1. WHAT IS LITERATURE?

* Written works such as poems, plays and novels

* Any kind of printed materials that provide information
* The entire body of writings of a specific language, period, people, etc.

2. WHAT IS THE TWO (2) DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE?

A. POETRY
- is a form of literary art which uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke
meanings in addition to, or in place of ,prosaic ostensible meaning. Poetry has
traditionally been distinguished from prose by its being set in verse; prose is cast
in sentences, poetry in lines; the syntax of prose is dictated by meaning, whereas that of
poetry is held across meter or the visual aspects of the poem. Prior to the nineteenth
century, poetry was commonly understood to be something set in metrical lines;
accordingly, in 1658 a definition of poetry is "any kind of subject consisting of Rhythm
or Verses". Possibly as a result of Aristotle's influence (his Poetics), "poetry" before the
nineteenth century was usually less a technical designation for verse than a normative

category of fictive or rhetorical art. As a form it may pre-date literacy, with the earliest
works being composed within and sustained by an oral tradition; hence it constitutes the
earliest example of literature.

B.

PROSE
-Prose is a form of language that possesses ordinary syntax and natural speech rather than
rhythmic structure; in which regard, along with its measurement in sentences rather than
lines, it differs from poetry. On the historical development of prose, Richard Graff notes
that "[In the case of Ancient Greece] recent scholarship has emphasized the fact that
formal prose was a comparatively late development, an "invention" properly associated
with the classical period".

Novel: a long fictional prose narrative. It was the form's close relation to real life that
differentiated it from the chivalric romance; in most European languages the equivalent term
is roman, indicating the proximity of the forms. In English, the term emerged from the
Romance languages in the late fifteenth century, with the meaning of "news"; it came to
indicate something new, without a distinction between fact or fiction. Although there are
many historical prototypes, so-called "novels before the novel",the modern novel form
emerges late in cultural historyroughly during the eighteenth century. Initially subject to
much criticism, the novel has acquired a dominant position amongst literary forms, both
popularly and critically.

Novella: in purely quantitative terms, the novella exists between the novel and short story;
the publisher Melville House classifies it as "Too short to be a novel, too long to be a short
story". There is no precise definition in terms of word or page count.

Literary prizes and publishing houses often have their own arbitrary limits, which vary
according to their particular intentions. Summarising the variable definitions of the novella,

William Giraldi concludes "[it is a form] whose identity seems destined to be disputed into
perpetuity".It has been suggested that the size restriction of the form produces various
stylistic results, both some that are shared with the novel or short story, and others unique to
the form.

Short story: a dilemma in defining the "short story" as a literary form is how to, or whether
one should, distinguish it from any short narrative; hence it also has a contested
origin, variably suggested as the earliest short narratives (e.g. the Bible), early short story
writers (e.g. Edgar Allan Poe), or the clearly modern short story writers (e.g. Anton
Chekhov). Apart from its distinct size, various theorists have suggested that the short story
has a characteristic subject matter or structure; these discussions often position the form in
some relation to the novel.

3. CLASSIFICATION OF LITERATURE?
A. Fiction

- Is the form of any work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or
events that are not real, but rather, imaginary andtheoreticalthat is, invented
by the author. Although the term fiction refers in particular to novels and short
stories, it may also refer to thetheatre, including opera and ballet, film,
television, poetry and song. Fiction contrasts with non-fiction, which deals
exclusively with factual (or, at least, assumed factual) events, descriptions,
observations, etc

B. Non-fiction

- is one of the two main divisions in prose writing, the other form
being fiction. Non-fiction is a story based on real life facts and information.
Non-fiction is anarrative, account, or other communicative work whose
assertions and descriptions are believed by the author to be factual. These
assertions and descriptions may or may not be accurate, and can give either
a true or a false account of the subject in question; however, 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. Reporting the beliefs of others in a nonfiction 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. Non-fiction need not necessarily
be written text, since pictures and film can also purport to present a factual
account of a subject.

