UNIT 1: NATURE AND FORMS OF LITERATURE

At the end of the unit, you will be able to:

1. define and explain what literature is;

2. identify and distinguish literary types an genres;
3. become familiar with figures of speech; and
4. deduce meanings from context.

He knew everything about literature except how to enjoy it.

- Joseph Heller

ENGAGE

World literature is an interesting course . It is full of adventures and

excitement. It will surely enrich your perspectives about life . You will be
brought to the different countries of the world for free- without securing a visa
and paying for a ticket.
Do you want to travel around the world? Perhaps there’s a country in
your bucket list which you would like to see someday. Why do you like this
place? Can you give a short but vivid description of it ?

EXPLORE

Would you like to give us a glimpse of this country? Why don’t you
make a collage of it featuring the beautiful places, exotic food ,
culture ,literature and the culture of the people ? You can make use of pictures,
images or clippings to make your collage more beautiful. But before you make
the collage, for you to explore and know more about the country, you may surf
the you tube and watch something about this country.

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EXPLAIN

I know you have learned a lot about literature. Nevertheless, let us

review the nature of literature and its significance.

Literature became the venue of many sensitive people who wanted to preserve their feelings,
emotions, observation on the world they are living. It is in literature that they can tell the world
and other generations on how they live, feel, and dream for their world. Thus, it is through
literature that we can see the deepest aspect of human life.

THE NATURE OF LITERATURE

 Literature is literally an “acquaintance with letters” (from the Latin littera meaning
letter)

 The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts or works of art

 The class of writing in which imaginative expressions, aesthetic form, universality of

ideas, and permanence are characteristic features, as fiction, poetry and drama

 It may also mean any printed material.

 Literature is “a performance in words” – Robert Frost

 Literature consists of writing which interpret the meanings of nature and life, in words
of charm and power, touched with personality of the author in artistic forms of
permanent interest. – Henry Van Dyke

 Literature is life which present human experience

 Literature existed because there are people who wanted to express their feelings,
emotions, and experiences in writing. They used letters, words, sentences and the
whole composition in artistic manner to convey what they perceived about life.

 Literature is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical and
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.

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 IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE

Life could be learned from the life of others. We could say that Literature teaches us
how to live. It is in Literature where hopefully people learn the art of living.

Literature 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 experiences. Ultimately, we may discover meaning in literature by looking at what
the author says and how he/she says it.

FORMS OF LITERATURE
The two main divisions of literature are Prose and Poetry.

1. Prose consists of writing that does not adhere to any particular formal structure (other
than simple grammar). It is spoken or written language without metrical structure as
distinguished from poetry or verse.

2. Poetry is a composition usually written in verse. Poems rely heavily on imagery,

precise word choice and metaphor; they may take form of measures consisting of
patterns and stresses (metric feet) or of patterns of different-length syllables (as in
classical prosody); and they may or may not utilize rhyme.

KINDS OF PROSE

A. Fiction

The good ended happily, and the bad ended unhappily.That is what
Fiction means.
-Oscar Wilde

From the Latin fingere, “to form, create” is prose writing that tells about
imaginary characters and events. Some writers of fiction base their stories on real
people and events, while others rely on their imagination. Thus, fiction is the product
of imagination of the writer.

1. Short story is a brief prose narrative that can usually be read in one sitting.
It contains few characters and a single plot that revolves around the main
character.

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 2. Novel consists simply of a long story written in prose. It has more
characters with several subplots.

3. Drama is a narrative prose intended to be played on stage. It is usually

called play. It is written in scripted form to be reenacted by actors.

4. Fable is a brief story usually with animal characters that teaches a lesson
or moral.

5. Parable is a short narrative that is at least in part allegorical and that

illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson.

6. Legend is a story that reflects the people’s identity or cultural values,

generally with more historical and less emphasis on the supernatural.

7. Myth is a fictional tale, originally with religious significance that explains

the action of gods or heroes, the cause of natural phenomena or both.

8. Fairy tale is a story featuring folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins,

elves, trolls, giants, talking animals and others. The fairy tale is sub-class
of the folktale. These stories often involve royalty, and modern versions
usually have a happy ending.

ELABORATE
Lets get to learn know more about prose that you may understand better the various
literary works which you will be reading. It would be easier for you to appreciate them.

ELEMENTS OF FICTION

The essentials of fiction are essentials of every story: plot, characters, setting, point of
view and theme.

1. PLOT

 This is the plan of the story.

 The sequence of actions and events
 In many short stories, the plot has a well-defined beginning, middle and end.

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 Rising Action Falling Action

Exposition: The introduction; reader learns about the setting, major characters, etc.

Rising Action: The part of the story that builds the tension through conflict; most of
the action of the plot occurs here.

Climax: The high point in the tension of the story or the turning point of the story.

Falling Action: The action and conflict that occurs after the climax; often very short.

Resolution: The story is brought to its conclusion; all loose ends are tied up.

2. SETTINGS

 The time and place of a story’s action.

3. CONFLICT

 The reason a story grows in tension and suspense as it builds to a climax is

that the pressure of conflict, the struggle between two opposing forces, in
increased by each event.

o Character v Character
o Character v Nature
o Character v Supernatural
o Character v Society
o Character v Self

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 4. POINT OF VIEW

 There are basically two points of view which a writer can tell a story:

o First-Person Narrator. The writer has a major character who tells the
story in his own words. (“I said;” “I did;” “I remember”)

o Third-Person Narrator. If an author feels that the reader should know

more than any person can tell, the story may be from an omniscient or
all-knowing POV. A story told from limited third person POW
presents information through the eyes of a character whose knowledge
of events is restricted.

5. THEME

 The central insight or idea in which the story is based.

 A theme is rarely stated; usually it is implied.

B. NON FICTION

A prose writing that represents and explains ideas or tells about real people,
places, objects or events.

1. Autobiography, from the Greek words auton – ‘self,’ bios – ‘life’ and
graphein – ‘write,’ is a briography written by the author about himself.

2. Biography, (from the Greek words bios meaning life, and

grapheinmeaning write) is a genre of literature based on the written
accounts of individual lives.

3. Essay is a short work of writing that treats a topic from the author’s
personal point of view. Essay is the most common form of literature. It is
the easiest form of literature to write. There are only two elements for you
to consider: the main idea and the paragraph. As long as you have these
two, you could write an essay.

4. Diary or journal is a book for writing discrete entries arranged by date

reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other periods.

5. Letter is often contains personal thoughts and opinions, but they are
directed at just one person.

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