LITERATURE 2.
ARTISTRY
- This is the quality that appeals to our sense
Literature refers to written works, especially of beauty.
those considered of superior or lasting artistic
merit. 3. SUGGESTIVENESS
- This is the quality associated with the
- A literature may also be any imaginative emotional power of literature. Great literature
Works of poetry and prose distinguished by moves us
the intentions of their Authors and the - deeply and stirs our feeling and imagination,
perceived aesthetic excellence of their giving and evoking visions above and beyond
execution. It is Derived from the Latin word the plane of ordinary life and experience.
literature meaning “writing formed with letters“.
4. UNIVERSALITY
- Literature may be in the form of poetry, drama, - Great literature is timeless and timely.
fiction, Nonfiction, and in some instances, Forever relevant, it appeals to one and all,
journalism, and song. anytime, anywhere, because it deals with
elemental feelings, fundamental truths and
The Importance of Literature universal conditions.
1. Guides for the reader and generates a 5. SPIRITUAL VALUE
bridge for them to learn something new. - Literature elevates the spirit by bringing out
2. Allows a person to step back in time and moral values which makes a better person.
learn about Life on Earth from the ones who The capacity to inspire is part of the spiritual
walked before us. value of literature.
3. Acts as a form of expression of each
individual author. 6. INTELLECTUAL VALUE
4. Confirms the complexity of human conflict. - A literary works stimulates thought. It
enriches our mental life by making us realize
“The Road Not Taken”- Robert Frost fundamental truths about life and human
Theme: Contemplating, making right nature.
decisions.
7. STYLE
“Alone” – Edgar Allan Poe - This is the peculiar way in which writers see
Theme: Isolation, feeling misunderstood, life, form his ideas and express them.
depression, indifference
CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE
“Because I could not stop for death” –
Emily Dickinson 1. Formalist Criticism - This approach
Theme: Acceptance, inevitable death regards literature as “a unique form of human
knowledge that needs to be examined on its
LITERARY STANDARDS own terms.”
These are a set of characteristics to determine
whether or not a work is literary. The criteria 2. Biographical Criticism - This approach
were developed by writer William J. Long “begins with the simple but central insight that
literature is written by actual people and that
1. PERMANENCE understanding an author’s life can help
- A great work of literature endures. It can be readers more thoroughly comprehend the
read again and again as each reading gives work.”
fresh
- delight and new insights and opens a new 3. Historical Criticism - This approach “seeks
world of meaning and experience. Its appeal is to understand a literary work by investigating
lasting. the social, cultural, and intellectual context that
produced it—a context that necessarily contributed the Torah or the First Five
includes the artist’s biography and milieu.” Books (Pentateuch) of the Prophet Moses.
4. Gender Criticism - This approach
“examines how sexual identity influences the The Indo- Aryans, who later on became
creation and reception of literary works.” Indians, wrote a collection of their Hymns and
5. Psychological Criticism - This approach Prayers called Vedas.
reflects the effect that modern psychology has
had upon both literature and literary criticism. Virgil's last and most notable work was the
epic poem the Aeneid,
6. Sociological Criticism - This approach
“examines literature in the cultural, economic Ovid, a Roman writer, imitated the Greek gods
and political context in which it is written or and goddesses, giving them Roman names;
received,” exploring the relationships between
the artist and society. PROSE refers to everyday writing. It covers all
the different types of writing you read daily,
7. Mythological Criticism - This approach from blogs
emphasises “the recurrent universal patterns
underlying most literary works.” The types of prose include:
8. Reader-Response Criticism - This 1) Fictional prose takes you away to a
approach takes as a fundamental tenet that made-up world or story such as The Hunger
“literature” exists not as an artefact upon a Games.
printed page but as a transaction between the
physical text and the mind of a reader. 2) Non-fictional prose is factual accounts of
events such as Anne Frank’s The Diary of a
9. Deconstructionist Criticism - This Young Girl.
approach “rejects the traditional assumption
that language can accurately represent reality.” 3) Heroic prose includes oral and written
traditions like fables and legends.
HISTORICAL DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE
4) Poetic prose is writing with poetic qualities,
Ancient Period such as heightened emotions and imagery,
that is not Written in verse. One example is
- Sumerian Civilization of Mesopotamia. Amy Lowell’s Bath To articles to novels.
