LESSON 1:

WHAT IS
LITERATURE?
Instructor:
Ma. Lourdes G. Olegario
Round table activity:

Form a circle with your seatmates.

Prepare a sheet of paper (1/2 crosswise) and
answer the questions as a group.
Write the names of the members of the group
before you answer.
You have 15 minutes to finish answering.
Assign a speaker to talk about your answer to
the whole class.
Let's try to fill up the web organizer below:

life
experiences

Literature
Considering all your responses, define
Literature by answering these questions:

1. What does Literature deal with?

2. How is it communicated?
3. What adjective can you give to best
describe language used in literature?
 WHAT IS LITERATURE?

Literature
refers to compositions that deal with
life experiences
it tells stories, dramatizes situations,
expresses emotions, analyzes, and
advocates ideas
 Distinct Features of Literature:

1. UNIVERSALITY
ideas and/or issues that apply to everyone
in the world regardless of time period,
race, gender, culture, or geographic
location

Examples:
friendship survival love/hate

family war/peace freedom

2. ARTISTRY
it has aesthetic appeal; it possesses a sense of
beauty
literature must be well-written

3. INTELLECTUAL VALUE
literature will usually inform us about our past,
our present, or the world around us
it will help us understand our lives and realize
truths about humanity and life in general
it mentally stimulates us and enriches our
thoughts
4. SUGGESTIVENESS
it has symbolisms, nuances, implied meaning,
images and messages

5. SPIRITUAL VALUE
literature elevates the spirit and the soul
great works of literature are often thought to
have an underlying moral message that can
potentially make us better people.
6. PERMANENCE
An important feature of great literature is that it
endures
Classic literature such as Dickens is still
enjoyed by readers today, generations after it
was originally written and in a completely
different world to the one it was intended for.
This is extremely important because if a work of
literature is not enjoyed 20 years after
publication, it will simply be forgotten.
7. STYLE
Words may be used in a creative and
unusual way that is entertaining and
interested.
 FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE

According to Horace
(65 BC 8 BC), a
Roman poet, satirist,
essayist in the century
before the Christian
era, there are two
functions of literature:
to entertain (dulce)
to instruct (utile)
TO ENTERTAIN:
it provides escape from the limits of daily
existence
it gives pleasure to a reader or audience
with its imitation or representation of reality
TO INSTRUCT:
literature teaches, informs, guides, or
provides models of behavior, whether
positive or negative;
it offers a moral or lesson; also
it serves as a model for other writers or
artists to imitate.
LITERARY GENRES
 POETRY
the oldest form of literature
before writing was invented, oral stories were
commonly put into some sort of poetic form to
make them easier to remember and recite.
poetry today is usually written down, but is
still sometimes performed.
 POETRY
poems are heavy in imagery and metaphor,
and are often made up of fragments and
phrases rather than complete, grammatically
correct sentences
poetry is nearly always written in stanzas and
lines, creating a unique look on the page.
 PROSE
prose can be defined as any kind of
written text that isnt poetry
the most typical varieties of prose are
novels and short stories, while other
types include letters, diaries, journals,
and non-fiction
 PROSE
prose is written in complete sentences
and organized in paragraphs
instead of focusing on sound, which is
what poetry does, prose tends to focus
on plot and characters.
 PROSE
Non-fiction
mainly based on fact Fiction
although it may contain wholly or partly imagined or
fictional elements in certain theoretical
cases (novels)
(biographies, essays)
Pros
Folklore
e
Prose poetry
may be written down or exhibits poetic quality using
recited and employs many of emotional effects and
the formulaic expressions heightened imagery but are
found in oral tradition written in prose instead of
(legends, tales, myths) verse
 FICTION SUB-GENRE

Historical set in the past and based on

real people/events
FICTION

Science Fiction - has aliens, robots,

futuristic technology and/or space ships

Realistic Fiction - has no elements of

fantasy; could be true but isnt

Fantasy - has monsters, magic, or

characters with superpowers
 NON-FICTION SUB-GENRE
NON-FICTION
Persuasive Writing: tries to influence the
reader

Informational Writing: explains something

Autobiography: life story written by

oneself

Biography: Writing about someone elses

life
FOLKLORE FOLKLORE SUB-GENRES

Fable: short story with personified animals and a

moral lesson

Myth: has gods/goddesses and usually accounts for the

creation of something

Fairytale: has magic and/or talking animals; often starts with

"once upon a time"

Legend: based on a real person, events, or place; has some

element of historical fact or accuracy
 DRAMA
any text meant to be performed rather
than read can be considered drama
although a drama is meant to be
performed, one can also read the script,
or written version, and imagine the
action
 MEDIA
the newest type of literature that has
been defined as a distinct genre is
media
encompass the many new and
important kinds of texts in our society
today, such as movies and films,
websites, commercials, billboards, and
radio programs.
 MEDIA
any work that doesnt exist primarily as
a written text can probably be
considered media, particularly if it relies
on recently developed technologies.
END OF LESSON 1