INTRO TO LITERATURE

a reproduction of man’s manifold experiences blended into one harmonious expression

literature

man’s loves, griefs, thoughts, dreams and aspirations coached in beautiful language

literature

literature is derived from the Latin term “_______” which means ______

litera
letter

any printed matter within a book, a magazine, or a pamphlet

literature

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

literature

standards of good literature:

• artistry

• intellectual value

• suggestiveness

• spiritual value

• permanence

• universality

• style

quality which appeals to our sense of beauty

artistry

quality which stimulates thought and enriches our mental life by making us realize fundamental truths about life and human nature

intellectual value

quality that is associated with the emotional power of literature

suggestiveness

quality of literature that shows endurance that the piece can be read again and again

permanence

quality that refers to being timeless and timely which means that a piece of literature is forever relevant in terms of its theme and conditions

universality

the peculiar way in which a writer sees life, forms his ideas and expresses them

style

general types of literature:

• prose

• poetry

• drama

consists of those written within the common flow of conversation in sentences and paragraphs

prose

prose:

• fiction

• non-fiction

fiction:

• novel

• short story

• legend

• fable

• myth

• parable

non-fiction:

• essay

• diary

• journal

• biography

• autobiography

• news

• letter

a long narrative divided into chapters

novel

a brief fictional narrative with one plot and one single impression; is intended to be read in one sitting

short story

a fictitious narrative usually about origins

legend

a fictitious narrative that deals with animals and inanimate things that speak and act like people; its purpose is to enlighten the minds of children to events that can mold their ways and attitudes

fable

a story dealing with gods and goddesses

myth

a narrative that illustrates a moral truth

parable

expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular problem or events

essay

records of events and experiences in the writer’s life; more intimate than the journal

diary

records of events and experiences in the writer’s life; less intimate than the journal

journal

an account of a person’s life written by someone else

biography

an account of a person’s life written by the person/subject himself/herself

autobiography

a report of everyday events about the government, science and industry, accidents, etc.

news

conveys ideas and feelings of the writer

letter

refers to expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and stanza

poetry

poetry

• narrative

• lyric

• dramatic

tells or narrates a story

narrative poetry

narrative poetry:

• epic

• metrical tale

an extended narrative about heroic exploits often under supernatural control

epic

a narrative which is written in verse (idylls or home tales, love tales)

metrical tale

originally, it refers to that kind of poetry meant to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre; usually short simple, and easy to understand.

lyric poetry

lyric poetry:

• folksongs (awiting bayan)

• sonnet

• elegy

• ode

• Psalms (dalit)

• corrido

• awit

a short poem intended to be sung

folksongs (awiting bayan)

a lyric poem of 14 lines

sonnet

a poem of lamentation or grief (usually the theme is death)

elegy

a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity (a poem of praise)

ode

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

Psalms (dalit)

has measure of eight syllables (octosyllabic) and recited to a martial beat

corrido

has measures of twelve syllables (dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung to the accompaniment of a guitar

awit

dramatic poetry:

• monologue

• soliloquy

a speech of a single character addressed to one or more persons who are present

monologue

a passage spoken by a speaker in a play but there is no one present to hear him/her (Garcia, et al, 1993)

soliloquy

the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the performance of written dialog (either prose or poetry)

drama