, while for
others it is not.

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 Setting

 Settings of literary forms have been changing

according to theme of the literary piece, for example,
Shakespeare’s tragedies and comedies have the setting
of palaces, castles whereas modern and post-modern
dramas have setting of houses of common people.
 There were supernatural elements in earlier literature
and nowadays absurdity rules the literature.

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 Setting

 Setting can take place in a house, school, castle, forest,

hospital or anywhere that the writers want to extend
their scenes.

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 Theme
 Theme is another prime element of literature, which
contains the central idea of all literary forms such as a
novel, drama and short story.
 It reflects innocence, experience, life, death, reality,
fate, madness, sanity, love, society, individual, etc.
 Thus, it reflects the society as a whole, for example,
the theme of Hardy’s novel "The Mayor of
Casterbridge" reflects the role of fate in our life.
 Likewise, in a drama, theme represents the brief idea
of the drama.

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 Structure

 Structure is another important element of a drama,

novel or short story.
 In dramas, there are plots and subplots.
 These also are divided into acts and scenes.
 Here the contrasting subplots give the main plot an
additional perspective.
 Likewise, novels have different chapters and scenes.

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 Point of View

 Point of view is another element of the narrative,

through which a writer tells the story.
 Authors use first-person point of view or third-person
point of view.
 First-person point of view indicates that the main
character is telling the story, whereas the third-person
point of view directs that the narrator is telling the
story.

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 Point of View

 A novel can be written in the first-person narrative,

third-person narrative, omniscient point of view,
limited omniscient point of view, stream of
consciousness and objective point of view.
 These points of view play an important role in the
distinct structure of the story or a play.

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 Conflict

 Be it a short story, drama or novel, conflict is the

essential element of all these literary forms.
 A plot becomes interesting and intriguing when it has
its share of inbuilt conflict and twists.
 Conflict can be internal conflict or external.
 It can take place between two men, between the
character and his psychology, between the character
and circumstances or between character and society.

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 Use of Language or Diction

 Diction is another essential element of drama. A

playwright exhibits the thoughts of characters through
dialogue.
 "Dialogue" has come from the Greek word "dialogosa"
which means "conversation".
 Shakespeare used this to portray the thoughts,
emotions and feelings of the character.

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 Use of Language or Diction

 This also provides clues to their background and

personalities.
 Diction also helps in advancing the plot.
 Greek philosophers like Aristotle used dialogue as the
best way to instruct their students.

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 Foreshadowing

 Foreshadowing is another important element of

literature that is applied as hints or clues to suggest
what will happen later in the story.
 It creates suspense and encourages the reader to go on
and find out more about the event that is being
foreshadowed.
 Foreshadowing is used to make a narrative more
authentic.

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 Elements of Poetry
 Poetry is literature in a metrical form. However, free-verse became the popular
style towards the modern and postmodern age. Like fiction, it may not have plots,
setting, etc, yet it has a structured method of writing. There are various kinds of
poetry such as ballad, sonnet, etc. All these forms have some elements such as
style, theme, rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, etc. that are described below:
 Style
 Rhyme  Metaphor
 Symbol
 Meter  Onomatopoeia
 Theme
 Alliteration
 Imagery
 Simile

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 Style

 Style refers to the way the poem is written.

 Poems are written in various styles, such as free verse,
ballad, sonnet, etc., which have different meters and
number of stanzas.

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 Symbol

 Symbol represents the idea and thought of the poem.

 It can be an object, person, situation or action.
 For example, a national flag is the symbol of that
nation.

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 Theme

 Like other forms of literature, poetry has a theme of its

own.
 Theme contains the message, point of view and idea of
the poem.

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 Imagery

 Imagery is another important element that a poet often

uses in poems that appeal to our senses.
 In the age of modernism, T.S. Eliot used images of
urban life in his poems.
 Wordsworth used nature as poetic images in his poems.

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 Rhyme and Rhythm

 Rhyme is an element that is often used in poetry. It’s a

recurrence of an accented sound or sounds in a piece of
literature.
 Poets and lyricists use this device in various ways to
rhyme within a verse.
 There is internal rhyme, cross rhyme, random rhyme
and mixed rhyme. It gives the poem flow and rhythm.

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 Rhyme and Rhythm

 It contains the syllables in a poem. Every poem has a

rhythm in it.
 It’s about how the words resonate with each other, how
the words flow when they are linked with one another
in a poem.

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 Meter

 This is an important rhythmic structure of poetry.

 It is described as sequence of feet, each foot being a
specific series of syllable types - such as
stressed/unstressed and makes the poetry more
melodious.

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 Alliteration

 Alliteration is another element used in poetry for the

sound effect.
 It indicates two or more words with same repetition of
initial letter, for example, "dressy daffodils". Here the
sound of the letter ‘d’ is repeated.

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 Simile

 A simile is a figure of speech used for comparison in

the poetry with the words ‘like’ or ‘as’, for example,
"as black as coal".

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 Metaphor

 Metaphor is used in poetry to make an implicit

comparison.
 Unlike simile, here the comparison is implied, for
example, ‘Her laughter, a babbling brook’.

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 Onomatopoeia

 This is one important element of poetry, which refers to

words that sound like their meaning, for
example, buzz, moo and paw.

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 The Elements of Literature

The Element of Literature includes all the elements

that are essential to create a piece of literature. These
elements help a writer to create splendid poetry,
superb drama and soul-touching novel. These
elements are used to form the structure of a literary
piece.

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 What are
the
Standards
of
Literature?
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Standards of
Literature
 Universality

 It appeals to everyone regardless of culture, race,

sex, and time which are considered significant.

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 Artistry

 It has an aesthetic appeal to everyone and thus

possesses a sense of beauty.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 Permanence

 It endures across time and draws out the time

factor: TIMELINESS, occurring at a particular
time, and TIMELESSNESS, remaining invariably
throughout time.

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 Style

 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.

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Presentater

Anna Lei P. Revilla

Instructor

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