Ma. Theresa L.

Eustaquio

1|P age
 ?

Literature is a term used to describe written and sometimes spoken material. Derived
from the Latin word literature meaning "writing formed with letters," literature most
commonly refers to works of the creative imagination, including
poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction, and in some instances, journalism, and song.

The word literature is derived from the Latin term litera which means letter. It has
been defined differently by various writers.

Some loosely interpret literature as any printed matter written within a book, a
magazine or a pamphlet. Others define literature as a faithful reproduction of man’s
manifold experiences blended into one harmonious expression.

Because literature deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of man, literature can be
said to be the story of man. Man’s loves, griefs, thoughts, dreams and aspirations
coached in beautiful language is literature.

Brother Azurin, said that “literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the
government, to his surroundings, to his fellowmen and to his Divine Creator.” The
expression of one’s feelings, according to him, may be through love, sorrow,
happiness, hatred, anger, pity, contempt, or revenge.

 Studying literature enables one to better understand social situations, history,

one's own emotions, and various cultural practices.

2|P age
  Literature is one way for us to hear the voices of the past and work with the
present. It is a way for the present to connect to the possible future.

 When we study literature, our horizons are broadened, because we can learn
about and come to understand people who are different from us.

 Literature acts as a window or mirror (or both.) Literature as a window allows

us to peer out from our lives to learn about what is going on in the lives
of people in other times and places. A mirror is literature that we use to hold
up and learn something about ourselves. Sometimes literature allows us to do
both, learn about another world and learn about ourselves, too.

 Reading literature cultivates the imagination.

 Literary works—whether fiction, poetry, drama, creative nonfiction—challenge

readers to make connections, to weigh evidence, to question, to notice details,
to make sense out of a rich experience. These analytical abilities are
fundamental life skills.

 Because literature allows us to inhabit different perspectives (What’s it like to

be a teenage girl, a Jew, in Nazi Germany? How would you feel if you thought
your father had been murdered but no one else believed that?), in different
times and places, we learn to think about how other people see the world. We
can understand and persuade and accept and help these others more
effectively and fully.

 Literature allows us to visit places and times and encounter cultures that we
would otherwise never experience.

 When studying Literature, students can learn not only language aspects such
as vocabulary items but also that language can be used for specific and
aesthetic purposes.

3|P age
 Prose consists of those written within the common flow of conversation in
sentences and paragraphs.
 Poetry refers to those expressions in verse, with measure and rhyme, line and
stanza and has a more melodious tone.

Types of Prose

 Novel – A long narrative divided into chapters and events are taken from
true-to-life stories.
 Short Story – This is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot
and one single impression.
 Play – This is presented on a stage, is divided into acts and each act has
many scenes.
 Legends – These are fictitious narratives, usually about origins.
 Fables – These are also fictitious and they deal with animals and inanimate
things who speak and act like people and their purpose is to enlighten the
minds of children to events that can mold their ways and attitudes.
 Anecdotes – These are merely products of the writer’s imagination and the
main aim is to bring out lessons to the reader.
 Essay – This expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a
particular problem or event.
 Biography – This deals with the life of a person which may be about
himself, his autobiography or that of others.
 News – This is a report of everyday events in society, government, science
and industry, and accidents, happening nationally or not.
 Oration – This is a formal treatment of a subject and is intended to be
spoken in public. It appeals to the intellect, to the will or to the emotions
of the audience.

4|P age
 Types of Poetry

 Narrative Poetry – This form describes important events in life either real
or imaginary.
 Epic – This is an extended narrative about heroic exploits often under
supernatural control.
 Metrical Tale – This is a narrative which is written in verse and can
be classified either as a ballad or a metrical romance.
 Metrical Romance – It is also a type of metrical tale composed of a
long rambling love story inverse. It is a kind of poetry dealing with the
emotions or phase of life and the story is told in a simple,
straightforward and realistic manner. It has a happy ending whether
love is involved or not.
 Ballad – Of the narrative poems, this is considered the shortest and
simplest. It has a simple structure and tells of a single incident.

 Lyric Poetry – is a poem in which the poet either expresses his feelings and
emotions. The poet also presents a character in the first person to express
his emotions. It is a combination of lyric and poetry where a piece of poetry
is written as a lyric.
 Folksongs (Awiting Bayan) – These are short poems intended to be
sung. The common theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope and
sorrow.
 Haiku – is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. It consists of 3 lines.
The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line
has 7 syllables.
 Ode – This is a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity, with
no definite number of syllables or definite number of lines in a stanza.
 Elegy – This is a lyric poem which expresses feelings of grief and
melancholy, and whose theme is death.
 Sonnet – It is a love poem which mostly consists of 14 lines and has a
certain pattern of rhyme and rhythm.

