This document defines literature and discusses various approaches to studying it, including formalistic, moral/humanistic, historical, cultural, and psychological approaches. It also outlines key qualities of literature such as artistry, intellectual stimulation, suggestiveness, spiritual elevation, permanence, universality, and distinctive style. The document provides examples to illustrate these concepts and encourages readers to explain definitions of literature in their own words and analyze examples based on literary qualities.

1. Literature - A Definition,
Ways and Qualities
prepared by Ms. Erika Crizel D. Lacsam

2. Guessing the
Title and
Characters in
Literature

9. What are your perceptions about literature?
L –
I –
T –
E –
R –
A –
T –
U –
R –
E –

10. Complete the Table
What I know
about
Literature?
1.
2.
3.
What I want to
know more about
Literature?
1.
2.
3.

11. LITERATURE
The word literature is derived from
the Latin term litera which means
“acquaintance with letters”
It is a body of work, either written,
oral, or visual, containing imaginative
language that realistically portrays
thought, emotions, and experiences
of the human condition.

12. a. Play a video clip
b. State the lesson
from the video clip

13. WAYS OF
STUDYING
LITERATURE

14. FORMALISTIC / LITERARY
APPROACH
Also called “PURE” or
“LITERARY” approach
The selection is read and
viewed intrinsically, or for itself;
independent of author, age, or
any other extrinsic factor. This
approach is close to the “art for
art’s sake” dictum

15. The study of the selection is
more is more or less based on
the so – called literary
elements which is more or less
boil down to the literal level,
the affective values, the
ideational values, technical
values, and total effects.
FORMALISTIC / LITERARY
APPROACH

16. The literal level (subject
matter) The affective
values (emotional, mood,
atmosphere, tone attitudes,
empathy)
FORMALISTIC / LITERARY
APPROACH

17. The ideational values (themes,
visions, universal truths,
character)
Technical Values (plot, structure,
scene, language, point of view,
imagery, figure, metrics, etc.)
Total Effect (the interrelation of
the foregoing elements)
FORMALISTIC / LITERARY
APPROACH

18. MORAL AND HUMANISTIC
APPROACH
• The nature of man is CENTRAL to
literature. The reader or teacher or
critic more or less “requires” that
the piece present MAN AS ESSENTIALY
RATIONAL, that is endowed with
intellect and free will; or that the
piece does not misinterpret the true
nature of man

19. • In these times of course the
TRUE NATURE OF MAN is hotly
contested, making literature all
the more challenging.
• This approach is close to the
“MORALITY” of literature, to
the questions of ethical
goodness and badness
MORAL AND HUMANISTIC
APPROACH

20. Sees literature as both a reflection and
product of the times and circumstances
in which it is written. Man as a member
of a particular society or nation at a
particular time, is central to the
approach and whenever a teacher gives
historical or biographical backgrounds
in introducing a selection, or arranges a
literature course in chronological order,
he is hewing close to this approach.
HISTORICAL APPROACH

21. The historical approach is often
suitable to high school classes, to
survey courses, for “average” classes,
and for pieces tackled or “discovered”
for the first time. It operates on the
premise that the history of a nation has
telling effects on its literature and that
a piece can be better understood and
appreciated if one knows the times
around its creation.
HISTORICAL APPROACH

22. CULTURAL APPROACH
Considers literature as one of the
principal manifestation and vehicles of a
nation’s or race’s culture and tradition.
It includes the entire complex of what
goes under “culture” ---- the
technological, the artistic, the
sociological, the ideological aspects, and
considers the literary piece in the total
culture milieu in which it was born.

23. This approach in one of the
richest way to arrive at the
culture of the people and one
of the most pleasurable ways of
appreciating the literature of
the people. It goes by the
dictum “culture teaching
through literature”.
CULTURAL APPROACH

24. PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH
• Set in dizzying motion, principally,
by FREUD, perhaps beyond his
wildest expectations, it considers
literature as the EXPRESSION OF
PERSONALITY of “Inner Drives” of
neurosis. It includes the psychology
of the author, of the character, and
even the psychology of creation.

25. • It has resulted in an
almost exhausting and
exhaustive “psychological
analysis” of the characters
of symbols and images, of
recurrent themes, etc.
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

26. WAYS OF STUDYING
LITERATURE
Formalistic – based on the literary
elements
Moral / Humanistic – close to the
morality of literature , to questions
of ethical goodness and badness.
Historical – sees literature as both
a reflection and a product of the
times and circumstances in which
it is written.

27. Cultural – an approach in knowing
the culture of the people and one
of the pleasurable ways of
appreciating the literature of the
people.
Psychological – considers
literature as the expression of
“personality”, of “inner drive” of
neurosis.
WAYS OF STUDYING
LITERATURE

28. FEATURES/
QUALITIES
OF LITERATURE

29. Qualities of Literature
1.Artistry – this is a quality
which appeals to our sense
of beauty
2.Intellectual – a literary
work that stimulates
thought

30. 3. Suggestiveness -
associated with the emotion
of a literary piece
4. Spiritual – Elevates the
spirit by bringing out the
moral values of a person or
situation.
Qualities of Literature

31. 5. Permanence – A great work of
Literature endures
6. Universality – Great Literature
is timeless
7. Style – This is the peculiar way
in which a writer sees life, forms
his ideas and expresses them.
Qualities of Literature

32. HOW CAN WE
NURTURE OUR LOVE
FOR READING?

33. EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS:
1. “LITERATURE CONSISTS OF
THOSE WRITINGS WHICH
INTERPRET THE MEANINGS OF
NATURE AND LIFE, IN WORDS OF
CHARM AND POWER, TOUCHED
WITH THE PERSONALITY OF THE
AUTHOR, IN ARTISTIC FORMS OF
PERMANENT INTEREST.”

34. EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS:
2. “LITERATURE’S AIM IS FOR
MAN TO HAVE A GREATER
SENSITIVITY AND AWARENESS,
REFINEMENT OF FEELINGS,
LOFTY IDEAS, NOBILITY OF
PURPOSE, AND ADDED
CULTURE.”

35. QUIZ
1. SELECT A FILIPINO MOVIE YOU
HAVE WATCHED OR BOOK OR
LITERARY PIECE YOU HAVE READ
AND EXPLAIN WHY IT IS AN
EXCELLENT PIECE OF
LITERATURE BY CITING AT LEAST
5 QUALITIES OF A GOOD
LITERARY WORK.