INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Literature

- this is the backbone of everything

-from one generation to another
-passed down through the word of mouth
-gives us a picture of life
- could be written or oral
 -written or printed productions of the human
mind collectively w/c deals with themes of
permanent and universal interest, characterized by
creativeness & grace of expression as poetry,
fiction, essays etc.

-it is true that it speaks through the printed pages,

just as painting speaks in the grammar of color, light and
shadow
Types of Literature

-Oral
-Written

Reasons Why People Write

• For Self Expression
• To Spread Knowledge and Information
• To Pass on the Ideas and Values
• To Impart Truth, Accuracy and Evaluation
LITERARY STANDARDS
Great Literature is characterized by the following
qualities:

1. Permanence – it can read repeatedly, yet still gives

new pleasure and fresh insights, thus, it has a lasting
appeal.
2. Universality- it appeals with everything. It deals with
elemental feelings, fundamental truths and universal
conditions
3. Artistry – appeals to our aesthetic sense or sense of
beauty

4. Intellectual Value- Great literature stimulates our

thought . This makes us realized fundamental truths
about life and human nature; thus, enriching our mental
life.

5. Spiritual Value- inspires and brings out moral values

that makes us a better person. It relates to God’s plan
and purpose for humanity.
6. Style- marked with the peculiar way in w/c the writer
sees life, forms his/her ideas and expresses them
distinctly

7. Suggestiveness-appeals to our emotion, stirs our

imagination, feelings, moves us deeply & evokes visions
over and beyond the level of ordinary life & experiences.
 PROSE
FICTION – Result of author’s imagination
A. Short Story- narrative involving one or more characters,
plot and one single impression.
Ex. Dead Star

B. Novel- true-to-life story divided into chapters where

many characters are involved and spans long period of time.
Ex. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
C. Play- a scripted story executed on stage
Ex. Call Me Flory by Wilfredo Ma. Guevara

D. Legend –this is a narrative about the origin of man,

place, events and happenings.

E. Fable- is a narrative where the characters are animals

and inanimate objects that speaks and act like people, and
usually ends with values that can mold their attitudes.
NON-FICTION
A. Essay- an attempt to express the viewpoint and opinion
of the writer on a particular problem or event
FORMAL ESSAY
INFORMAL ESSAY
B. Oration- is a formal treatment of the subject and
intended to be spoken before a crowd.

C. Biography- a literary work that gives the life account of a

person written by another person.
D. Autobiography- literary work where the authors writes
his own life account.

E. News- report of expected and unexpected events in

society and government and incidents in the field of
science, business etc.

Poetry
Three Types of Poetry
A. Haiku- one of shortest poems, Japanese verse of 17
syllables arranged in three lines, the first line has 5, the
second is 7 and the third is 5.
Ode- is a serious elaborate lyric poem that is full of high
phrases praises and noble feelings.
Ex: Ode to Evening By Williams Collins

Elegy- a poem of meditation about on life and death . Many

elegies mourn the death of a famous person or a close friend.
Ex: Elegy written on a Country Church Yard by Thomas Gray.

Sonnet –is a 14 lyric poem with a certain pattern of rhyme

and rhythm .
Ex: How do I Love Thee? By Elixabeth Barreth Browning
Song- a lyric poem that is intended to be sung.
Ex: Sound of Silence by Bo Dylan and Paul Simon.

• Imagery- refers to the sensation that language creates in the

mind. Images are words and phrases that appeal to the senses.
• - these sensations or images are not only limited to visual
sensation ( 5 senses as well)

• Figurative Language- makes language more colorful

suggestive, powerful and therefore exciting.
• -also means the uses of words and phrases w/c refers to
something familiar in our experience to stand for the idea,
feeling or attitude we wish to communicate.
C. Figure of Speech- Simile,metaphor,
personification etc.
FIGURE OF SPEECH CHARACTERISTICS
1. Simile Use like or as
2. Metaphor A direct comparison of two unlike
things
3. Personification Gives human attributes to
inanimate objects or ideas
4. Apostrophe Is a direct address to someone
absent , dead, or inanimate
EXAMPLE
She is like a lion in the war
Mr. Umban is the Albert Einstein
of the class
The chair moved to the other
room
Little Sampaguita
With the wandering eye
Did a tiny fairy
Drop you where you lie
Lines from the Sampaguita
By Natividad Marquez
Literary Genres
Literature- Litera w/c means letter that deals with ideas,
thoughts and emotions of man
-Latin word litteratura –writing, grammar, learning
-15th century
-thus, it can be said that the literature is the story of a man
-this is undying, it is the reflection of human’s way of life
-past and present experiences in various way
 PROSE POETRY

