LITERATURE

ORAL LITERATURE WRITTEN LITERATURE VISUAL LITERATURE

PROSE POETRY

Fiction Non-Fiction Narrative Lyric Drama

Literature (from Latin litterae (plural); letter) is the art of written work, and is not confined to published sources (although, under some circumstances,
unpublished sources can also be exempt). The word literature literally means "things made from letters" and the term "letters" is sometimes used to signify
"literature," as in the figures of speech "arts and letters" and "man of letters." The four major classifications of literature are poetry, prose, fiction, and non-fiction.

I. FORMS OF LITERATURE
A. ORAL LITERATURE literary works transmitted from one generation to another verbally.
B. WRITTEN LITERATURE literary works in printed form
C. VISUAL LITERATURE literary works presented in front of an audience
II. DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE
A. PROSE - is the most typical form of language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure (as in
traditional poetry). While there are critical debates on the construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure has led to its adoption for the
majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers,
magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting, film, history, philosophy, law and many other forms of communication.

1. Fiction - is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather,
imaginarythat is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical, cinematic or
musical work. Fiction contrasts with non-fiction, which deals exclusively with factual (or, at least, assumed factual) events, descriptions,
observations, etc. (e.g., biographies, histories).

a. Fairytale story about kings, queens, princes and princesses with a touch of magic
b. Mythology story about gods and goddesses
c. Legend story about the origin of a place or a thing
d. Novel a long narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of 500 pages
e. Novelette a narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of 300 pages
f. Short Story a narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of 100 pages
g. Fable story that uses animals as characters and with moral lesson
h. Parable story used by Jesus in teaching the Good News
i. Allegory story that uses symbolism to represent an idea

2. Non-Fiction - is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be
factual. This presentation may be accurate or notthat is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in questionhowever, it is
generally assumed that authors of such accounts believe them to be truthful at the time of their composition or, at least, pose them to their
audience as historically or empirically true. Note that reporting the beliefs of others in a non-fiction format is not necessarily an endorsement of
 the ultimate veracity of those beliefs; it is simply saying it is true that people believe them (for such topics as mythology, religion). Non-fiction can
also be written about fiction, giving information about these other works.

a. Autobiography life story of a person written by himself

b. Biography life story of a person written by another person
c. Newspaper collection of news articles about various current events
d. Magazine collection of articles regarding the lifestyle of man
e. Journal daily record of personal events
f. Planner daily record of business commitments
g. Anecdote a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an incident.

B. POETRY - (from the Greek poiesis with a broad meaning of a "making", seen also in such terms as "hemopoiesis"; more narrowly, the making
of poetry) is a form of literary art which uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning.

1. Narrative - is a form of poetry which tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well; the entire story is usually
written in metered verse. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be complex. It is usually
dramatic, with objectives, diverse characters, and meter. Narrative poems include epics, ballads, idylls and lays.

a. Epic a narrative poem about supernatural powers possessed by heroes and heroines
b. Ballad a narrative poem with harmony and rhythm
c. Idyll a narrative poem about rustic life
d. Metrical Romance a narrative poem dealing with the emotions or phase of life and the story is told in a simple, straightforward and
realistic manner

2. Lyric - is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were sung, accompanied by a lyre.
Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat. Aristotle, in Poetics 1447a, mentions lyric poetry
 (kitharistike played to the cithara, a type of lyre) along with drama, epic poetry, dancing, painting and other forms of mimesis. The lyric poem,
dating from the Romantic era, does have some thematic antecedents in ancient Greek and Roman verse, but the ancient definition was based
on metrical criteria, and in archaic and classical Greek culture presupposed live performance accompanied by a stringed instrument.

a. Song a lyric poem intended to be sung, with melodious harmony and rhythm
b. Sonnet a lyric poem consisting of 14 iambic pentameter lines
c. Ode a lyrical poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally.
d. Elegy a lament for the dead

3. Drama - is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek:
, drama), which is derived from "to do," "to act" (Classical Greek: , dra). The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on
a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts,
unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception. The early modern tragedy Hamlet
(1601) by Shakespeare and the classical Athenian tragedy Oedipus the King (c. 429 BCE) by Sophocles is among the masterpieces of the art of
drama. A modern example is Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene ONeill (1956).