4. FORMS AND GENRES?

MAJOR FORMS:

Novel

Poem

Drama

Short story

Novella

Myths

Graphic Novel
Elements of Fiction and Drama

Literary types such as fiction; drama and short story have some elements. These include

Plot

Character

Setting

Theme

Structure

Point of view

Conflict

Diction

Foreshadowing

Plot: Plot is the serial arrangement of incidents, ideas or events. In literature, the plot
encompasses all the incidents and provides aesthetic pleasure. The story of the novel progresses
through various plots and conflicts. Plots of dramas are divided into "Acts" and "Scenes". Drama
has five essential parts. These are:
Introduction of the story where the characters and setting are introduced
Rising action
Climax

Falling action
Denouement
Playwrights use dialog to develop their plots. They reveal information about their characters such
as their background and personality.
Character: Character plays a pivotal role in a drama, novel, short story and all kinds of
narratives. In drama, character reflects the personality of the protagonist and other related
characters. The method of conveying information about characters in art is called
characterization. Characters can be fictional or based on real, historical entities. It can be human,
supernatural, mythical, divine, animal or personifications of an abstraction. There are round
characters, flat characters, stereotypical stock characters, etc. In Marlowe's drama "The Tragical
History of Dr. Faustus", Faustus is the main character of the play.
Setting: It refers to geographical location of the story, time period, daily lifestyle of the
characters and climate of the story. In a novel, the setting plays an important role. In short
stories, sometimes it plays an important role, while for others it is not. Settings of literary forms
have been changing according to theme of the literary piece, for example, Shakespeare's
tragedies and comedies have the setting of palaces, castles whereas modern and post-modern
dramas have setting of houses of common people. There were supernatural elements in earlier
literature and nowadays absurdity rules. Setting can take place in a house, school, castle, forest,
hospital or anywhere that the writers want to extend their scenes.
Theme: Theme is another prime element of literature, which contains the central idea of
all literary forms such as a novel, drama and short story. It reflects innocence, experience, life,
death, reality, fate, madness, sanity, love, society, individual, etc. Thus, it reflects the society as a

whole, for example, the theme of Hardy's novel "The Mayor of Casterbridge" reflects the role of
fate in our life. Likewise, in a drama, theme represents the brief idea of the drama.
Point of view: Point of view is another element of the narrative, through which a writer
tells the story. Authors use first-person point of view or third-person point of view. First-person
point of view indicates that the main character is telling the story, whereas the third-person point
of view directs that the narrator is telling the story. A novel can be written in the first-person
narrative, third-person narrative, omniscient point of view, limited omniscient point of view,
stream of consciousness and objective point of view. These points of view play an important role
in the distinct structure of the story or a play.
Conflict: Be it a short story, drama or novel, conflict is the essential element of all these
literary forms. A plot becomes interesting and intriguing when it has its share of inbuilt conflict
and twists. Conflict can be internal conflict or external. It can take place between two men,
between the character and his psychology, between the character and circumstances or between
character and society.
Use of language or diction: Diction is another essential element of drama. A playwright
exhibits the thoughts of characters through dialog. "Dialogue" has come from the Greek word
"dialogosa" which means "conversation". Shakespeare used this to portray the thoughts,
emotions and feelings of the character. This also provides clues to their background and
personalities. Diction also helps in advancing the plot. Greek philosophers like Aristotle used
dialogue as the best way to instruct their students.

Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is another important element of literature that is applied

as hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story. It creates suspense and encourages
the reader to go on and find out more about the event that is being foreshadowed. Foreshadowing
is used to make a narrative more authentic.

Elements of Poetry
Poetry is literature in a metrical form. However, free-verse became the popular style
towards the modern and post modern age. Like fiction, it may not have plots, setting, etc, yet it
has a structured method of writing. There are various kinds of poetry such as ballad, sonnet, etc.
All these forms have some elements such as style, theme, rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, etc. that are
described below:
Style: Style refers to the way the poem is written. Poems are written in various styles,
such as free verse, ballad, sonnet, etc., which have different meters and number of stanzas.
Symbol: Symbol represents the idea and thought of the poem. It can be an object, person,
situation or action. For example, a national flag is the symbol of that nation.
Theme: Like other forms of literature, poetry has a theme of its own. Theme contains the
message, point of view and idea of the poem.
Imagery: Imagery is another important element that a poet often uses in poems that
appeal to our senses. In the age of modernism, T.S. Eliot used images of urban life in his poems.
Wordsworth used nature as poetic images in his poems.

