Popular Literature

What is Literature?
What words could you
associate with the term
POPULAR?
What is Popular Literature?

 Literature- a body of written works.

imaginative works of poetry
andprosedistinguished by the
intentions of their authors and the
perceived aesthetic excellence of their
execution.
authors intentions
aesthetic excellence

 Popular literature - writings intended for the

masses and those that find favor with large
audiences.
It can be distinguished from artistic literature designed primarily to entertain.
Popular literature, unlike high literature, generally
does not seek a high degree of formalbeautyor
refinement and is not intended to endure.
a work as belonging to popular literature is
whether it is ephemeral, that is, losing its appeal
and significance with the passage of time.

GENRES of POP LIT

The most importantgenrein popular literature is and
always has been theromance.
The most common type of romance describes the
obstacles encountered by two people (usually young)
engaged in a forbidden love.

Another common genre is that of fantasy, or

science fiction.
Finally, thedetective storyor murder mystery is a
widely read form of popular literature.
Popular literature has also come to include such
genres as comic books and cartoon strips.
Encyclopedia Britannica (2014) . Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/470196/popular-art#toc5876

Literature in Relation to Culture and Society

Culture- the beliefs, behaviors, objects,

and other characteristics common to the
members of a particular group or society.
Through culture, people and groups
define themselves, conform to society's
shared values, and contribute to society.
Thus, culture includes many societal
aspects: language, customs, values, norms,
mores, rules, tools, technologies, products,
organizations, and institutions.

In what way is Culture associated with Literature?

High culturegenerally pursued by the upper
classrefers to classical music, theater,
fine arts, and other sophisticated pursuits.
Low culture, orpopular culturegenerally
pursued by the working and middle classes
refers to sports, movies, television
sitcoms and soaps, and rock music.
Culture and Society Defined . (2014) Retrieved from
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/culture-andsocieties/culture-and-society-defined .

HIGH AND LOW LITERATURE

High literature - books that are

generally accepted as being at the
pinnacle of achievement, and
something worthy of study and scrutiny.
The works of Dumas, Dickens, Shakespeare

Low literature the type of stuff that the

masses flock to, thebestsellers, the
tawdry romance novels and such.
http://www.kiteanic.com/?tag=high-literature

THE LITERARY CANON

CANON
"an authoritative list, as of the works of an author" and
"a basis for judgment; standard; criterion."
- The American Heritage Dictionary
Belonging to the canon is a guarantee of quality, and that
guarantee of high aesthetic quality serves as a promise, a
contract, that announces to the viewer,
"Here is something to be enjoyed as an aesthetic object.
Complex, difficult, privileged, the object before you has
been winnowed by the sensitive few and the not-sosensitive many, and it will repay your attention. You will
receive pleasure; at least you're supposed to, and if you
don't, well, perhaps there's something off with your
apparatus."

THE LITERARY CANON

The term "literary canon" refers to a classification of
literature.
It is a term used widely to refer to a group of literary
works that are considered the most important of a
particular time period or place.
For example, there can be a canon composed of
works from a particular country, or works written
within a specific set of years, or even a collection of
works that were all written during a certain time
period and within a certain region.
In this way, a literary canon establishes a
collection of similar or related literary works.

It is important to note
that:
Literary canons are constantly changing.
Literature is affected by the experiences and
thoughts of writers and readers.
Literature changes in the context of changing
experience and thought.
it is those works that are considered contextually
relevant that gain entry into the canon.
literary work is relevant to ongoing trends or
movements in thought and art, or address
historical or contemporary events, etc.
The popularity of a literary work is based not only
on the quality, but the relevance of its subject
matter to historical, social, and artistic context.

It is important to note
that:

A popular or respected literary work usually

deals with what people are most interested in,
and this interest weighs in on whether or not the
work is canonized.

As peoples thoughts and experiences change, a

literary work may move in and out of interest and
contextual relevance.
Over time, literary canons will reflect these
changes, and works may be added or
subtracted from the canon.

WHAT IS A LITERARY
CANON???