Introduction to Literature and Literary Devices

At the end of this lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Define literature
2. Differentiate the types of literature
3. Describe the literary devices used by writers

Lesson Proper

Introduction to Literature
Literature - is a Latin word “litera” which means letter. This is a body of literary productions,
either oral, written or visual containing imaginative language that realistically
portrays thoughts, emotions and experiences of the human condition.\
2 Major Types of Literature
I. Prose - “ prosa” which means straightforward. It consists written works within the common
flow of conversation presented in a straightforward manner.
Types of Prose
a. Novel - This is a long narrative divided into chapters. The events may be taken from true-to-
life stories and spans for a long period of time. There are many characters
involved.
Examples: Harry Potter
Noli Me Tangere
b. Short Story -This is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one single
impression.
Example: The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
c. Plays - This is presented on a stage, is divided into acts and each act has many scenes.
Example: Miss Saigon
Ibong Adarna (the musical)
d. Legends - These are fictitious narratives, usually about origins. It provides historical
information regarding the culture and views of particular group of people or country
Examples: Legend of Pineapple
Legend of “Makahiya”
g. Myths -A traditional sacred story, typically revolving around the activities of gods and
heroes, which aim to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice.
Examples: The Myth about Creation
h. Anecdotes - These are merely products of the writer’s imagination and the main aims to
bring out lessons to the reader.
Examples: “The Moth and the Lamp” –Teodora Alonzo Rizal (Dr. Jose
Rizal’s mother)
i. Essay-This expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a situation, problem or
event. The best example of this is the Editorial page of a newspaper.
Example: I Am a Filipino by Carlos P. Romulo
k. News -This is a report of everyday events in society, government, science and industry,
accidents etc., happening nationally or not.
l. 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.
Examples: “I have A Dream” – Martin Luther King
II. Poetry -It is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and
rhythmic language choices as to evoke emotional response.
A. Narrative Poetry -This form describes important events in life either real or imaginary.
Kinds of Narrative Poetry
1. Epic - It is an extended narrative about heroic exploits under supernatural control.
It may deal with heroes and gods. The hero/heroine usually has the following
characteristics: idealism, courage, wisdom, beauty, endurance, chivalry and justice.
Example: Biag ni Lam-ang Epic
2. Metrical Tales-This is a narrative which is written in verse and can be classified
either as a ballad or metrical romance.
Examples: “The Lady of Shallot” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
3. Ballads -This is considered as the shortest and simplest of the narrative poems. It has a
simple structure and tells of a single incident.
Variations of these are: love ballads, war ballads, sea ballads,
humorous, moral, historical, or mythical ballads.
B. Lyric Poetry -Originally, this refers to that kind 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 to the poet. They are usually short, simple and easy to
understand.
Types of Lyric Poetry
1. Folksongs (Awiting Bayan) - These are short poems intended to be sung.
The common theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope, and
sorrow.
2. Sonnets-This is a lyric of poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a
feeling or an idea. There are two types: the Italian and the
Shakespearean.
3. Elegy -This is a lyric poem which expresses feelings of grief and
melancholy, and whose theme is death.
4. 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.
5. Psalms -This is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a
philosophy of life.
6. Awit (Song) - These have the measures of twelve syllables
dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung to the accompaniment of a guitar or
banduria.

Example: Florante at Laura(Francisco Balagtas

O pagsintang labis ng kapangyarihan, ( 12 syllables per line)
Sampung mag-aama’y iyong nasasaklaw;
Pag ikaw ang nasok sa puso ninuman,
Hahamakin ang lahat masunod ka lamang
7. Corridos - These have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic)and
recited to a martial beat. The songs are often about oppressions,
daily life of peasants, and other socially important information.
Example: Ibong Adarna
Diyos nga’y di natutulog ( 8 syllables per line)
At ang tao’y sinusubok
And salari’y sinusunog!
ng banal ay kunukupkop!
C. Dramatic Poetry - This is an emotional piece of literature which includes a story which is
recited or sung. Soliloquy and dramatic monologues are the main instruments of this form
of poetry.
Kinds of Dramatic Poetry:
1. Comedy - This word comes from the Greek term “Komos” meaning
festivity or revelry. This form usually is light and
written with a purpose of amusing, and usually has a happy
ending.
2. Tragedy - This involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic
forces; he meets death of ruin without success and satisfaction
obtained by the protagonist in a comedy.
3. Farce -This is an exaggerated comedy. It seeks to arouse mirth by
laughable lines; situations are too ridiculous to be true; the
characters seem to be caricatures and the motives
undignified and absurd.
4. Melodrama (modern) - This is usually seen in musical play with the
opera. Today, this is related to tragedy just as the farce to comedy. It
arouses immediate and intense emotion and is usually sad but there
is a happy ending for the principal character.