Rhyme and rhythm: Rhyme is an element that is often used in poetry. It's a recurrence
of an accented sound or sounds in a piece of literature. Poets and lyricists use this device in
various ways to rhyme within a verse. There is internal rhyme, cross rhyme, random rhyme and
mixed rhyme. It gives the poem flow and rhythm. It contains the syllables in a poem. Every
poem has a rhythm in it. It's about how the words resonate with each other, how the words flow
when they are linked with one another in a poem.
Meter: This is an important rhythmic structure of poetry. It is described as sequence of
feet, each foot being a specific series of syllable types - such as stressed/unstressed and makes
the poetry more melodious.
Alliteration: Alliteration is another element used in poetry for the sound effect. It
indicates two or more words with same repetition of initial letter, for example, "dressy
daffodils". Here the sound of the letter 'd' is repeated.
Simile: A simile is a figure of speech used for comparison in the poetry with the words
'like' or 'as', for example, "as black as coal".
Metaphor: Metaphor is used in poetry to make an implicit comparison. Unlike simile,
here the comparison is implied, for example, 'Her laughter, a babbling brook'.
Onomatopoeia: This is one important element of poetry, which refers to words that
sound like their meaning, for example, buzz, moo and paw.
Element of literature includes all the elements that are essential to create a piece. These
elements help a writer to create splendid poetry, superb drama and soul-touching novel. These
elements are used to form the structure of a literary piece.

LITERARY GENRES are determined by literary technique, tone, content and by critics'
definitions of the genres
Various works of literature are written in and further categorized by genre. Sometimes forms are
used interchangeably to define genre. However, a form, e.g., a novel or a poem, can be written in
any genre. Genre is a label that characterizes elements a reader can expect in a work of literature.
The major forms of literature can be written in various genres. Genre is a category characterized
by similarities in style, or subject matter.
The classic major genres of Literature are:

Drama

Romance

Satire

Tragedy

Comedy

Tragicomedy

GENRES CATEGORIES: FICTION AND NON FICTION

Genre may fall under one of two categories: Fiction and Nonfiction. Any genre can be either: a
work of Fiction (nonfactual descriptions and events invented by the author) or a work of
Nonfiction (a communication in which descriptions and events are understood to be factual).

Common genres: fiction

Subsets of genres, known as common genres, have developed from the archetypes of genres in
written expression. The common genres included in recommended Literaturin verse or prose,
usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue
and action

Classic fiction that has become part of an accepted literary canon, widely taught in schools

Comic/Graphic Novel scripted fiction told visually in artist drawn pictures, usually in
panels and speech bubbles

Crime/Detective fiction about a committed crime, how the criminal gets caught, and the
repercussions of the crime

Fable narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans;
legendary, supernatural tale

Fairy tale story about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children

Fanfiction fiction written by a fan of, and featuring characters from, a particular TV series,
movie, etc.

Fantasy fiction with strange or otherworldly settings or characters; fiction which invites
suspension of reality

Fiction narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not
necessarily based on fact

Fiction in verse full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor
characters, in which the narrative is presented in verse form (usually free verse)

Folklore the songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by
word of mouth

Historical fiction story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting

Horror fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread and sometimes fear in both the
characters and the reader

Humor Usually a fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain and
sometimes cause intended laughter; but can be contained in all genres

Legend story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, that has a basis in fact but also includes
imaginative material

Metafiction also known as romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature,
uses self-reference to draw attention to itself as a work of art, while exposing the "truth" of a
story

Mystery fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets

Mythology legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that
reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the
actions of the gods

Poetry verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses

Realistic fiction story that is true to life

Science fiction story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set
in the future or on other planets

Short story fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots

Suspense/Thriller fiction about harm about to befall a person or group and the attempts
made to evade the harm

Tall tale humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the
impossible with nonchalance

Common genres: nonfiction

Biography/Autobiography - Narrative of a person's life. A true story about a real person.

