Introduction to Literature
LITERATURE
DEFINITIONS
14TH CENTURY 18TH CENTURY 19th CENTURY
Polite learning
through reading. The high skills
A man of
Practice and of writing in
literature or a profession of the special
man of letter = a writing. context of high
man of wide
reading,
imagination .
“literacy.”
What is literature?
- It is just about anything written (in the widest sense).
- It is a kind of art, usually written, that offers pleasure
and understanding.
- It is writing that are valued as works of art, especially
fiction, drama, and poetry.
- It is created from our love of telling a story, of
arranging words in pleasing pattern, of expressing in
words some special aspects of our human experience.
Definition of Literature
Literature is generally as any body of written
works that is written and produced in any
country, language or age for a specific purpose
such as information, education or entertainment
to the reader, which can be fictional or non-
fictional in nature.
Importance of Literature
Literature improves your command of language.
It teaches you about the life, cultures and experiences of people
in other parts of the world.
It gives you information about other parts of the world which
you may never be able to visit in your lifetime.
It makes you a wiser and more experienced person by forcing
you to judge, sympathize with, or criticize the characters you
read about.
It helps you compare your own experiences with the
experiences of other people.
(Shimmer Chinodya, 1992:36)
The Nature of Literature
According to Kelly Griffith, JR. (1986),
literature has some common characteristics:
1. Literature is language.
2. Literature is aesthetic.
3. Literture is fictional.
4. Literature is true.
5. Literature is expressive.
6. Literature is affective.
Why we read Literature?
To learn/ Knowledge To appreciate
To be entertained/ To help us grow and
Pleasure/ Fun/ read more effectively
Relaxation and critically
To challenge our ideas To be inspired
Forms of literature
Genre and Subgenre
Categories of Writing
Genre = Category = Type = Kind
All writing falls into a category or genre.
This book uses 6 main genres
and 18 subgenres.
Genres/ Types of Literature
Prose and poetry make different forms of literature. Each form,
called a genre, has its own characteristics. The main forms or
genre of literature are:
1. Novels and novellas: long works of fiction that tell a story
about imaginary people who lived in made-up world. A
novella is briefer than a novel. It is about 12000-30000
words. Both work are longer than a short story. They convey
a message about life and have the same literary elements
that short stories do.
2. Short stories: a brief work of fiction that tells the story
about imaginary characters and conveys a message about
life. It is approximately 1000-1500 words long.
3. Nonfiction: deals with actual events, real people or the world of
ideas. Nonfiction can inform, persuade, or entertain.
3.1 Autobiography
3.2 Biography
3.3 Letters
3.4 Journals
3.5 Essays
Descriptive essays
Personal essays
Persuasive essays
Narrative essays
Informational essays
3.6 Informational Writing
4. Poetry: is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed
through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices as to
evoke emotional response. It is written in verse form. It is
often present in lines and groups of lines called stanzas.
Prose is the ordinary language people use in speaking or
writing.
Poetry is a type of writing that uses lines and stanzas
rather than sentences or paragraphs to express idea.
Basically, if prose is like talking, poetry is like singing.
4.1 A narrative poem: tells a story (plot, characters, and
setting)
4.2 A lyric poem: expresses the observations and
feelings of a speaker in musical way.
4.3 A dramatic poem: uses the techniques of drama in
the form of monologue or dramatic dialogue.
5. Drama: can be written in prose or poetry. It tells a story
through the words and actions of actors who impersonate
the characters on stage.
5.1 A comedy: is a humorous play with a happy
ending.
5.2 A tragedy: is a play in which a hero suffers a
major downfall.
5.3 A drama: is a serious play, although the
consequences are not necessarily as dire as those in a
tragedy.
6. Folk Literature/ Traditional Literature (Folklore): is a
part of oral tradition which is shaped by a group or culture
before writing. It reflects the history and beliefs of the
people who create it.
6.1 A myth: Gods of the ancient Greek and Roman
6.2 A folk tale: composed orally and then passed
from person to person.
6.3 A legend: a story about the past that may or
may not have a foundation in fact. It reflects a people’s
identity or cultural value.
6.4 A fable: a brief story that teaches lesson called a
moral.
6.5 A tall tale: a kind of humorous story in which
characters possess supernatural abilities.
Myths
• Stories about gods, goddesses,
and spirits
• Try to explain how things in
the world were created
• Happened before the world
we now live in
• May be connected to a
religious belief system
Example: Pandora’s Box,
The Iliad, The Odyssey
Characteristics of Myths
• The gods and goddesses have human emotions.
• Myths contain magic.
• Gods and goddesses often appear in disguises.
• Myths teach a lesson or explain the natural world.
Folk Tale
Most traditional folktales are very old. They are stories which were
passed down to new generations by storytellers. Later they were
written down. Each tale may have many versions.
Folk tales are told all over the world.
They are stories about peoples’ lives and imaginations as they
struggled with their fears and anxieties about the world around them.
Often folk tales teach lessons.
Legend
• Based on real events of characters from long ago
• Story passed down through generations
• Facts are stretched beyond nonfiction
• Have historical basis
• Exaggerated in a serious way
• May contain fantastic or unverifiable elements
Fable
• short story with personified animals and a
moral
Personified: given the traits of people
Moral: lesson or message of a fable
• Fables also have talking animals, but fables are
VERY short
Tall Tale
• Set in the Wild West, the American frontier
• Main characters skills/size/strength is greatly
exaggerated
• Exaggeration is humorous
Fairy Tale
•A fairy tale is a type of imaginative writing that
carries the reader into an invented world where the laws of nature, as
we know them, do not operate.