- It started from Epic of Gilgamesh up to
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. POETRY is defined as a form of literature that
- Were credited to have started a first system of adds artistic style to writing.
writing called cuneiform The common types of poetry include:
1. “Epic of Gilgamesh “ Babylonian Epic
2. “ Mahabharata “ -Vyasa Sonnet - It is a lyrical poetry with fourteen-line
Theme: Sacred duty, karma, duties, roles poem written
Hindi literature Haiku – traditional Japanese poetry
Acrostic – mixes letters and phrases
The hieroglyphics, the system of Egyptian Free verse – no set meter
writing, produced the Book of the Dead. Using Epic – from oral traditions
ink from plant and animal pigments and Rhymed – creates specific rhyme pattern
Papyrus papers, Egyptian Scribes contributed Descriptive – uses descriptive language to
significantly to World Literature. express a message
Narrative – tells a story
The Hebrews, using their own system of
writing, FICTION is fabricated and based on the
author’s imagination. Short stories, novels,
myths, legends, and Fairy tales are all Denouement or resolution provides closure to
considered fiction. the story. It ties up loose ends in the story.
NON FICTION , by contrast, refers to factual “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
and reports on true events. Histories,
biographies, Journalism, and essays are all 4. Conflict- struggle between two entities.
considered nonfiction
ELEMENTS OF FICTION
1. Characters are the people, animals, or
aliens in the story.
5. Point of view - It refers to “Who” is telling
A. Flat characters do not play important roles
the story.
in the stories.
• First-person point of view
B. Round characters play an important role,
- Like I, Me, my, we, us, and our are used.
often the lead roles in stories.
• Third-person point of view
- He, she, it, him, her, his, hers, they, them,
2. Setting is where and when the story takes
and theirs.
place
6. A Theme is not the plot of the story. It is
3. Plot is the order of events in the story
the underlying truth that is being conveyed in
Freytag’s Pyramid has five parts: exposition,
the story.
rising action, climax, falling action, and
denouement/resolution.
7. Tone refers to the overall emotional “tone”
or meaning of the story, such as happy, funny,
sad, and depressed.
8. Style refers to how things are said. It
includes word choices, sentence structure,
dialogue, metaphor, Simile, and hyperbole.
Style contributes significantly to tone.
POETRY can be defined as literature in a
metrical form or a composition forming
rhythmic lines.
A poem is something that follows a particular
Parts Of The Plot
flow of rhythm and meter.
Exposition is an introduction moves into rising
ELEMENTS OF POETRY
action a problem, sometimes called an inciting
incident, occurs for the main Character to
handle or solve. This creates the beginning of 1. Rhythm
the story. This is the music made by the statements of
Rising action includes the events that the the poem, which includes the syllables in the
main character encounter scenes, makes the lines.
problem more complex 2. Meter
Climax is the turning point in the story. This is the basic structural make-up of the
Usually, it is a single event with the greatest poem.
intensity and Uncertainty. The main character 3. Stanza
must contend with the problem at this point. Stanza in poetry is defined as a smaller unit or
Falling action includes the events that unfold group of lines or a paragraph in a poem.
after the climax. This usually creates an o Couplet (2 lines),
emotional response From the reader. o Tercet (3 lines),
o Quatrain (4 lines),
o Cinquain (5 lines), Theme: War and its consequences, heroism,
o Sestet (6 Lines), and the emotions of characters
o Septet (7 lines),
o Octave (8 lines) • “Odyssey” by Homer
Theme: The journey of a hero trying to return
4. Rhyme home, cleverness, family, and loyalty.
When you write poetry that has rhyme, it
means that the Last words or sounds of the • “Mahabharata”- Vyasa
lines match with each other in some form. Theme: Sacred duty, karma, duties, roles
Rhyme is basically similar Sounding words like Hindu literature / Hindus
cat and hat, close and shows, house and
mouse, etc. • “Ramayana”- Valmiki
Theme: Dharma, right way of living, respect to
5. Rhyme scheme one’s duty
Is also one of the basic elements of poetry. In Hindu literature / Hindus
Simple words, it is defined as the pattern of
rhyme.
Aabb (1st line rhyming with 2nd, 3rd with 4th);
abab (1st with 3rd, 2nd With 4th);
abba (1st with 4th, 2nd with 3rd), etc.
6. Theme
This is what the poem is all about. The theme
of the poem is the central idea that the poet
wants to convey.
7. Symbolism
Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts
using symbols.
8. Imagery
Imagery is also one of the important elements
Readers create an image in their imagination.
DRAMA
Has one characteristic peculiar to itself—it is
written primarily to be performed, not read.
Also known as a play
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
1. Plot referring to the basic storyline of the
play Exposition, inciting incident, or conflict,
climax, falling action, denouement
2. Characters
3. Setting
4. Theme
5. Genre
6. Audience
• “Iliad” by Homer