FORM WRITTEN IN PARAGRAPH WRITTEN IN STANZA/VERSE

EXPRESSED IN METRICAL,
LANGUA EXPRESSED IN ORDINARY RHYTMICAL AND FIGURATIVE
GE LANGUAGE LANGUAGE

APPEAL TO THE INTELLECT TO THE EMOTION

TO CONVINCE, INFORM, STIR THE IMAGINATION AND SET

INSTRUCT,IMITATE AND AN IDEA OF HOW LIFE SHOULD
AIM REFLECT BE
PROSE
Prose Drama- it is a type of drama written in
prose. It has dialogues and meant to be acted and
witnessed by spectators on stage

Essay- it is the writer’s attempt to express his

viewpoint and opinion about some events or
issues.

Prose Fiction- is a basic type of discourse that

uses dialogue, narrative and exposition.
Novel- a long narrative divided into chapters wherein the
events are taken from real-life experiences involving
many characters.

Short Story- a narrative form which has one or more

character; a single plot and impression.

Biography and Autobiography

Biography- a life account of a certain individual written by

another person.
Autobiography -biography written by the person’s by
Letter- a written discourse w/c displays the
writer’s psychological makeup. This is intended to
be sent from one person to another to convey a
message and maintain good relationship.

Diary- It is a daily record of a particular person’s

day-to-day experiences, feelings and/or state of
mind.

Journal- a newspaper or periodical especially of a

serious matter.
Other Prose Forms:
Historical Prose - deals with historical events

Scientific Prose- deals with subject sentences

Satirical Prose - prose forms that ridicules the

vices and the follies of men or laws that
regulates the universe and underlie all
knowledge, principles or laws and reality
Current Publications- books, magazines and newspaper that are
commonly known or accepted or in general usage at the time specific
or, if unspecific , at the present time

Literary Criticism- an action such as judging and giving comments on

the qualities of a certain literary piece.

Book review- an article dealing with the contents, literary worth, etc.
of a books specially a recent publish book

Philosophy- a prose forms that deals with the theory of the

investigation of the principles or laws that regulates the universe and
underlie all knowledge, principles or laws and reality
Travel - a written account of trips, journeys,
tours etc. taken by the writer

Parody- an imitation of another author’s work,

where ridicule is the main objective

Anecdote- a brief narrative concerning a

particular individual or incident.
Ex: The moth and the Lamp
• Character Sketch- a short description of the qualities and
traits of a person

• Parable- a short tale that illustrates principle, usually by

setting forth the application of the principle to something
familiar to the hearer or the reader.
• Pamphlet- a small book topic of current interest.
• Eulogy- writing in praise of a dead person, event or thing.
• Speech- the general word for a discourse delivered to an
audience whether prepared or impromptu.
• Address= implies a formal, carefully prepared speech and
usually attributes importance to the speaker or the
speech.
• Oration= Suggest an eloquent, rhetorical sometimes
merely bombastic speech, especially on delivered on some
special occasion.
• Lecture= a carefully prepared speech intended to inform
or instruct the audience.
• Talk= suggest informality and is applied either to an
impromptu speech or to an address or lecture in which the
speaker deliberately uses a simple conversational
approach.
• Sermon= a speech by a clergy man intended to give
religious or moral instruction and usually based on
scriptural text.
Figure of Speech- Simile, metaphor, personification
etc.
FIGURE OF SPEECH CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLE
1. Simile Use like or as She is like a lion in the war
2. Metaphor A direct comparison of two unlike Mr. Umban is the Albert Einstein
things of the class
3. Personification Gives human attributes to The chair moved to the other
inanimate objects or ideas room
4. Apostrophe Is a direct address to someone Little Sampaguita
absent , dead, or inanimate With the wandering eye
Did a tiny fairy
Drop you where you lie

Lines from the Sampaguita

By Natividad Marquez
FIGURE OF SPEECH CHARACTERISTIC EXAMPLE
Metonymy Substitute a word that closely I have read all of Shakespeare
relates to a person or a thing
Synecdoche Uses a part to represent the The neighbor bought a new
whole wheels
Hyperbole Makes us of exaggeration I am very hungry and I might
eat the whole rice field.
Irony Says the opposite of what is If all these men whose heads
meant are with the stars,
Who dream unceasingly of
blazing royalty,
Will only strive to be like you
A dweller of the sod with the
heart of loyalty!

( Lines from To A Dog by

Florizel Diaz)