WHAT IS LITERATURE?

Literature is life for it presents human experiences. It deals with the thoughts, feelings and emotions of man.
POETRY – a literary type written in verse. It has measures, rhymes, lines, stanzas, and tone.
Classes of Poetry
1. Lyric poetry – kind of poetry intended to be sung. It expresses emotions and feelings of the poet. It is usually
short, simple, and easy to understand.
a. Song – this is specifically melodious and intended to be sung and can easily be adapted to music
b. Sonnet – this is a 14-line poem that Italian and the English writers have popularized
c. Elegy – this is a lyric poem that expresses deep feeling of grief for someone who passed away
d. Ode – this is a splendid type of lyric poetry with expression of dignity to someone loved
e. Psalms – songs of praise

2. Narrative Poetry – this is a long descriptive poem about life and events that may be real or imaginary. It tells a
story with sequential order of events
a. Epic – a long narrative form that exploits lives of heroes, sometimes of gods and goddesses
b. Ballad – considered the shortest and simplest form. It tells a single incident in verse composed to be sung.

3. Dramatic Poetry – a long poetry that has the intention of being presented on stage. It may have a story but the
emphasis lies more on the character rather than on the narrative
a. Dramatic monologue – a combination of drama and poetry. The speaker addresses to one or more listeners
by they remain silent
b. Soliloquy – type of poetry spoken by the speaker alone with no one present to hear him except the audience.
The speaker presents his character and emotions, and the revelations of character are made freely without any
inhibitions to give insights to the character.
c. Character Sketch – this poem is less concerned with the events of the story but rather without arousing
sympathy, antagonism, and interest of an individual. The poet in this particular poem merely observes and
gives comments.
PROSE – a literary type that is written within the common flow of conversation in sentences and paragraphs. The subject
matter is usually familiar and ordinary although it also tackles subjects on heroism, beauty, love and common experiences
with nobility of spirits, which in poetry may be found with eloquent expressions.
Types of Prose
1. FICTION – series of imaginative facts about truths in human life. The incidents may or may not happen in real
life, and the characters may or may not have existed, but as long as it can happen within the bound of possibility
and probability.
a. Novel – a long narrative story divided into chapters and may involve few or numerous characters. The events
may be true-to-life or fictitious. It covers a long period of time.
b. Short story – a short narrative artistic in nature involving one or more characters that focus on a single plot,
one single impression. The impression may be surprise, sadness, sympathy, terror, and anger.
Elements of Short Story
a. Characters – persons involved in a conflict
 Protagonist – the hero or heroine in the story
 Antagonist – the villain in the story who is usually the cause of foil or thwart to the protagonist

b. Setting – time and place involved in the story. It gives a hint to the motive of the characters. It also gives the
mood of the story because places and time provoke feelings to the readers.
c. Plot – organization of the incidents of the story
d. Conflict – the struggle of complication involving the characters
 Types of Conflict

 Man vs. man

 Man vs. himself
 Man vs. his environment
e. Point of view – the point of which a story is seen or told.
f. Mood – predominating atmosphere or tone
g. Style – manner of putting into language the ideas of the authors.
2. NON-FICTION – is expository in nature that aims to explain an idea, a theory, a point of view or maybe an
impression
a. formal essay – deals with more serious subjects such as theology, science, politics, morality, philosophy and
psychology and is intended to more intellectual group of individuals. Its main purpose is to teach and instruct.
b. informal essay – an expression and opinion of the writer about any subject in an ordinary manner. Its purpose is to
entertain and amuse. The tone is light, friendly, affectionate, humorous and interesting as if the writer is talking to his
friends.

DRAMA - a literary form presented on a stage with a live audience.

- early drama was usually written in poetic form, while the modern and contemporary drama is usually
written in prose.
Types of Drama
Tragedy – the principal character or hero is struggling against dynamic forces
Comedy - this is light in nature with the purpose of amusing the audience.