Essay - A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.

Narrative nonfiction - Factual information presented in a format which tells a story.

Speech - Public address or discourse.

Textbook - Authoritative and detailed factual description of a topic.

Reference book - Dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac, atlas, etc.

Literary fiction vs. genre fiction

Literary fiction is a term used to distinguish certain fictional works that possess commonly held
qualities that constitute literary merit. Genre works are written with the intent of fitting into a
specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre.
Literary fiction may fit within a classification of market fiction, but also possesses generally
agreed upon qualities such as "elegantly written, lyrical, and ... layered" that appeals to readers
outside genre fiction. Literary fiction has been defined as any fiction that attempts to engage with
one or more truths or questions, hence relevant to a broad scope of humanity as a form of
expression. There are many sources that help readers find and define literary fiction and genre
fiction

5. WHY IS LITERATURE SAID TO BE THE STUDY OF LIFE ITSELF?

Without reading about these people, places, events, we quite possibly would never
experience similar situations. By reading about them, discussing them with others,
thinking about how we would react in similar situations, we are learning. We are
gathering information and tools for our life toolbox. Every book you read changes
you...even if only slightly. You are a different person on the other side of it whether you
recognize it or not. You are learning, collecting material, developing personality,
discovering likes and dislikes about yourself. You are studying the human condition, and
this is important because you are part of the world itself.
Reading provides for a richer, more fulfilling life. Can you live without it? Sure. Some
of us can. I, for one, would absolutely wither and die if I could no longer read. But
without the enrichment and fulfillment that reading brings, life would be considerably
less luminous.
6. WHAT DOES IT TAKES IN LITERARY WORK TO HAVE LITERARY MERIT?
Literary merit is the quality shared by all works of fiction that are considered to
have aesthetic value.
The concept of "literary merit" has been criticized as being necessarily subjective, since personal
taste determines aesthetic value, and has been derided as a "relic of a scholarly elite". Despite
these criticisms, many criteria have been suggested to determine literary merit including:
standing the test of time, realistic characters, emotional complexity, originality, and concern with
truth.
In 1957, at the obscenity trial for Howl, author Walter Van Tilburg Clark was prodded into
defining literary merit. His response outlines some of the popular criteria:

The only final test, it seems to me, of literary merit, is the power to endure. Obviously such a test
cannot be applied to a new or recent work, and one cannot, I think, offer soundly an opinion on
the probability of endurance save on a much wider acquaintance with the work or works of a
writer than I have of Mr. Ginsberg's or perhaps even with a greater mass of production than Mr.
Ginsberg's. ... Aside from this test of durability, I think the test of literary merit must be, to my
mind, first, the sincerity of the writer. I would be willing, I think, even to add the seriousness of
purpose of the writer, if we do not by that leave out the fact that a writer can have a fundamental
serious purpose and make a humorous approach to it. I would add also there are certain specific
ways in which craftsmanship at least of a piece of work, if not in any sense the art, which to my
mind involves more, may be tested.
7. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT LITERARY WORK SHOULD HAVE
AESTHETIC VALUE?

Aesthetic value, therefore, is not alone sensuous value or ethical or scientific or philosophical
value. A work of art may contain one or all of these values; but they do not constitute its unique
value as art. The foregoing attempts to define the value of art fail because they renounce the idea
of unique value, substituting goodness, sensuous pleasure, or truth-values found outside of art.
But the intrinsic value of art must be unique, for it is the value of a unique activitythe free
expression of experience in a form delightful and permanent, mediating communication. And
this value we should be able to discover by seeking the difference which supervenes upon
experience through expression of this kind.

WORLD
LITERATURE
Assignment

KENIA CASZANDRA G. REBONG

BS PSYCHOLOGY 2B

WORLD LIT SAT 3-6PM