Introduction To Literature
Introduction To Literature
According to Salman Rushdie (1990), Literature is the one place in any society
where within the secrecy of our own heads, we can hear voices talking about everything
in every possible way. In this new generation, the number of millennials who prefer to
read is decreasing. Some prefer comprehending what their friends on social media are
trying to say, deciding what picture to post that will gain a lot of reactions, and giving
more importance to the updates of the person they are following. Thus, they already
forget to enjoy reading a good text. However, there are some who enjoys a good read,
whether it is a novel that moves to tears, a play that intrigues or a poem that rouses
their passion, a piece of well-written literature can have an impact on our emotions, on
our behavior and on our value-systems.
MEANING OF LITERATURE
The term literature came from the Latin literatura which means, “writing formed
with letters” in English. This term is further derived from litera which means “letter” in
English. Hence the main root word origin of this term is or litera. (Root word origin is
derived from www.etymonline.com.)
“Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible
degree.” [Ezra Pound, “ABC of Reading”]
There has been a lot of definitions attached to the term literature. Some of them
include:
Literature is a product of particular culture that concretizes man’s array of values,
emotions, actions and ideas.
It is therefore a creation of human experiences that tells about people and their
world.
Literature is an art that reflects the works of imagination, aesthetics and creative
writing which are distinguished for the beauty of style or expression.
“Literature raises life to a new level of meaning and understanding, and in the
process restores sanity and justice in an insane and unjust world.” – Cirilo F. Bautista
In the course of our study, we will define literature as a term which refers to the
totality of oral and written accounts of man reflecting his ideas and views of life
transferred to generations. From this, we can assume that “Literature is the reflection of
life.” Therefore, following this line of thought, we can safely conclude that “Literature is
life.”
IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE
As any field of academic discipline, the study of literature proves to be a useful
endeavor. It has its own unique way of expressing its benefits and advantages.
Students of literature will realize these things during or after reading or studying a
literary masterpiece. The importance of literature includes:
1.Literature helps us grow both personally and intellectually.
2.Literature links us with the rest of the world of which we are apart.
3. Literature enables us to transcend our immediate time, place, and culture and to
make connections with other human beings and their concerns.
4. Literature encourages us to develop mature empathy with all forms of life: human,
animal, plant.
5. Literature sharpens our sense of moral judgment.
6. Literature stimulates our imagination and ingenuity.
7. Literature shows the significance of irony, paradox, oxymoron and ambivalence of
life.
8. Literature allows us to see the world in different vantage points.
9. Literature relives history.
10.Literature reminds us that we are human beings.
Poetry. Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm. It often
employs rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the number and arrangement of
syllables in each line). In poetry, words are strung together to form sounds, images, and
ideas that might be too complex or abstract to describe directly. Poetry is classified into
Narrative, Lyric, and Dramatic Poetry.
NARRATIVE POETRY. This form describes important events in life either real or
imaginary. The following are types of narrative poetry.
Epic. This is an extended narrative about heroic exploits often under supernatural
control. It may deal with heroes and gods.
Examples: THE DIVINE COMEDY by Dante Alighieri
THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY by Homer
BEOWULF
Metrical Tale. This is a narrative which is written in verse and can be classified either
as a ballad or a metrical romance. Examples of these are simply idylls or home tales,
love tales, tales of the supernatural written for a strong moral purpose in verse form.
Examples: THE CANTERBURY TALES by Geoffrey Chaucer
Ballads. This is considered the shortest and simplest narrative poem. It has a simple
structure and tells a single incident. There are also variations of these: love ballads, war
ballads, sea ballads, humorous, moral, historical or mythical ballads. In the early times,
this referred to a song accompanying a dance.
Examples: THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER by Samuel Taylor
Coleridge
LYRIC POETRY. This refers to that king of poetry meant to be sung to the
accompaniment of a lyre, but now, this applies to any type of poetry that expresses
emotions and feelings of the poet. They are usually short, simple, and easy to
understand.
Folksong (Awiting Bayan). These are short poems intended to be sung. The
common theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope, and sorrow.
Sonnets. This is a lyric poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a feeling, or an idea.
Examples: PETRARCHAN SONNET was founded by Francesco Petrarch
SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET was popularized by William
Shakespeare
Elegy. This a lyric poem which expresses feelings of grief and melancholy, and whose
theme is death.
Ode. This is a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity, with no definite number
of syllables, or definite number of lines in a stanza.
Psalms (Dalit). This is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a
philosophy of life.
Song (Awit). This has measures of twelve syllables (dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung
to the accompaniment of a guitar or banduria.
Corridos (Kuridos). These have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic) and
recited to a martial beat.