5|P age
  Dramatic Poetry – encompasses a highly emotional story that's written in
verse and meant to be recited. It usually tells a story or refers to a specific
situation. It is a written work that both tells a story and connects the
reader to an audience through emotions or behavior.
 Comedy – The word comedy comes from the Greek term “komos”
meaning festivity or revelry. This form usually is light and written
with the purpose of amusing, and usually has a happy ending.
 Farce – This is an exaggerated comedy. It seeks to arouse mirth by
laughable lines; situations are too ridiculous to be true; the
characters seem to be caricatures and the motives undignified and
absurd.
 Tragedy – This involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic
forces; he meets death or ruin without success and satisfaction
obtained by the protagonist in a comedy.

1. Plot – The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is
the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is planned, logical series of events
having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be
read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:

a) Introduction/Exposition – The beginning of the story where the characters

and the setting is revealed. Where the basic characters and plot elements such
as setting are revealed.

b) Rising Action – This is where the events in the story become complicated
and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and
climax). The part of the work where problem or conflict central to the plot is
truly introduced. This element of the plot is where excitement, tension and crisis
are encountered.

c) Climax – This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the
story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved

6|P age
 or not? This is where the story is most intense/most greatest suspense.
Characters clash and attempt to resolve the conflict. It is the moment where it
seems like the main character is in danger or could even possibly fail at resolving
the conflict being faced the actions at this point in the work can be either
physical or mental.

It is helpful to consider climax as a three-fold

phenomenon: 1)the main character receives new
information 2)accepts this information (realizes it but
does not necessarily agree with it) 3)acts on this
information (makes a choice that will determine
whether or not he/she gains his objective).

d) Falling action – The events and complications begin to resolve

themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was
resolved or not (events between climax and denouement). The action leads to
the resolution or final outcome. Falling action includes event that will help to
fully resolve the conflict. The results of actions that the main character has
taken are presented as well as the results of decisions that have been made,
whether good or bad for the characters.

e) Denouement/Resolution – This is the final outcome or untangling of events

in the story. The author concludes the story. The reader will leave the story
satisfied. It is here that loose ends are tied up, conflicts are concluded,
outcomes are revealed and a happy or sad ending takes place.
The writer wraps up and ties up any loose ends in hopes that the reader will le
ave the story satisfied.

Conflict – Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is

a problem in the story that needs to be resolved. The struggle of complication
involving the characters; the opposition of persons or forces upon which the
action depends in drama and fiction.

Suspense – tension concerning how a conflict will be resolved.

7|P age
 There are two types of conflict:

1) External – A struggle with a force outside one's self. Arise due to other
characters, acts of nature or society itself in which the character’s lives. Refers
to the conflicts between a character and external forces. This type of conflict
can be between one character and another or a group.
2) Internal – A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision,
overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. It deals with the
personalities of the protagonist how they think, react and how they confront
different things. Refers to a character’s internal struggle. A character might
struggle with an emotional problem. Conflicting forces within heart or mind.

There are four kinds of conflict:

1) Man vs. Man (physical) (interpersonal) – The leading character struggles

with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
Your characters will be opposed by or will oppose the actions, reactions,
motivations of another character or characters.

2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) – The leading character struggles

against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her. Conflict between the
main character and the situations and events happen in him.

3) Man vs. Society (social) – The leading character struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of other people. These conflicts where your character’s
firm beliefs are against norms that the entire society as a whole endorses.

4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) (intrapersonal) – The leading

character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right
or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc. Occurs with an individual. The
experience takes place in person’s mind. These are internal battles that
characters wage within themselves, these are internal issues that affect their
actions, motivations and interactions with other characters.

2. Character – There are two meanings for the word character:

8|P age
 1) The person in a work of fiction.

2) The characteristics of a person.

Persons in a work of fiction – Antagonist and Protagonist – Short stories use

few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all major
events having some importance to this character - he/she is the
PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST
– causes the conflict for the protagonist.

The Characteristics of a Person – In order for a story to seem real to the reader
its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information that the
author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may
reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her

Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated, and life-like

(resemble real people)

Characters are...
1. Consistent Character – is like a main character. It stays in the story pretty
much of the whole time. A character whose speech, thoughts and actions are
what the reader has been lead to expect from a particular character. Someone
is consistent, always behaves in the same way, and has the same attitude
towards.

