Classification of Literature: Fiction vs Nonfiction

Study Notes

Literature is primarily categorized into Fiction and Nonfiction.
Nonfiction refers to works based on facts or genuine opinions, encompassing genres like biography, memoir, creative nonfiction, and journalism.
Fiction involves fabricated stories, featuring genres such as literary fiction, mystery, crime, science fiction, and fantasy.

Derived from "prosa," meaning straightforward; presents ideas in common conversational flow.
Key forms include:
- Novel: Long narratives divided into chapters; can depict true-to-life stories with multiple characters.
- Short Story: Concise narrative focusing on one or more characters and a single plot.
- Plays: Written for stage performance, structured in acts and scenes.
- Legends: Fictitious tales that convey a culture's historical information.
- Folk Tales: Traditional stories passed down orally and often anonymous.
- Fables: Short narratives featuring anthropomorphic animals or inanimate objects, teaching moral lessons, especially for children.
- Myths: Sacred stories exploring the actions of gods and heroes to explain natural or cultural phenomena.
- Anecdotes: Brief imaginative narratives aimed at imparting lessons.
- Essay: A work expressing an author's viewpoint on specific issues; exemplified by opinion pieces in newspapers.
- Biography: Accounts of individuals' lives, including autobiographies.
- News: Reports detailing current events across society, science, politics, and more.
- Oration: Formal speeches designed for public delivery to evoke intellectual or emotional responses.

Defined as an imaginative expression of experiences, utilizing meaning, sound, and rhythm.
Types of poetry include:
- Narrative Poetry: Focuses on recounting significant events, whether real or imagined.
  - Epic: Extended narratives about heroic actions, often involving gods and supernatural elements; classified into popular (ancient) or modern epics.
  - Metrical Tales: Written in verse, can be classified as ballads or metrical romance.
  - Ballads: The simplest form of narrative poetry; addresses single incidents with various thematic styles (love, war, sea tales).
- Lyric Poetry: Expresses emotions and feelings, generally short and accessible.
  - Folk Songs: Traditional songs intended for singing.
  - Sonnets: 14-line poems expressing specific emotions or ideas.
  - Elegy: Poetry reflecting grief and themes of death.
  - Psalms: Songs of praise directed to God or the Virgin Mary, offering philosophical reflections.
  - Awit: Narrative songs with twelve syllables, performed slowly to music.
- Dramatic Poetry: Combines emotional narratives with performance elements, often highlighting a story.
  - Comedy: Features characters achieving their goals by the story's conclusion.
  - Tragedy: Focuses on characters failing to achieve their goals, resulting in more somber outcomes.