INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Compile by Santiana, S.S. M.Pd.

Basic questions about Literature

What is literature, anyway? Why do we study literature? How do you study literature? Is there literature that's worth studying? How do we make the distinction? How does one critically think about literature?

What is Literature?
SOME DEFINITIONS Etymologically :
1.

2. 3.

4.

Literature is literally acquaintance with letters (Latin littera meaning an individual written character/letter). The term has come to identify a collection of texts. As a proper noun it refers to a whole body of literary work. We are concerned more with imaginative or creative writing. The kind of writing that is not real. A text is a creation of the poet/author/dramatist available to an audience and meant to create an impact intellectual and emotional Words are the literary artists tools. Literature is verbal art. Verbal art is a form of creative expression using words, (i.e. the ability to read, write, communicate
(talking & listening) and comprehend.

5.

Literature is a form of art. narrows its meaning, equates literature to works of imagination or creative writing.
Literature is the art of written works. Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, "literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction (prose), and nonfiction. Sastra (Sanskerta: shastra) merupakan kata serapan dari bahasa Sanskerta Sastra, yang berarti teks yang mengandung instruksi atau pedoman, dari kata dasar Sas yang berarti instruksi atau ajaran dan Tra yang berarti alat atau sarana.

6. 7.

8.

Dalam bahasa Indonesia kata ini biasa digunakan untuk merujuk kepada kesusastraan atau sebuah jenis tulisan yang memiliki arti atau keindahan tertentu. Sastra atau Kesusastraan adalah pengungkapan dari fakta artistik dan imajinatif sebagai manifestasi kehidupan manusia (dan masyarakat), melalui bahasa sebagai medium yang memiliki efek positif terhadap kehidupan manusia (kemanusiaan).

Why study literature?

We study literature because 1. It enriches us; for wisdom, for entertainment, for an understanding of kinds human experiences. 2. It is deep, beautiful and moving. 3. It is an excellent way to sharpen your close reading skills, enable critical thinking, and clean our general sense of art appreciation.

4.

It feeds our souls. Great works of literature treat timeless themes that resonate with readers across centuries.

We need to study Literature because...

Literature introduces us to new worlds of experience. We learn about books and literature; We enjoy the comedies and the tragedies of poems, stories, and plays; and we may even grow and evolve through our literary journey with books.

Literature helps us get attuned with our feelings desires and sentiments like selfdenial passion, romance, anger, wrath, and (etc...) teaches us role playing when you act out Shakespearean plays. It improves vocabulary by forcingto read more novels. Basically, just gets us thinking about the finer things in life.

Literature improves out spelling,grammar,vocabulary, enriches our mind, makes us more creativ, and opens up a world of ideas and possibilitiesthat you might not have necessarily thought of on your mind.

How do we study literature?

There are many critical ways to approach a text including the formalist, biographical, historical, textual, psychological, mythological, sociological, deconstructionist, feminist, or reader-response, semiotic etc. Formalist critics focus on the formal elements of a text. They examine the relationship between form and meaning, emphasizing how a work is arranged. This kind of close reading pays special attention to diction, figures of speech, plot, characterization, narrative technique, rhyme schemes, meter etc. Formalists look at how these elements work together to give kind to a work while contributing to its meaning. Information that goes beyond the text - biography, history, politics, economics, and so on - are regarded as extrinsic.

Critically thinking about and reading literature

ANALYZE: What does the passage mean, literally? INTERPRET: What does it mean figuratively? How do you read it and what suggests that this is a valid interpretation? QUESTION: What problems are suggested by the reading? What philosophical question(s) does the reading inspire?

SYNTHESIZE: How does this reading compare or contrast in content/form with what you've read before? EVALUATE: The writing. What criteria do you use to establish this judgment? What defines a first rate poem, play, story etc?

What is good literature and what is bad literature?

1. Lasting impression 2. Stretches the imagination, complex 3. Aesthetically pleasing, artistic 4. Message lines of culture and time 5. Accepted into the canon/norm
The important aspect beauty, honesty and the truth

Appreciation to Literary ( to appreciate )

Reward Evaluate - Understand

Apresiasi dalam suatu karya mempunyai tingkatan : (1) tingkat menggemari, (2) tingkat menikmati, (3) tingkat mereaksi, dan (4) tingkat produktif.

Literary Genres

Definition: categories used to group different types of literary work, such as

Fiction Poetry Non-Fiction Essay

Prose
Drama

Biography
Autobiography History

Memoir
Diary

What is Poetry?

Poetry (from the Greek "poiesis", a "making" or "creating") Poetry can be defined as literature in a metrical form or a composition forming rhythmic lines. In short, a poetry/poem is something that follows a particular flow of

rhythm and meter. Line the sentence of a poem the sentences in poetry can be stretched, cut, interrupted, fragmented Stanza the paragraph of a poem consists of a set of lines puisi merupakan ragam sastra yang bahasanya terikat oleh irama, matra, rima, serta penyusunan larik dan bait

What is Prose?

The word prose comes from the Latin prosa, meaning straightforward/honest, hence the term "prosaic," which is often seen a pejorative/underestimate.
Prosa merupakan aktivitas konstruktif, yaitu proses penciptaan dengan cara menyebarkan kesan-kesan dari ingatan.

Prosa merupakan pengucapan dengan pikiran, sedangkan Puisi merupakan pengucapan dengan perasaan.

What is Drama ?

Drama is defined by Aristotle as a criticism of life, on a stage, with action, characters and dialogue. The Greek word for deed or action is dram.

Drama ialah jenis sastra dalam bentuk puisi atau prosa yang bertujuan menggambarkan kehidupan lewat lakuan dan dialog (cakapan) para tokoh. Lazimnya dirancang untuk pementasan panggung.

What is Essay ?

Essay, yaitu karangan pendek tentang suatu fakta yang dikupas menurut pandangan pribadi penulisnya.

What is Biography ? Biography, adalah cerita tentang hidup seseorang yang ditulis oleh orang lain. What is Autobiography ? Autobiography, adalah biografi yang ditulis oleh tokohnya sendiri.

What is History ?
History

adalah cerita tentang zaman lampau suatu masyarakat berdasarkan sumber tertulis maupun tidak tertulis.
adalah otobiografi tentang sebagian pengalaman hidup saja.

What is Memoir ?
Memoir

What is Diary ?
Diary

adalah catataan seseorang tentang dirinya atau lingkungannya yang ditulis secara teratur.

What is the difference between prose, poetry and

drama?

Poetry is a sample of literature written in verse or meter. Prose writing is usually adopted for the description of facts or the discussion of whatever one's thoughts are, incorporated in free flowing speech. Drama is defined as a criticism of life, on a stage, with action, characters and dialogue.