•Usually starts with…”Once upon a time & ends with “They lived happily
ever after”.
•Good & evil characters
•Magic happens! Magic is commonly used, to explain the unexplainable.
•Problem & Solution
•Conflicts are resolved through kindness, courage or intelligence
•Things often happen in “threes” or “sevens”
Novels and Short Nonfiction Poetry Drama
novellas Stories
Autobiography Narrative Comedy
Folklore
Biography Lyric Tragedy
Myth
Letters Dramatic Drama
Folk tale
Journals
Legend
Essays
Fable
Informational
Tall tale Writing
Fairy tale
Genre and Subgenre
We will use 5 main genres
and 15 subgenres.
Fiction Drama Nonfiction Folklore Poetry
Realistic
Comedy Informational
Fiction Fairy Tale
Writing
Historical Tragedy Legend
Persuasive
Fiction Writing
Tall Tale
Science
Fiction Biography
Myth
Fantasy Autobiography Fable
5 Main Genres
1. Fiction: imaginative or made up writing
2. Drama: a play or script
3. Nonfiction: writing that is true
4. Folklore: stories once passed down orally
5. Poetry: writing concerned with the beauty
of language
Fiction Subgenres
• Realistic Fiction: has no elements of fantasy;
could be true but isn’t
• Historical Fiction: set in the past and based on
real people and/or events
• Science Fiction: has aliens, robots, futuristic
technology and/or space ships
• Fantasy: has monsters, magic, or characters
with superpowers
What are Dramas?
Stories written in script form.
Example
Teacher: Everyone take notes.
Student A: I don’t have a pen.
Drama Subgenres
Comedy: has a happy ending.
Tragedy: ends in death and sadness.
Nonfiction Subgenres
• Informational Writing: explains something
• Persuasive Writing: tries to influence the reader
• Biography: the story of one’s life told by another.
• Autobiography: the story of one’s life told by oneself.
Latin Roots
Auto = Self Bio = Life Graphy = Writing
Folklore Subgenres
Folklore/Folktales usually has an “unknown”
author or will be “retold” or “adapted” by the
author.
• Fable: short story with personified animals and
a moral
Personified: given the traits of people
Moral: lesson or message of a fable
• Myth: has gods/goddesses and usually
accounts for the creation of something
Folklore Subgenres (continued)
Tall Tale
• Set in the Wild West, the American frontier
• Main characters skills/size/strength is greatly
exaggerated
• Exaggeration is humorous
Legend
• Based on a real person or place
• Facts are stretched beyond nonfiction
• Exaggerated in a serious way
Folklore Subgenres (continued)
Fairytale: has magic and/or talking animals.
• Often starts with “Once upon a time…”
• Like fantasy but much older
• Often has a human main character
Exercise:
Choose the genre and subgenre in
which the story most likely
belongs.
Fiction Nonfiction Folklore
Fairy Tale
Realistic Informational
Fiction Writing
Legend
Historical Persuasive
Fiction Writing
Tall Tale
Science
Fiction Biography
Myth
Fantasy Autobiography Fable
Choose the genre and subgenre in which the story
most likely belongs.
“Dogs and Cats” by Bob Brady
A five paragraphs essay where the student Bob
Brady compares and contrasts dogs and cats. He
provides a lot of information about both.
Nonfiction, Informational Writing
Reason: It is about the essay.
Folklore, fairy tale
“Hansel and Gretel” retold by Kristy Kruse
The story of a young girl and boy who get
lost in the woods and stumble upon a
gingerbread house. They eat a bunch of it,
until they find out it’s a magical witch’s house.
She enslaves them, cages them, and feeds
them candy to fatten them up as she intends
to eat them. Will they kick her into the oven
and escape?
Reason: It is a retold story about magic and witch.
Nonfiction, informational writing
“The Journey of America” by Mortini Publishing
This textbook contains brief overviews of
major events in American history. Learn about
the colonization of Jamestown, George
Washington, the Civil War, and more.
Reason: It is a textbook about American.
Fiction, historical fiction
“My Neighbor Ben Franklin” by Paul Phillips
It is the fictional story of a young boy who
lives with his family next door to one of
America’s founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin.
This young boy finds Franklin conducting some
kooky experiments, overhears some of
Franklin’s secret meetings, and has the
opportunity to help in a big way.
Nonfiction, Persuasive writing
“Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine!” By Sasha Marsh
In this essay, Marsh tries to convince
people to do small things to help the
environment. She gives readers many
suggestions on how to live more eco-friendly
and challenges readers to make the world a
better place for future generations through
small contributions.
Folklore, Myth
Odysseus's Long Trip Home retold by
Ginger B. Miller
After the fall of Troy, Odysseus, hero of the
Trojan War, and his men seek to return home. But
after angering Poseidon, the God of the sea, the
journey home is anything but smooth. Miller
retells the epic story of Odysseus's voyage across
the sea.
Folklore, Tall tale
“Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind” retold by
Mitch Colwell
Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind was the
toughest girl in the Wild West. She flosses with
rattlesnakes and dries her clothes in a tornado.
She’s tougher than a ten-year-old steak. Read
about her extraordinary adventures in this
humorous text.