Lesson 2
Literary Devices - refers to the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey
his or her message(s) in a simple manner to his or her readers. When employed properly,
the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work.
Two Types:
a. Literary Elements have an inherent existence in literary piece and are extensively
employed by writers to develop a literary piece e.g. plot, setting, narrative structure,
characters, mood, theme, moral etc. Writers simply cannot create his desired work without
including Literary Elements in a thoroughly professional manner.

Common Literary Elements

a. Plot -It is the logical sequence of events that develops a story.
b. Setting: It refers to the time and place in which a story takes place.
c. Protagonist: It is the main character of story, novel or a play e.g. Hamlet in
the play Hamlet
 d. Antagonist: It is the character in conflict with the Protagonist e.g. Claudius in the
play Hamlet
e. Narrator: A person who tells the story.
f. Narrative method: The manner in which a narrative is presented comprising
plot and setting.
g. Dialogue: Where characters of a narrative speak to one another.
h. Conflict. It is n issue in a narrative around which the whole story revolves.
i. Mood: A general atmosphere of a narrative.
j. Theme: It is central idea or concept of a story.

b. Literary Techniques, on the contrary, are structures usually a word s or phrases in literary
texts that writers employ to achieve not merely artistic ends but also readers
a greater understanding and appreciation of their literary works. Examples are:
metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, allegory etc. In contrast to Literary Elements,
Literary Techniques are not unavoidable aspect of literary works.
Common Literary Techniques

1. Imagery: It is the use of figurative language to create visual representations of actions,

objects and ideas in our mind in such a way that they appeal to our physical senses.
For example:
The room was dark and gloomy. -The words “dark” and “gloomy” are visual images.
The river was roaring in the mountains. – The word “roaring” appeals to our sense of hearing.

2. Simile and Metaphor: Both compare two distinct objects and draws similarity between them.
The difference is that Simile uses “as” or “like” and Metaphor does not.
For example:
“My love is like a red red rose” (Simile)
He is an old fox very cunning. (Metaphor)
3. Hyperbole: It is deliberate exaggeration of actions and ideas for the sake of emphasis.
For example:
Your bag weighs a ton!
 I have got a million issues to look after!
4. Personification: It gives a thing, an idea or an animal human qualities.
For example:
The flowers are dancing beside the lake.
Have you see my new car? She is a real beauty!

5. Alliteration: It refers to the same consonant sounds in words coming together.

For example:

Better butter always makes the batter better.

She sells seashells at seashore.

6. Allegory: It is a literary technique in which an abstract idea is given a form of characters,

actions or events.
For example:

“Animal Farm”, written by George Orwell, is an example allegory using the actions of
animals on a farm to represent the overthrow of the last of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II
and the Communist Revolution of Russia before WW II. In addition, the actions of the
animals on the farm are used to expose the greed and corruption of the Revolution.

7. Irony: It is use of the words in such a way in which the intended meaning is completely
opposite to their literal meaning. For example:

The bread is soft as a stone.

So nice of you to break my new PSP!

For poetry
Sound devices - Some poems use techniques of sound such as rhythm, rhyme, and
alliteration.
a. Rhythm - The pattern of beats or stresses in a poem. Poets use patterns of
stressed and unstressed syllables to create a regular rhythm.
b. Rhyme - The repetition of the same or similar sounds, usually in stressed
syllables at the ends of lines, but sometimes within a line.
Example: There are strange things done in the midnight sun.
c. Alliteration - The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words.
Examples: Seven silver swans swam silently seaward.
Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers.
d. Onomatopoeia - Words that are used to represent a particular sounds.
Examples: Crash Boom
Bang Zip