MODULE 1 – Week 1

Essence and Division of Literature

Subject Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the learners are expected to:

1. define what a literature is;
2. differentiate the two divisions of literature; and
3. recognize literature from different perspectives.

Start-up Activity

Recall what you have learned from the literature of the past. Write TRUE
if the statement is true, and FALSE if otherwise.

______1. The word literature is derived from the Latin term litera which
means letter.
______2. Poetry uses the ordinary form of spoken or written language,
without metrical structure.
______3. Literature is one of the seven arts ( i.e music, dance, sculpture,
painting, theater, and architecture) – a product of creative work.
______4. A stanza is a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines
arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme.
______5. Written literature is a broad term which may include ritual
texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, creation
tales, and songs.

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WAIT A MINUTE!

Imagine the world without books, newspapers, posters, and technology,

how can we hand our tradition and culture to the next generation?

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Supplementary Ideas

What is LITERATURE?

Literature came from the Latin word "litera" which means letters. It is a
term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking,
"literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more
technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to
refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry,
drama, fiction, and nonfiction. It is an enduring expression of significant
human experience in words well-chosen and arranged.

 enduring – lasting, not ephemeral

 expression-– sharing; a manifestation
 significant – important, necessary, meaningful
 human – people; different human conditions
 experience – the heart of literature
 words well-chosen and arranged

It represents a language or a people: culture and tradition. But, literature

is more important than just a historical or cultural artifact. Literature
introduces us to new worlds of experience. We learn about books and
literature; we enjoy the comedies and the tragedies of poems, stories, and

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plays; and we may even grow and evolve through our literary journey
with books.

It deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of a man – thus it can be said
that literature is the story of man. It is the best way to understand
human nature fully and to know a nation completely. It is one of the
seven arts ( i.e music, dance, sculpture, painting, theater, and
architecture) is a product of creative work, the result of which is form
and beauty.

Literature: Definition, Nature, and Function

Literature can be defined as everything in print.

It is a body of literary productions, either oral, written, or visual,

containing imaginative language that realistically portrays thoughts,
emotions, and experience of the human condition.

Some loosely interpret 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, grief, thoughts, dreams, and
aspirations coached in the beautiful language is literature.

Literature is a product of a particular culture that concretizes man’s

array of values, emotions, actions, and ideas.

The Nature of Literature

Literature is language in use that provides insights and intellectual

stimulation to the reader. As one explores literature, he likewise
discovers the beauty of language.

The language that is used by literature differs from ordinary spoken or

written language. Literature uses special words, structure, and
characteristics. Primarily the language of literature differs from ordinary
language in three ways: language is concentrated and meaningful; its

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purpose is not simply to explain, argue, or make a point but rather to
give a sense of pleasure in the discovery of a new experience; and it
demands intense concentration from the readers.

It indicates that the language of literature has originality, quality,

creativity, and pleasure.

The Functions of Literature

Known as “pleasure reading”. In this function, literature is used to

entertain its readers. Literary works are consumed for the sake of one’s
enjoyment.

 Literature shows how society works around them. Literature helps

the reader “see” the social and political constructs around him/her
and shows the state of the people and the world around him/her.

 Literature shapes our way of thinking based on the ideas of other

people.

 Literature also displays a person’s ideology placed in the text

consciously and unconsciously.

 Literature preserves the language of every civilization from where it

originated. They are also evidences that a certain civilization has
existed by recording the language and preserving it through wide
spans of time.

 Literature orients us to the traditions, folklore and the arts of our

ethnic group’s heritage. Literature preserves entire cultures and
creates an imprint of the people’s way of living for others to read,
hear, and learn.

 Literature teaches us of many things about the human experience.

Literature is used to portray the facets of life that we see, and
those that we would never dream of seeing. Literature, therefore, is

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 a conduit for the chance to experience and feel things where we
can learn things about life.

4Rs of Literature

Recreation – Literature is a means of reassembling reality. We want to

see what we cannot see in reality.

Recognition – Literature helps us recognize the people and their

contributions.

Redemption – Literature is a means of modification of behavior.

Revelation – Literature is a means of recording history. It reveals the

past, the present, and the future.

All the above definitions describe literature from different perspectives.

Still, there are certain things that are common to them. They all
recognize the fact that:

i. Literature is imaginative
ii. Literature expresses thoughts and feelings
iii. Literature deals with life experiences
iv. Literature uses words in a powerful, effective, and yet captivating
manner
vi. Literature promotes recreation and revelation of hidden facts.

Two Divisions of Literature

PROSE POETRY
form Written in paragraph form Written in stanza or verse
language Expressed in ordinary Expressed in figurative
form language
appeal To the intellect To the emotion
aim To convince; to inform To stir the imagination

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Types of Prose
The word “prose” comes from the Latin expression prosa oratio, which
means straightforward or direct speech. Due to the definition of prose
referring to straightforward communication, “prosaic” has come to mean
dull and commonplace discourse. When used as a literary term, however,
prose does not carry this connotation.

Prose Drama – a drama in prose form. It consists entirely dialogues in

prose, and is meant to be act on stage.

Essay – a short literary composition which is expository in nature. The

author shares his thoughts feelings, experiences, or observations on
some aspects of life that has interested him.

