LITERATURE
ESSENCE
AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITERATURE
v Literature
(origin of term- litera which means letter) deals with ideas, thoughts
and emotions of man- thus it can be said the literature is the story of man. (Kahayon,
1998,p. 5-7)
v Literature
in its broadest sense is everything that has ever been written.
v The
best way to understand human nature fully and to know a nation completely is to
study literature. (Garcia, et al, 1993, p.3)
v Literature
does not yield much unless we bring something of ourselves to it.
v Literature
is a faithful production of life… in a sense it is a product and a commentary
on life process.
v Literature
illuminates life.
v Literature
is our life’s story including its struggles, ideas, failures, sacrifices and
happiness. (Ang, 2006)
v Literature
offers us an experience in which we should participate as we read and test what
we read by our own experience.
v Through
literature, we learn innermost feelings and thoughts of people- the most real
part of themselves, thus we gain an understanding not only of others, but more
importantly, of ourselves and of life itself.
(Garcia, et al, 1993,p.4)
Why
do people read literature?
·
For information
·
For amusement
·
For higher and keener pleasure
·
For cultural upliftment and
·
For discovery of broader dimensions in life.
(
Nuggets, 2004)
TWO
DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE
PROSE
1.
Prose Drama -a drama in prose form. It consists entirely
of dialogues in prose and meant to be acted on stage.
2.
Essay -a short literary composition which is expository in
nature. The author shares one of his thoughts, feeling, experiences or observations
on some aspects of life that have interested him.
Example:
Carmen Guerrero Nakpil "Where is the Patis"
3.
Prose Fiction - (something invented, imagined or feigned
to be true)
a.)
Novel -a long fictitious narrative with a complicated plot. It
may have a main plot and one or more sub-plots that develop with the main plot.
Characters and action representative of the real life of past or present times
are portrayed in a plot. It is made up of chapters.
Example:
Without Seeing the Dawn by Steven Javellana
b.)
Short Story -a fictitious narrative compressed into one unit
of time, place and action. It deals with a single character interest, a single
emotion, a series of emotions called forth by a single situation. It is distinguishes
from the novel by its compression.
Example:
Dead Star by Paz Marquez Benitez.
4.
Biography and Autobiography
a.)
Biography -a story of certain person's life written by another who
know him (the former) well.
Example:
Cayetano Arellano by Soccoro O. Alberto
b.)
Autobiography -a written account man's life written by
himself.
Example:
A Woman with No Face by Ms. Pilar Pilapil
5.
Letter -a written message which displays aspects of an author's
psychological 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 it
statement become an object of interest in its own right.
6.
Diary -a daily written record or account of the writer's own
experience thoughts activities or observations.
7.
Journal -a magazine or periodical especially of a serious or
learned nature.
8.
Other Prose Forms:
8.1
Historical Prose -a prose from dealing with historical events
8.2
Scientific Prose -a prose form that deals with the subject
science
8.3
Satirical Prose -a prose form that ridicules the vices and
follies of men
8.4
Current Publication -books, magazines or newspaper that are
commonly known or accepted or in general usage at the times specified or, if
unspecified, at the present time.
8.5
Literary Criticism -the analysis, interpretation and evaluation
of literary works; it does not mean" finding fault with".
8.6
Book Review -an article dealing with the contents,
literary work, etc of a book especially a recently published book.
8.7
Philosophy -a prose form that deals with the processes governing
thought and conducts. It also deals with the theory of the investigation of the
principles or laws that regulate the universe and underlie all knowledge and
reality.
8.8
Travel -a written account of trips, journeys, tours, etc. taken
by the writer.
8.9
Parody -an imitation of another author's work, where ridicule
is the main objective.
Example:
10. Anecdote -a brief narrative concerning a particular individual or
incident.
Example:
The Moth and the Lamp
8.11
Character Sketch -a short description of the qualities and
traits of a person.
8.12
Parable -a short tale that illustrates principle, usually by
setting forth the application of the principle to something familiar to be
hearer or reader.
Example: THE GOOD SAMARITAN
8.13
Pamphlet -a small book of topic of current interest.
8.14
Eulogy -writing praise of a dead person, events or things.
