NO.

1
DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE
Literature, most generically, is any body of written works. More restrictively, literature writing is considered
to be an art form, or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying
language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.
Its Latin root literatura/ litteratura (derived itself from littera: letter or handwriting) was used to refer to all
written accounts, though contemporary definitions extend the term to include texts that are spoken or sung (oral
literature). The concept has changed meaning over time: nowadays it can broaden to have non-written verbal art
forms, and thus it is difficult to agree on its origin, which can be paired with that of language or writing
itself. Developments in print technology have allowed an ever-growing distribution and proliferation of written
works, culminating in electronic literature.
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life
requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” ~ C.S.
Lewis

Divisions of Literature
Literary works involve written and oral accounts of humanity’s existence. In the Philippines, locally, it is a
collection of various written and oral depiction of how the lives of these local inhabitants unfold. Hence we
have such things as Ilokano Literatures, Bikol Literatures, Waray Literatures, Maranao Literatures, among
others. Hence, the vast collections of these works from the local scale up to global scale make it tedious and
cumbersome to study and analyze.

To understand these works better, we need to look at them by studying the Divisions of Literature. Gleaning
from the image above, we can see the various divisions and the corresponding Literary Genres.

A. Prose is a division of literature which covers a literary work that is spoken or written within the common
flow of language in sentences and in paragraphs which give information, relate events, express ideas, or present
opinions. Under this division, we have two sub-divisions: the Fiction and Non-Fiction.

1. Fiction is a sub-division of prose which covers a literary work of imaginative narration, either oral or
written, fashioned to entertain and to make readers think and more so, to feel. It normally came from the
writer’s imagination.
______________________________________________________________________________________

NO. 2
Some Literary Genres that fall under fiction include:

A. Legend is a prose fiction which attempts to explain the origin of things, places, objects that we see
around us. Example: The Legend of Makahiya, Why the Sea is Salty.
B. Short story is a short prose fiction narrative depicting a simple characterization and plot conveying a
moral which can be read in one sitting. Example: The Diamond Necklace by Guy de Maupassant,
Footnote to Youth by Jose Garcia-Villa.
C. Novel is a very long prose narrative depicting complex characterization and plot which is usually divided
into chapters. Example: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
D. Novella is a long prose narrative similar to but shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. It is
also known as novelette. Example: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Call of the Wild by
Jack London.
E. Fable is a short prose fiction narrative depicting animal characters which espouses a lesson in
life. Example: The Lion and the Mouse, The Monkey and the Turtle.
F. Parable is a short prose allegorical narrative which presents a philosophical outlook in
life. Example: The Parable of the Sower, The Prodigal Son.
 NO. 3
2. Non-Fiction is a sub-division of prose which covers a literary work of “real life” narration or exposition
based on history and facts whose main thrust is intellectual appeal to convey facts, theories, generalizations,
or concepts about a particular topic. Some literary genres that fall under non-fiction include:

A. Biography is a prose non-fiction detailing the life of a person written by another person. Example: The
Great Malayan about the Life of Jose Rizal written by Carlos Quirino. Sometimes, a biography may be
written by the same person, hence, it is called autobiography. Example: Memoirs written by Juan Ponce
Enrile was a lengthy narrative about his own life.
B. History is a prose non-fiction record of events that transpired in the past. Example: The History of
Filipino People written by Gregorio Zaide.
C. News is a prose non-fiction narrative of events that happen every day. The newspapers are written for
this purpose. Example: Philippine Daily Inquirer.
D. Diary is a personal account of significant events that happen in the life of a person.
E. Anecdote is a prose non-fiction narrative that depicts a single incident in a person’s life. Example: The
Moth and the Lamp.
F. Essay is prose non-fiction which is a formal treatment of an issue written from the writer’s personal
point of view. Example: On the Indolence of the Filipinos written by Jose Rizal.

______________________________________________________________________________

NO. 4
B. Poetry is a division of literature works which covers a literary work expressed in verse, measure, rhythm,
sound, and imaginative language and creates an emotional response to an experience, feeling or fact.
Traditionally, it has three sub-divisions namely: Narrative poetry, Lyric poetry, and Dramatic poetry.

1. Narrative Poetry is a sub-division of poetry which tells or narrates a story. It may be lengthy as an epic, or
short as a ballad and typically measured as a metrical tale.
A. Epic is a narrative poem which accounts the heroic exploits of a community’s hero, usually involving
superhuman abilities. Example: Hudhod hi Aliguyon is an Ifugao epic.
B. Ballad is a narrative poem which depicts a single incident that transpired in a person’s life. It is usually
recited during gatherings in the past but it may be sung in the present days. Example: Forevermore by
Side A Band.
C. Metrical Tale is a narrative poem which narrates a story in a “metered” or “measured” number of
syllables hence it was called metrical. There are two popular variations in Philippine Literature,
the Awit and Corrido.
i. Awit is a romance metrical tale of dodecasyllabic measure which is recited during formal
performances or informal gatherings. Example: Florante at Laura by Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar.
ii. Corrido is a martial or adventure metrical tale of octosyllabic measure which is recited for
recreational purposes. Example: Ibong Adarna by Jose Corazon dela Cruz.
______________________________________________________________________________
NO. 5
2. Lyric Poetry is a sub-division of poetry which features poems intended to be sung with the accompaniment
of the musical instrument called “lyre” hence, lyric poetry. The following are the types of lyric poems.
A. Song is a lyric poem of various theme which is meant to be sung in its entirety. Example: Bayan
Ko written by Jose De Jesus, arranged by Constancio De Guzman, and sung by Freddie Aguilar.
B. Ode is a lyric poem of noble and exalted emotion which has dignified countenance. Example: Ode to
the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
C. Elegy is a lyric poem of sad theme such lamentation for the dead, longing for a missing love, and a grief
for things beyond one’s control. Example: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray.
D. Sonnet is a lyric poem of 14 iambic pentameter lines usually about love and beautiful
themes. Example: Sonnet to Laura by Francesco Petrarch.
E. Idyll is a lyric poem celebrating the tranquil and beautiful landscapes of rural and country
settings. Example: Beside the Pasig River by Jose Rizal.
 NO. 6

3. Dramatic Poetry is a sub-division of poetry which features poems meant to be performed on stage. Theater
plays and dramatic presentations belong to this type.

A. Tragedy is a dramatic poetry which features a hero whose hubris or shortcoming eventually causes his
downfall or defeat often ending in a very sad conclusion. Example: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
and The Three Rats by Wilfrido Ma. Guerero.
B. Comedy is a dramatic poetry which is similar with tragedy except that the hero triumphs and overcomes
the odds towards the end and emerges victoriously. Example: The Twelfth Night by William
Shakespeare.
C. Melodrama is a dramatic poetry which is a combination of the elements of tragedy and comedy yet ends
in a happy note. Example: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
D. Farce is a dramatic poetry which is an exaggerated comedy that aims to elicit laughter hence,
relaxation. Examples: Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
E. Social Play is a dramatic poetry which tackles social issues and problems such as poverty, corruption,
discrimination, racism, sexism, among others, with an aim to bring awareness and bring about positive
change. Example: Zsazsa Zaturnah by Carlo Vergara.