21ST CENTURY

LITERATURE
from the Philippines and the World
 MODULE 1: Introduction to
21st Century Literature from
the Philippines and the World
 Essential Topic:
1. Introduction to Literature
2. Definition of Literature
3. Literary Genres
 WHAT IS LITERATURE?
 Literature is defined as “a body of literary productions, either oral, written, or
visual, containing imaginative language that realistically portrays thought,
emotions, and experiences of the human condition.”

 Literature is derived from the Latin word “ Litera’ which means “letters”.

 It is also associated with the French phrase “ Belles Letres” which means
“beatiful writings”.

 Literature is a written or spoken text since it has different genres which either made
to be read such as: Fiction and short story or to be spoken such as: Poetry and
Drama.
● Why is it important to study literature?

-Literature allows a person to step back in time and learn about life on Earth
from the ones who walked before us. We can gather a better understanding
of culture and have a greater appreciation of them. We learn through the
ways history is recorded, in the forms of manuscripts and through speech
itself.
 LITERARY
GENRES
Genres -(French: “kind” or “sort”) a distinctive type or category of literary
composition, such as the epic, tragedy, comedy, novel, and short story.
 Two Main Genres of Literature
FICTION VS NON-FICTION

• Nonfiction is a direct contrast of fiction.

There are several literature genres under the nonfiction category:

• Narrative nonfiction- presented in a format which tells a story that is based on fact.

• Essays- The author’s personal view about a parti cular subject or theme.

• Biography- A composition or historic account of the series of events in a person’s

life.
- when the chronicler or writer is also the subject of the historical account it is called an
authobiography.

• Speech- speaking power or oral communication with an ability to express his/her

thoughts and emotions.
● Famous Genres of Fiction are the following:

● Drama- stories composed in verse or prose and are usually presented or performed in
theater where conflicts and emotion sre expressed with dialogue and action.

● Poetry- s a way to express strong emotions in a creative and often powerful way. By
using poetic devices such as metaphors and similes, poets can create vivid images
that stay with readers long after the poem is finished.

● Fable- it is a narration intended to enforce a useful truth and in which animals speak
and act like human beings.

● Fairy Tales- stories about fairies or any magical creatures that is exclusively wriiten
for children.

● Fantasy- imaginative fiction dependent for effect on strangeness of setting (such as

other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings).

● Humor- stories taht are amusing or comical and are fun to read.

● Science Fiction- is a genre of fiction in which the stories often tell about science and
technology of the future.
● Short Story- a prose or narrative that is shorter than a novel and has less
subplots.

● Realistic Fiction- a story that can actually happen and is true to real life.

● Folklore- traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among
a people .

● Tall tale- Blatan exaggerations, swagging heroes who can do impossible in a

humurous story.

● Horror- a literary composition that is terrifying, shocking or revolting.

● Mystery- a literary composition where characters solve a crim or are part of

unraveling secrets.

● Mythology- legend or traditional narrative based on historical events that reveals

human behavior and natural phenomena.

● Legend- a natuonal or folk hero that is based on fact but with imaginative material.
 Different Types of Prose
a. Novels. A long narrative divided into chapters and events are taken from true-to-
life stories.

b. Short story. This is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one
single impression.

c. Plays-A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between

characters and intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. The
writer of a play is called a playwright.

d. Legends. These are fictitious narratives, usually about origins.

e. Fables. These are also fictitious and they deal with animals and inanimate things
who speak and act like people and their purpose is to enlighten the minds of children
to events that can mold their ways and attitudes.
f. Anecdotes-These are merely products of the writer’s imagination and the main aim is
to bring out lessons to the reader.

g. Essay-This expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular problem
or event. The best example of this is the Editorial page of a newspaper.

h. Biography-This deals with the life of a person which may be about himself, his
autobiography or that of others.

i. News-This is a report of everyday events in society, government, science and industry,

and accidents, happening nationally or not.

j. Oration. This is a formal treatment of a subject and is intended to be spoken in public.

It appeals to the intellect, to the will or to the emotions of the audience. Also, an oration
speech is a formal speech that is given on a special occasion. For example, oration
speeches are often made at a school commencement exercise or a presidential
inauguration.
Three Genres
of Poetry
a. Narrative Poetry
- is a poetry genre that tells a story.
-It is the oldest type of poetry.

Epic- is a long narrative poem. It has two basic types:

a. Primary Epic - is oral narrative verse, it narrates the great deeds of
a central hero and the hero’s story is of national significance.

examples: Odyssey, Iliad, Beowulf

b. Secondary ( Literary) Epic- is along written narrative poem.

examples: Aeneid, Paradise Lost.

Ballad- is a sshort narrative poem belonging to folk tradition.

- The tone is usually grim and tragic.
-Originallu, ballads were sung with musical accompaniment.
b. Lyric Poetry- is a genre that does not attempt to tell a story,
but instead, is of a more personal nature.
- some of notable poets in this genre include John Donne, Gerard
Manley Hopkins and Antonio Machado.

Elegy- is a type of contemplative lyrical poem written in a sad,

melancholy tone and mediating on the theme of death and
morality.
-written on the occasion of someones death

Ode- An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an individual, an

idea, or an event. In ancient Greece, odes were originally
accompanied by music—in fact, the word “ode” comes from the
Greek word aeidein, which means to sing or to chant. Odes are
often ceremonial, and formal in tone.
c. Dramatic Poetry-Known as dramatic verse or verse
drama
- It is a written work that both tells a story and connects
the reader to an audience through emotions or
behavior.
- Dramatic poetry can take one of several forms:
Soliloquy- is a monologue in which a character in a play
expresses thoughts and feelings while being alone on
stage.
- allows dramatists to communicate information about
a character's state of mind, hopes, and intentions
directly to an audience.
Dramatic Monologue
- Dramatic monologue means self-conversation, speech, or talks which
include an interlocutor presented dramatically. It means a person, who is
speaking to himself or someone else speaks to reveal specific intentions
of his actions. However, in literature, it is a poetic form or a poem that
presents the speech or conversation of a person in a dramatic manner.

Character sketch
- a description or analysis of a certain character telling the reader about
their physical appearance, personality traits, habits, strengths,
weaknesses, and history amongst others.

Dialogue
- a conversation between two or more persons.