2. Dynamic Character (character development) – undergoes changes

throughout the story, due to conflicts he encounters on his journey.
Sometimes a character learns a lesson and gains maturity. Dynamic, many
sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story.

9|P age
 3. Static Character – is largely the same person at the end of the story as he
was in the beginning. Character does not change/one who does not change
over the course of the story. Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that
never change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge,
cruel stepmother, etc.

3. Setting – The time and location in which a story takes place is called the
setting. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is
not. Physical background of the story. Tells the reader where and when the story takes
place.

There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how
setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story):

a) place – geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking

place?
b) time – When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year,
etc)
c) weather conditions – Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d) social conditions – What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the
story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress,
mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere – What feeling is created at the beginning of the
story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?

4. Theme – The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central
insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey.

5. Point of View
 Point of view, or p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
 method used by the author to tell his story
 the vantage point from which the author presents the action of the story. It is
the person telling the story.

10 | P a g e
  The narrator of a story can be a participant in the story.

1. Innocent Eye – The story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her
judgment being different from that of an adult).

2. Stream of Consciousness – The story is told so that the reader feels as if

they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and
reactions.

3. First Person – The story is told by the protagonist or one of the characters
who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters (using
pronouns I, me, we, etc). The reader sees the story through this person's
eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she knows or feels.

4. Omniscient – The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point
of view. He can move from character to character, event to event, having
free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and
he introduces information where and when he chooses. There are two main
types of omniscient point of view:

a) Omniscient Limited – The author tells the story in third person

(using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). We know only what the
character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We
can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses
to reveal them to us.

b) Omniscient Objective – The author tells the story in the third

person. It appears as though a camera is following the characters,
going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and heard. There
is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. No
interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position of
spectator without the author there to explain. The reader has to
interpret events on his own.

11 | P a g e
6. Style – the way the author’s expresses himself and coveys his ideas and central
purpose. It’s how the author describes events, objects and ideas.

7. Symbol – literary symbol means something itself in the story but also suggest a
wealth of meaning beyond what it actually is.

ELEMENTS OF POETRY

Poetry
 In poetry the sound and meaning of words are combined to express feelings,
thoughts, and ideas.
 The poet chooses words carefully.
 Poetry is usually written in lines.

A. The Ornaments of Poetry

1. Line or Verse: single line of poetry

2. Stanza: a group of verse forming a single unit.
3. Rhythm: the arrangement of words so that the accented syllables come at
regular intervals
 Rhythm is the flow of the beat in a poem.
 Gives poetry a musical feel.
 Can be fast or slow, depending on mood and subject of poem.
 You can measure rhythm in meter, by counting the beats in each line.

4. Meter: regular recurrence of accented and unaccented syllables.

5. Feet: groups of regularly recurring accented and unaccented syllables
 Combination of accented and unaccented syllables. Unit of measure in poetry

6. Rhyme: similarity of sound, usually at the end of lines. It is a matter of

pronunciation not spelling.

12 | P a g e
  Repetition of similar sounds. In poetry, the most common kind of rhyme is the
end rhyme.
 Rhymes are words that end with the same sound. (Hat, cat and bat rhyme.)
 Rhyming sounds don’t have to be spelled the same way. (Cloud and allowed
rhyme.)
 Rhyme is the most common sound device in poetry.

AABB ABAB ABBA ABCB

falls Noodles sticks tail
balls Sun stones snout
play doodles bones it
toda. Run tricks inside-out

7. Scansion: dividing a verse into its feet. Dividing the poetry into feet by pointing
put different syllables.

8. Assonance: vowel rhyme or a similarity of vowel sounds.

 Repetition of vowel sounds (anywhere in the middle or end of a line or stanza).

9. Alliteration: repetition of a sound at or near the beginning or words.

 The repetition of initial sounds on the same line or stanza.
 Alliteration is the repetition of the first consonant sound in words, as in the
nursery rhyme

10. Onomatopoeia: fitting the sound to the meaning. Words that sound like which
they describe.

 Words that represent the actual sound of something are words of

onomatopoeia. Dogs “bark,” cats “purr,” thunder “booms,” rain “drips,” and
the clock “ticks.”
 Appeals to the sense of sound.

11. Free Verse: poetry which does not follow a regular pattern or rhythm.
 A free verse poem does not use rhyme or patterns.

13 | P a g e
  Can vary freely in length of lines, stanzas, and subject.

12. Sonnet: a poem of which mostly consist of 14 lines and has a certain pattern or
rhyme and rhythm.

14 | P a g e