Literature (from Latin litterae (plural); letter) is the art of written work, and is not confined to published

sources (although, under some circumstances, unpublished sources can also be exempt). The word
literature literally means "things made from letters" and the term "letters" is sometimes used to signify
"literature," as in the figures of speech "arts and letters" and "man of letters." The four major
classifications of literature are poetry, prose, fiction, and non-fiction.

I. FORMS OF LITERATURE
A. ORAL LITERATURE – literary works transmitted from one generation to another verbally.
B. WRITTEN LITERATURE – literary works in printed form
C. VISUAL LITERATURE – literary works presented in front of an audience

II. DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE

A. PROSE - is the most typical form of language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and
natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). While there
are critical debates on the construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure
has led to its adoption for the majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as
topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers,
magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting, film, history, philosophy, law and many other forms
of communication.

1. Fiction - is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in
whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that
is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary
work, it may also refer to theatrical, cinematic or musical work. Fiction contrasts
with non-fiction, which deals exclusively with factual (or, at least, assumed factual)
events, descriptions, observations, etc. (e.g., biographies, histories).

a. Fairytale – story about kings, queens, princes and princesses with a touch of
magic
b. Mythology – story about gods and goddesses
c. Legend – story about the origin of a place or a thing
 d. Novel – a long narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of
500 pages
e. Novelette – a narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of
300 pages
f. Short Story – a narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of
100 pages
g. Fable – story that uses animals as characters and with moral lesson
h. Parable – story used by Jesus in teaching the Good News
i. Allegory – story that uses symbolism to represent an idea

2. Non-Fiction - is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work

whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be factual. This presentation
may be accurate or not—that is, it 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. Note that reporting the beliefs of
others in a non-fiction 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.

a. Autobiography – life story of a person written by himself

b. Biography – life story of a person written by another person
c. Newspaper – collection of news articles about various current events
d. Magazine – collection of articles regarding the lifestyle of man
e. Journal – daily record of personal events
f. Planner – daily record of business commitments
g. Anecdote – a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an incident.

B. POETRY - (from the Greek poiesis — ποίησις — with a broad meaning of a "making", seen also in
such terms as "hemopoiesis"; more narrowly, the making of poetry) is a form of literary art which
uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic
ostensible meaning.

1. Narrative - is a form of poetry which tells a story, often making use of the voices of a
narrator and characters as well; the entire story is usually written in metered verse.
The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to
may be complex. It is usually dramatic, with objectives, diverse characters, and
meter. Narrative poems include epics, ballads, idylls and lays.

a. Epic – a narrative poem about supernatural powers possessed by heroes

and heroines
b. Ballad – a narrative poem with harmony and rhythm
c. Idyll – a narrative poem about rustic life
d. Metrical Romance – a narrative poem dealing with the emotions or phase of
life and the story is told in a simple, straightforward and realistic manner

2. Lyric - is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the
ancient world, lyric poems were sung, accompanied by a lyre. Lyric poems do not
have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat. Aristotle, in
Poetics 1447a, mentions lyric poetry (kitharistike played to the cithara, a type of
lyre) along with drama, epic poetry, dancing, painting and other forms of mimesis.
The lyric poem, dating from the Romantic era, does have some thematic
antecedents in ancient Greek and Roman verse, but the ancient definition was based
on metrical criteria, and in archaic and classical Greek culture presupposed live
performance accompanied by a stringed instrument.

a. Song – a lyric poem intended to be sung, with melodious harmony and

rhythm
b. Sonnet – a lyric poem consisting of 14 iambic pentameter lines
c. Ode – a lyrical poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing
nature intellectually as well as emotionally.
d. Elegy – a lament for the dead
3. Drama - is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes
from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δρᾶμα, drama), which is
derived from "to do," "to act" (Classical Greek: δράω, draō). The enactment of
drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes
collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure
of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this
collaborative production and collective reception. The early modern tragedy Hamlet
(1601) by Shakespeare and the classical Athenian tragedy Oedipus the King (c. 429
BCE) by Sophocles is among the masterpieces of the art of drama. A modern
example is Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill (1956).

a. Historical – a theatrical play with historical plot

b. Comedy – a theatrical play with a happy ending
c. Tragedy – a theatrical play with the death of some major characters