Literature, and Two Major Types of Literature

SHS Grade 11

Literature

A Latin word “littera” which means letter. This is a body of literary productions, either oral, written or visual containing imaginative language that realistically portrays thoughts, emotions and experience of the human condition.

2 Major Types of Literature

Prose and Poetry

Novel

This is a long narrative divided into chapters. The events maybe taken from true-to-life stories and spans for a long period of time. There are many characters involved.

Short Story

This is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one single impression.

Examples: “The Necklace”, “The Last Leaf”

Plays

This is presented on a stage, is divided into acts and each act has many scenes.

Legends

These are fictitious narratives, usually about origins. It provides historical information regarding the culture and views of particular group of people or country.

Examples:

The Bikol Legend

Legend of Pineapple

Legend of “Makahiya”

Folk tales

A traditional narrative, usually anonymous, and handed down orally.

Examples:

The adventures of Juan

The Hawk and the Hen

Fairy Tales

Fables

These are also fictitious and they deal with animals and inanimate things who  speak and act like people. Their purpose is to enlighten the minds of children to events that can mold their ways and attitudes.

Examples:

Aesop’s Fable

The Lion and the Mouse

Myths

A traditional sacred story, typically revolving around the activities of gods and herous, which aim to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice.

Examples:

The Story of Cupid and Psyche

The Fall of Troy

The Myth about Creation – Tagalog

Anecdotes

These are merely products of the writer’s imagination and the main aim is to bring out lessons to the reader.

“The Moth and the Lamp” – Dr. Jose Rizal The Best Advice I ever Had

Essay

This expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular problem or event. The best example of this is the Editorial page of a newspaper.

Examples:

Of Studies – Francis Bacon

On Doors – Christopher Morley

Biography

This deals with the life of a person which may be about himself, his autobiography or that of others.

Example:

Cayetano Arellano – Socorro O. Albert

News

This is a report of everyday events in society, government, science and industry, accidents etc., happening nationally or not.

Oration

This is a formal treatment of a subject and it is intended to be spoken in public. It appeals to the intellect, to the will or to the emotions of the audience.

Examples:

“Because of What We Are, and What We Believe”

I Have A Dream – Martin Luther King

Poetry

It is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices as to evoke emotional response.

Narrative Poetry

This form describe important events in life either real or imaginary.

Epic

It is an extended narrative about heroic exploits under supernatural control. It may deal with heroes and gods. The hero/heroine usually has the following characteristics: Idealism, courage, wisdom, beauty, endurance, chivalry and justice.

Two Kinds of Epic Poetry

Popular or ancient Epic and Modern Epic

Popular or ancient epic

often without a definite author and is of slow growth.

Modern Epic

with a definite author.

Metrical Tales

This is a narrative which is writen in verse and can be classified either as a ballad or metrical romance.

Examples of these are simple idylls or home tales, love tales, or tales of the supernatural or tales written for a strong moral purpose in verse form.

“The Lady of Shallot” by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Ballad

This is considered as the shortest and simplest of the narrative poems. It has a simple structure and tells of a single incident.

Lyric Poetry

Originally, this refers to that kind of poetry meant to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre, but now, this applies to any type of poetry that expresses emotions and feelings to the poet.

They are usually short, simple and easy to understand.

Types of Lyric Poetry

Folksongs, Sonnets, Elegy, Ode, Psalms, Awit, and Corridos

Folksongs

These are short poems intended to be sung. The common theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope, and sorrow.

Sonnets

This is a lyric of poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a feeling or an idea. There are two types: the Italian and the Shakespearean.

Elegy

This is a lyric poem which expresses feelings of grief and melancholy, and whose theme is death.

Example:

Angie

Ode

This is a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity, with no definite number of syllables or definite number of lines in a stanza.

Psalms

This is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a philosophy of life.

Awit (Song)

These have the measures of twelve syllables (dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung to the accompaniment of a guitar or a banduria.

Example: Florante at Laura (Francisco Balagtas)

Corridos

These have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic) and recited to a martial beat. The songs are often about oppressions, daily life of peasants, and other socially important information.

Example:

Ibong Adarna

Dramatic Poetry

This is an emotional piece of literature which includes a story which is recited or sung. Soliloquy and dramatic monologues are the main instruments of this form of poetry.

Comedy

This word comes from the Greek term “Komos” meaning festivity or revelry. This form usually is light and written with a purpose of amusing, and usually has a happy ending.

Melodrama

This is usually seen in musical play with the opera. Today, this is related to tragedy just as the farce to comedy. It arouses immediate and intense emotion and is usually sad but theres is a happy ending for the principal character.

Tragedy

This involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic forces; he meets death on ruin without success and satisfaction obtained by the protagonies in a comedy.

-       Examples:

-       Romeo and Juliet

-       Hamlet

Farce

This is an exaggerated comedy. It seeks to arouse mirth by laughable lines; situation are too ridiculous to be true; the characters seem to be caricatures and the motives undignified and absurd.

Social Poems

This form is either purely comic or tragic and its pictures the life of today. It may aim to bring about changes in the social conditions.

Types of Poetry

Narrative Poetry, Lyric Poetry, and Dramatic Poetry