Introduction to Literature PDF

Literature: An introduction Imagine living your life with no mirror or reflecting pool.  In the same way that a mirror shows you something important about yourself. Literature reflects the great themes of human life…  What is literature? “pieces of writing that are valued as...

Literature: An introduction Imagine living your life with no mirror or reflecting pool.  In the same way that a mirror shows you something important about yourself. Literature reflects the great themes of human life…  What is literature? “pieces of writing that are valued as works of art, especially novels, plays and poems.” (Oxford Advanced Learners’ English Dictionary)  Read the following definitions of Literature and then write down your own definition. An intimate experience of an author carefully expressed in concrete images through the use of structure, imaginative style and luxurious metaphors. A collection of writings, which reflect the experience of class struggle in a society. It is concerned with the content and the form, in other words not only the story but the way it is written. All writing have: 1. permanent value 2. excellent format 3. an imaginative or critical characteristic 4. heightened emotional effect  Importance of literature It improves your command of language. It teaches you about the life, culture, experiences of people in other parts of the world. It gives you information about other parts of the world, which you may never be able to visit in your lifetime. It entertains you. It makes you wiser and more experienced person in judging, criticizing, etc. It helps you compare your experience with other people. It improves your reading as a part of language learning  Literary Genre A Genre is a French word meaning “type” or “kind” of literature. Genre of English Literature All writing falls into one of these two categories: Fiction Nonfiction  Fiction It is not true. It is drawn from the imagination of the author. Example Plays (Hamlet by W. Shakespeare) Poems (W. Shakespeare) Short stories (The little match girl by Hans Christian Andersen) Novels (e.g. Harry Potter by J. k. Rowling, great expectations ns by Charles Dickens)  Nonfiction It is true. It is based on real events or facts. Example Journals Magazines News paper Books such as history  Prose & Poetry Prose and poetry are two kinds of writing formats in standard American English.  Prose it is the most typical form of language. The English word “prose” derived from the Latin “prōsa”, which literally translates as “straight forward” (e.g. newspaper, novels, magazines).  Poetry From the Latin word “poēta”, a poet It is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to its apparent meaning. It is a particular arrangement of words on a page for heightened emotional effect. What are the differences between prose and poetry? Reading literature will teach you many things about yourself and the world around you.