Introduction Of Literature

Literature is permanent expressions in words (written or spoken),
specially arranged in pleasing accepted patterns or forms. Literature
expresses thoughts, feelings, ideas or other special aspects of human
experiences.

There are three broad types of literature, these are drama, poetry and prose.

1. Poetry. It is written usually in lines known as verse. The use of
verse is hence different from the biblical sense of chapter and verse.
It simply refers to poems written in rhythmic patterns and lines.

2. Prose refers to the literary or written form of the language of
ordinary speech. We often talk about a book written in prose style or
continuous form. The novel falls under prose. It is the latest arrival
of the literary genres.

3. Drama is primarily written to be performed or acted on stage.
Therefore, the playwright usually writes his plays character by
character, scene by scene and act by act to forestall any confusion
and to ensure correctness during performance.

As for poetry, there are elements that are not included in short
stories and novels such as:

a.Allegory - A form of narrative in which people, places, and events
seem to have hidden meanings. Often a retelling of an older story.

b.Connotation - The implied meaning of a word.

c.Denotation - The dictionary definition of a word.

d.Diction - Word choice and usage (for example, formal vs. informal),
as determined by considerations of audience and purpose.

e. Figurative Language - The use of words to suggest meanings beyond
the literal. There are a number of figures of speech. Some of the more
common ones are:

* Metaphor - Making a comparison between unlike things without the
use of a verbal clue (such as "like" or "as").
* Simile - Making a comparison between unlike things, using "like" or "as".
* Hyperbole - Exaggeration
* Personification - Endowing inanimate objects with human characteristics

f. Imagery - A concrete representation of a sense impression, a
feeling, or an idea which appeals to one or more of our senses. Look
for a pattern of imagery.
*Tactile imagery - sense of touch.
*Aural imagery - sense of hearing.
*Olfactory imagery - sense of smell.
*Visual imagery - sense of sight.
* Gustatory imagery - sense of taste.

g. Rhythm and Meter - Rhythm is the pulse or beat in a line of poetry,
the regular recurrence of an accent or stress. Meter is the measure or
patterned count of a poetry line (a count of the stresses we feel in a
poem's rhythm). The unit of poetic meter in English is called a
"foot," a unit of measure consisting of stressed and unstressed
syllables. Ask yourself how the rhythm and meter affects the tone and
meaning.

h. Sound - Do the words rhyme? Is there alliteration (repetition of
consonants) or assonance (repetition of vowels)? How does this affect
the tone?

i. Structure - The pattern of organization of a poem. For example, a
sonnet is a 14-line poem usually written in iambic pentameter. Because
the sonnet is strictly constrained, it is considered a closed or fixed
form. An open or free form is a poem in which the author uses a looser
form, or perhaps one of his or her own invention. It is not
necessarily formless.

j. Symbolism - When objects or actions mean more than themselves.

k. Syntax - Sentence structure and word order.

l. Voice: Speaker and Tone - The voice that conveys the poem's tone;
its implied attitude toward its subject