Lesson 2

INTRODUCTION AND BASIC CONCEPTS

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):

By the end of the learning experience, students must be able to:
1. Identify basic concepts in contemporary, popular and emergent literature
as well as elements of fiction
2. Differentiate genres of contemporary, popular and emergent literature
3. Describe how contemporary themes and issues relate to popular book
titles/stories
Literary Skill to Practice: Language Skills to Practice:
▪ Basic concepts in ▪ Writing good sentences
contemporary, popular and
emergent literature
▪ Elements of fiction

L iterature is generally taken as any written work or any body of written works.
It comes from the Latin word litaritura/litteratura which means “writing
formed with letters”. Although literature is more taken to mean written
work, the general definition also includes spoken and sung texts. This means that
oral traditions such as folk tales, epics, folk songs and folk poetry (like riddles,
epigrams, chants, etc.) are also considered as literature.
If we take the above definition as absolute and final, then there is a big bulk of
literature around us. This is why we restrict the term literature to writings that
possess literary merit. This limits the use of the term literature to mean any
imaginative works of prose and poetry that display noble intentions of the writers and
aesthetic excellence of their execution.
Literature can be classified into many systems. It can be fiction or non-fiction,
prose or poetry, audio-visual or textual. It can be further distinguished according to
major forms such as novel, sonnet or comedy; or to a variety of systems like language,
national origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter. To this latter system can
we classify contemporary, popular and emergent literatures.

14 | P a g e C o n t e m p o r a r y , P o p u l a r a n d E m e r g e n t L i t e r a t u r e
CONTEMPORARY, POPULAR AND EMERGENT LITERATURE DEFINED
Contemporary literature is a broad branch of literary classification covering
both popular and emergent literatures. Simply put, contemporary literature is an
umbrella term covering popular and emergent literatures.
Contemporary literature generally refers to a vast group of written works
produced during the Second World War until the present time. This branch of
literature does not only define a particular time period, but also describes a particular
style and quality of writing.
Although much of contemporary literature comes from Western authors, it is
not limited to only English or American literature. This literary period can apply to
written works from anywhere in the world. In fact, globalization opened the door to
include contemporary works written by many literary figures in the Middle East,
Africa, and Asia. Studies in contemporary literature typically include a variety of
topics such as African-American literature, post-colonial literature, and Latin
literature.
Popular literature includes those writings intended for the masses and those
that find favor with large audiences. It can be distinguished from artistic literature in
that it is designed primarily to entertain. Popular literature, unlike high literature,
generally does not seek a high degree of formal beauty or subtlety and is not intended
to endure. The growth of popular literature has paralleled the spread of literacy
through education and has been facilitated by technological developments in
printing. With the Industrial Revolution, works of literature, which were previously
produced for consumption by small, well-educated elites, became accessible to large
sections and even majorities of the members of a population.
The most common genre in popular literature are romance, fantasy,
or science fiction and the detective story or murder mystery. Popular literature has
also come to include such genres as comic books and cartoon strips, and, quite
recently, graphic illustrations and eBooks. The invention of motion picture, the
development of technology and onset of the world wide web have made popular
literature more accessible to the public. Popular literature is no longer limited to the
printed media but now includes radio, television, movies, and other digital platforms
in the internet.
Emergent literature refers to sub-genres of contemporary literature that
highlights specific psychological, political, cultural or social issue. Recent romance
stories tend to magnify same sex relationships (LGBT+) or romance between
teenagers who both have social or racial problems (Young Adult or YA). Dramatic
stories can highlight the pains and struggles of growing up in foreign countries
(regional stories) or even of growing up in different generations (coming-of-age
stories).

14 | P a g e C o n t e m p o r a r y , P o p u l a r a n d E m e r g e n t L i t e r a t u r e
 Emergent literature has also introduced new forms such as the prose poetry
(a very deep, emotional expression written in prose form) or the more common
spoken word poetry. Another new form is the flash fiction which is characteristically
short story of about 1,500 words or less. Extreme examples of flash fiction are six-
word stories. Emergent literature also favors the use of digital media for production
and dissemination. Novels can be made available through eBooks (electronic copy of
a book that is also published in printed form) or digital version (web- or app-based
stories for tablets or smartphones). Even popular songs can be available through
digital version (iTunes, Spotify, etc.). Even the social media has played an important
part in popularizing literature, proof that media is a powerful tool for information,
communication and entertainment.
To explain the difference of the three terms, let us take the novel Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling as an example. The novel is considered
contemporary literature because it was originally published in 1997 which puts the
date to after World War II. The novel is also considered popular literature because of
its availability for public consumption, both the book and movie versions. Lastly, it is
considered an emergent literature because it highlights the coming-of-age story of
the main characters laced with issues of bullying and social discrimination.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Points to Remember:
• Contemporary literature are literary works written from World War
II to the present
• Popular literature are literary works made available to the public for
entertainment
• Emergent literature are literary works that highlight sensitive
issues in society

14 | P a g e C o n t e m p o r a r y , P o p u l a r a n d E m e r g e n t L i t e r a t u r e