Example:
9.
Speech -the general word for a discoursed delivered to an
audience whether prepared or impromptu.
8.15.1
Address -implies a formal, carefully prepared speech and usually
attributes importance to the speaker or the speech.
Example:
8.15.2
Oration -suggests an eloquent, rhetorical sometimes merely
bombastic speech, especially one delivered on some special occasion.
Example:
8.15.3
Lecture -a carefully prepared speech intended to inform or
instruct the audience,
Example:
8.15.4
Talk
-suggests informality and is applied either to an impromptu speech or to an address
or lecture in which the speaker deliberately uses a simple conversational
approach.
Example:
8.15.5
Sermon -a speech by a clergy man intended to give religious or
moral instruction and usually based on Scriptural Text.
Example:
POETRY
Poetry is derived from a Greek word poesis meaning “making or creating".
Poetry is a kind of language that says it
more intensely than ordinary language does. Apparently, we have to remember
five things about poetry. (Baritugo, 2004, p. 1)
1. Poetry is a concentrated
thought.
2. Poetry is a kind of word-
music.
3. Poetry expresses all the
senses.
4. Poetry answers our demand
for rhythm.
5. Poetry is observation
plus imagination.
SOME
OF THE BEST DEFINITIONS OF POETRY
v Gemino
Abad contends that “A poem is a
meaningful organization of words”.
v T.S
Eliot categorized poetry as “The fusion
of two poles of mind, emotion and thought”.
v Manuel
Viray states that “Poetry is the union of
thoughts and feelings.”
v William
Wadsworth says, “Poetry is the
spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recorded in tranquility.”
v Edgar
Allan Poe thinks,”It is the rhythmic
creation of beauty”.
v Percy
B. Shelly states, ”It is the record of the best and happiest moments of the
happiest and best minds.”
v Jaime
G. Ang posits, “Poetry is the ‘essence’
of the creative imagination of man”.
TYPES OF POETRY
1. NARRATIVE POETRY
a.
Epic -a
long narrative poem of the largest proportions. A tale centering about a hero
concerning the beginning, continuance, and the end of events of great
significance- war, conquest, strife among men who are in such a position that
their struggles take on tribal or national significance.
Example: “Biag- Ni-Lam-Ang” by Pedro Bukaneg
b.
Metrical
Romance -a narrative poem that tells a story of adventure, love
and chivalry. The typical hero is a knight on a quest.
c. Metrical Tale -a
narrative poem consisting usually of a
single series of connective events that are simple idylls or home tales, love
tales, tales of the supernatural or tales written for a strong moral purpose in
verse form.
d.
Ballad- the simplest type of narrative poetry. It is a short narrative poem
telling a single incident in simple meter and stanzas. It is intended to be
sung.
Example:
e. Popular Ballad- a
ballad of wide workmanship 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.
f. Modern or Artistic-
created by a poet imitation of the folk ballad makes use (sometimes with
considerable freedom) of many of its devices and conventions.
g. Metrical Allegory- an
extended narrative that carries a second meaning along with the surface story.
Things and actions are symbolic.
2.
LYRIC POETRY
ü Ode- a lyric poem of
some length serious in subject and dignified in style. It is most the most
majestic of the lyric poems. It is written in a spirit of praise of some
persons or things.
Example:
ü Elegy- a poem written on
the death of a friend of the poet. The ostensible purpose is to praise the
friend, but the death prompts the writer to ask,”If death can intervene, so cruelly
in life, what is the point of living?” By the end of the poem, however, we can
expect that poet will have come to terms with his grief.
Example: The Lover’s Death by Ricardo
Demetillo
ü Song- a lyric poem in a
regular metrical pattern set to music. These have twelve syllables (dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung to the
accompaniment of guitar or banduria.
Example: Florante at Laura
by Francisco Balagtas
üCorridos (kuridos)-
these have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic)
and recited to a material beat.
Example: Ibong Adarna by Jose Dela Cruz (Huseng
Sisiw)
ü Sonnet- a lyric poem
containing fourteen iambic lines, and a complicated rhyme
Example:
Santang abad by Alfonso P. Santos
REFERENCES:
www.youtube.com
www.google.com
