Introduction to Literature

• The study or appreciation of literature is very

interesting and helpful to learners for many
reasons.
• Literature in English involves the reading and
analysis of written materials of different kinds
including fiction and non-fiction written works
in English.
• All learners of Literature in English should be
ready to analyze whatever they read critically
by the end of the course.
 DEFINITION OF LITERATURE
• It is very difficult to offer a precise definition
of Literature, but we shall give a working
definition of it in line with what we shall be
studying.
• Literature can be defined as ‘pieces of writing
that are valued as works of art, especially
novels, plays and poems’. (Oxford Advanced
Learner’s English Dictionary).
 DEFINITION OF LITERATURE
• “the body of written works produced in a
particular language, country, or age, or the
body of writings on a particular subject
(scientific, art, etc.)” (Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary and Thesaurus).
 DEFINITION OF LITERATURE
• Looking at the previous Dictionary definitions of
Literature, we may define Literature generally as
any body of written works that is written and
produced in any country, language or age for a
specific purpose such as information, education
or entertainment to the reader, which can be
fictional or non-fictional in nature.
• However, in Literature in English as a subject, our
main concern is on the first definition above.
 IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE
• Literature improves your command of
language
• It teaches you about the life, cultures and
experiences of people in other parts of the
world.
• It gives you information about other parts of
the world which you may never be able to visit
in your lifetime.
 IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE
• It entertains you and provides useful occupation
in your free time.
• It makes you a wiser and more experienced
person by forcing you to judge, sympathize with,
or criticize the characters you read about.
• It helps you compare your own experiences with
the experiences of other people.
• It gives information which may be useful in other
subjects, for example, in Geography, Science,
History, Social Studies, and so on
 KINDS OF LITERATURE
• Generally, Literature is divided into two (2) kinds,
namely, Fictional and Non-Fictional Literature.
• Fictional Literature is imaginary composed writing or
work of art that is meant to provide information,
education and entertainment to the reader. In other
words, fictional literature is based on the writer’s
imagination rather than reality.
• Non – fictional Literature is factual writing or written
work that is gives facts that can be proved as it
provides real places, events, characters, times or reality
rather than imaginary things.
• Examples of Fictional Literature include plays,
poems, short stories, novels, oral literature, and
songs
• Examples of Non-Fictional Literature include
autobiographies, biographies, essays, diaries and
journals, magazines, newspapers, subject text
books such as in Geography, History and Civic
Education.
• In our study of Literature in English, however, we
shall concentrate on Fictional Literature as
exemplified above. Generally, its main concern is
with Drama (Plays), Fiction (stories), and Poetry
(Poems).