a. Historical a theatrical play with historical plot

b. Comedy a theatrical play with a happy ending
c. Tragedy a theatrical play with the death of some major characters
Elements in Understanding Literary Masterpiece
ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE

All fiction is based on conflict and this conflict is presented in a structured format called PLOT. There are a number of different elements to a plot. They include:
Exposition -The introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the
story.
Foreshadowing -The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.
Inciting Force -The event or character that triggers the conflict.
Conflict -The essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be identified as one of four kinds. (Man versusMan, Nature, Society, or
Self)
Rising Action -A series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax.
Crisis -The conflict reaches a turning point. At this point the opposing forces in the story meet and the conflict becomes most intense. The crisis occurs before or at
the same time as the climax.
Climax -The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion.
The point at which the outcome of the conflict can be predicted.
Falling Action-The events after the climax which close the story.
Resolution (Denouement)-Rounds out and concludes the action.

CHARACTERIZATION

MAJOR CHARACTERS
Almost always round or three-dimensional characters. They have good and bad qualities. Their goals, ambitions and values change. A round character changes as a
result of what happens to him or her. A character who changes inside as a result of what happens to him is referred to in literature as a DYNAMIC character. A
dynamic character grows or progresses to a higher level of understanding in the course of the story.
Protagonist Antagonist Foil
The main character in the story The character or force that A character who provides a
opposes the protagonist. contrast to the protagonist.

MINOR CHARACTERS
Almost always flat or two-dimensional characters. They have only one or two striking qualities. Their predominant quality is not balanced by an opposite quality. They
are usually all good or all bad. Such characters can be interesting or amusing in their own right, but they lack depth. Flat characters are sometimes referred to as
STATIC characters because they do not change in the course of the story.
POINT OF VIEW

First Person-The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He
cant tell us thoughts of other characters.
Third-Person Objective-The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he cant tell
us the thoughts of the characters.
Third-Person Limited -The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.
Omniscient -The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

CONFLICT
Conflict is the essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be identified as one of four kinds.
Man versus Man
Conflict that pits one person against another.
Man versus Nature
A run-in with the forces of nature. On the one hand, it expresses the insignificance of a single human life in the cosmic scheme of things. On the other hand,
it tests the limits of a persons strength and will to live.
Man versus Society
The values and customs by which everyone else lives are being challenged. The character may come to an untimely end as a result of his or her own
convictions. The character may, on the other hand, bring others around to a sympathetic point of view, or it may be decided that society was right after all.
Man versus Self
Internal conflict. Not all conflict involves other people. Sometimes people are their own worst enemies. An internal conflict is a good test of a characters
values. Does he give in to temptation or rise above it? Does he demand the most from himself or settle for something less? Does he even bother to struggle? The
internal conflicts of a character and how they are resolved are good clues to the characters inner strength.
FORESHADOWING
An authors use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the story. Not all foreshadowing is obvious. Frequently, future events are merely
hinted at through dialogue, description, or the attitudes and reactions of the characters.
Foreshadowing frequently serves two purposes. It builds suspense by raising questions that encourage the reader to go on and find out more about the
event that is being foreshadowed. Foreshadowing is also a means of making a narrative more believable by partially preparing the reader for events which are to
follow.

IRONY -Irony is the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is.
Verbal Irony -The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant.
Irony of Situation -This refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended.
Dramatic Irony -This occurs when the audience or reader knows more than the characters know.
TONE/MOOD
Tone
The authors attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject. Some possible attitudes are pessimism, optimism, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humorous,
and joyful. An authors tone can be revealed through choice of words and details.
Mood
The climate of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood. For
example, an author may create a mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or humorous tone

SYMBOLISM
A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well. Things, characters and actions can be symbols. Anything that
suggests a meaning beyond the obvious.
Some symbols are conventional, generally meaning the same thing to all readers.
For example: bright sunshine symbolizes goodness and water is a symbolic cleanser.

THEME

The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that
it involves a statement or opinion about the topic. Not every literary work has a theme. Themes may be major or minor. A major theme is an idea the author
returns to time and again. It becomes one of the most important ideas in the story. Minor themes are ideas that may appear from time to time.