Prose Fiction – something invented, imagined, or feigned to be true

Novel – a long fiction narrative with a complicated plot. It may have one
main plot and one or more sub plots that develop with the main plot. It is
made up of chapters.

Short Story – a fictitious narrative compressed into one unit of time,

place and action. It deals with single character interest, a single emotion
or series of emotions called forth by a single. It is distinguished from the
novel by its compression.

Biography – a story of a certain person’s life written by another who

knows the subject well.

Autobiography – a written account of man’s life written by himself.

Letter – a written message which displays aspects of an author’s

physiological make-up not immediately apparent in his more public
writings. It is a prose form which by the force of its style and the
importance of its statements becomes an object of interest in its own
right.

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Diary – a daily written record of account of the writer’s own experiences,
thoughts, activities or observations.

Journal – a magazine or periodical especially of serious or learned

nature. It is the reflection, opinion of a read material.

Types of Poetry
Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art form in
which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to,
or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral
or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its
user and audience to differ from ordinary prose.

Narrative Poetry – a poem that tells a story.

Epic – a long narrative poem of the largest proportions. Epic is a tale

mainly about a hero concerning the beginning, continuance, and the end
of events of great significance on tribal or national significance.

Metrical Poem – a narrative poem that tells a story of adventure, love and
chivalry. The Typical hero is a knight on a quest.

Metrical Tale – a narrative poem consisting usually a single series

connective events that are simple, and generally do not form a plot.
Examples of these are simple idylls or home tales, love tales, tales of the
supernatural or tales written for a strong moral purpose in verse form.

Ballad – the simplest type of narrative poetry. It is s short narrative poem

telling a single incident in simple meter and stanzas. It is meant to be
sung.

Popular ballad – a ballad of wide workman ship telling some simple

incidents of adventure, cruelty, passion, or superstition, an incident that
shows the primary instincts of man influenced by the restraint of modern
civilization.

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Modern or artistic – created by poet in imitation of the folk ballad, makes
use of many of its devices and conventions.

Metrical Allegory – an extended narrative that carries a second meaning

along worth the surface story.

Lyric Poetry – a poem that is very personal in nature. It expresses the

author’s own thoughts, feelings, moods and reflections in musical
language. It derived its name from the musical instrument, the lyre.

Ode – a lyric poem of some length, serious in subject and dignified in

style. It is most majestic of the lyric poems. It is written in a spirit of
praise of some persons or things.

Elegy – a poem written on the death of a friend of the poet. The

ostensible purpose is to praise the friend. But in the end of the poem,
however, we can expect that poet will have come to terms with his grief.

Song – a lyric poem in a regular metrical pattern set to music. These have
twelve syllables and slowly sung to the accompaniment of a guitar or
banduria.

Sonnet – a lyric poem containing four iambic pentameter lines, and a

complicated rhyme.

Literature is thus summed up as permanent expressions in words

(written or spoken), specially arranged in pleasing accepted patterns or
forms. Literature expresses thoughts, feelings, ideas, or other special
aspects of human experiences.

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 Self-Reflection

Encircle
your
answer

FORM
Read each statement and check ( ) the box that reflects your work
today.
Name: Date:

Section:

Strongly Strongly
Agree Disagree
Agree Disagree

1. I found this work interesting.

2. I make a strong effort.
3. I am proud of the results.
4. I understood all the
instructions.
5. I followed all the steps.
6. I learned something new.
7. I feel ready for the next
assignment.
www.ldatschool.ca/executive-function/self-assessment/

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 Self-Assessment

Read each statement carefully and encircle the letter of your answer.

1. Which writing style usually contains rhymes?

a. Prose
b. Poetry
c. Drama
d. All answer choices are correct

2. Which writing style is very conversational and direct to the point?

a. Prose
b. Poetry
c. Drama
d. All answer choices are correct

3. Poems are arranged in lines. Lines can be ___________.

a. A single word
b. A sentence
c. A part of sentence
d. All of the above

4. What does prose have that poetry usually doesn't?

a. Language play
b. Images
c. Repetition
d. Plot

5. Literature is a means of recording history. It reveals the past, the

present, and the future.
a. recreation

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b. redemption
c. recognition
d. revelation

6. He is known for his written Sonnets.

a. Edgar Allan Poe
b. Walt Whitman
c. William Shakespeare
d. Robert Frost

7. It is said to be the most majestic lyric poem.

a. elegy
b. ode
c. sonnet
d. song

8. It is a short literary composition which is expository in nature.

a. essay
b. letter
c. prose
d. short story

9. Literature came from the Latin word ___ which means letter.
a. letura
b. letera
c. litera
d. litere

10. Literature promotes recreation and revelation of hidden facts.

a. true b. false

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CHECKPOINT!

If you will be given the situation/question similar to WAIT A MINUTE!

section of this module, what would be your answer now? (10pts.)

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Compare and contrast prose to poetry. What are each other’s distinct
characteristics? (10pts.)
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REFERENCES

Ang, J.G. (2016) Literatura: 21st Century Philippine and World Literature. Mindshapers
Co. Inc, Intramuros Manila

Uychoco, M. A. (2016). 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND

THE WORLD Quezon City, Manila, Philippines: Rex Bookstore.

http://philliterature.weebly.com/two-divisions-of-literature.html

https://anelepapers.wordpress.com/2017/01/03/literature-definition-nature-and-
function/

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