INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

1. Welcome to
our Class!

2. Introduction
to Literature

3. What is Literature?
● It comes from the Latin word
“Litera” means letter.
● It is an art
● It is a presentation of life.

4. Why Study Literature?
● To develop a critical appreciation
and discrimination of what life is.
● To develop a taste for the true, the
good, and the beautiful.

5. Why Study Literature?
● To acquire mental maturation.
● To get out from daily routine in life
and be entertained.

6. Literature is divided according to:
Fiction Non-Fiction
A. Content
Types of Literature
that present unreal
situations
Types of Literature
that present factual
situations

7. Literature is divided according to:
B. Form
1. Prose 2. Poetry
a. Divided into paragraphs a. Divided into stanzas
b. Expresses the ordinary things in
life
b. Expresses the beautiful things
in life
c. Does not make use of metrical
composition
c. Make use of metrical
composition
d. Discussions are straight forward d. Meanings are not directly stated
but are simply suggested
e. Uses common place words
vocabulary
e. Uses ornamental

8. Types of Prose
Novel It is a long narrative consisting of several
chapters and it is based on true to life
experiences.
Short Story It is a narrative involving one or more
characters, one plot and one impression.
Play It is presented on stage and consists of acts
and each acts has several scenes.
Legend It is a narrative based on fictitious story and
is about the origin of things.

9. Fable This type of prose is fictitious in nature
wherein animals and non-living things are
made to act and talk like people to tech them
lessons.
Anecdote It is the product of the writer’s imagination
and its purpose is to give lessons.
Essay It is the expression of the writer’s viewpoint
about an issue or problem.
Types of Prose

10. 1. Epic It is about the heroic exploits of someone
under supernatural control.
2. Metrical Tale Written in verse and can be classified as a
ballad or metrical romance.
3. Ballad It is the simplest and shortest narrative
which tells of a single incident.
Types of Poetry
A.Narrative
This type of poetry deals with important events in life
either real or imaginary and is divided into:

11. 1. Folksong
(Awiting Bayan)
A short poem intended to be sung and is
about love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope,
and sorrow.
2. Sonnet It consist of fourteen lines about an
emotion, a feeling or idea. It can be Italian
or Shakespearean.
Types of Poetry
B. Lyric Poetry
This poetry is sung with the accompaniment of a lyre. It is
short, simple, and easily understood.

12. 3. Elegy It is a lyric poem which about death.
4. Ode It is a poem expressing noble feelings. This
poem does not have a definite number of
syllables and lines.
5. Psalm (Dalit) This is a song praising God.
Types of Poetry
B. Lyric Poetry
This poetry is sung with the accompaniment of a lyre. It is
short, simple, and easily understood.

13. 1. Comedy It is poetry of festivity or revelry. It is intended to amuse
the readers or listeners.
2. Melodrama This is used in musical plays and arouses intense
emotions.
3. Tragedy It shows the hero constantly struggling against dynamic
forces.
4. Farce This poem is an exaggerated comedy. Most of its
situations are too ridiculous.
5. Social Poem This type is purely comic or tragic.
Types of Poetry
C. Dramatic Poetry
This type of poetry is vividly expressive.