Literature can be divided into four major classifications: poetry, prose, fiction, and non-fiction. It exists in oral, written, and visual forms and includes genres such as narratives, lyrics, dramas, novels, biographies and more. Prose is the most common form and includes fiction like fairytales and myths, as well as non-fiction genres. Poetry uses aesthetic language and includes narratives, lyrics, and dramas. Literature provides entertainment and insight into human experiences through these various forms and genres.

1. INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE: FORMS, DIVISIONS, AND SUBDIVISIONS
Literature (from Latin litterae (plural); letter) is the art of written work, and is not confined to published sources (although, under some
circumstances, unpublished sources can also be exempt). The word literature literally means "things made from letters" and the term "letters" is
sometimes used to signify "literature," as in the figures of speech "arts and letters" and "man of letters." The four major classifications of literature are
poetry, prose, fiction, and non-fiction.
I. FORMS OF LITERATURE
A. ORAL LITERATURE – literary works transmitted from one generation to another verbally.
B. WRITTEN LITERATURE – literary works in printed form
C. VISUAL LITERATURE – literary works presented in front of an audience
LITERATURE
ORAL LITERATURE VISUAL LITERATURE
WRITTEN LITERATURE
PROSE POETRY
Fiction Non-Fiction Drama
Lyric
Narrative

2. II. DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE
A. PROSE - is the most typical form of language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic
structure (as in traditional poetry). While there are critical debates on the construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure
has led to its adoption for the majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used,
for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting, film, history, philosophy, law and many other forms of
communication.
1. Fiction - is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not
factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also
refer to theatrical, cinematic or musical work. Fiction contrasts with non-fiction, which deals exclusively with factual (or, at least,
assumed factual) events, descriptions, observations, etc. (e.g., biographies, histories).
a. Fairytale – story about kings, queens, princes and princesses with a touch of magic
b. Mythology – story about gods and goddesses
c. Legend – story about the origin of a place or a thing
d. Novel – a long narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of 500 pages
e. Novelette – a narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of 300 pages
f. Short Story – a narrative with an organized plot usually with a maximum of 100 pages
g. Fable – story that uses animals as characters and with moral lesson
h. Parable – story used by Jesus in teaching the Good News
i. Allegory – story that uses symbolism to represent an idea
2. Non-Fiction - is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood
to be factual. This presentation may be accurate or not—that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in
question—however, it is generally assumed that authors of such accounts believe them to be truthful at the time of their composition
or, at least, pose them to their audience as historically or empirically true. Note that reporting the beliefs of others in a non-fiction
format is not necessarily an endorsement of the ultimate veracity of those beliefs; it is simply saying it is true that people believe

3. them (for such topics as mythology, religion). Non-fiction can also be written about fiction, giving information about these other
works.
a. Autobiography – life story of a person written by himself
b. Biography – life story of a person written by another person
c. Newspaper – collection of news articles about various current events
d. Magazine – collection of articles regarding the lifestyle of man
e. Journal – daily record of personal events
f. Planner – daily record of business commitments
g. Anecdote – a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an incident.
B. POETRY - (from the Greek poiesis — ποίησις — with a broad meaning of a "making", seen also in such terms as "hemopoiesis"; more
narrowly, the making of poetry) is a form of literary art which uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place
of, the prosaic ostensible meaning.
1. Narrative - is a form of poetry which tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well; the entire
story is usually written in metered verse. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to may
be complex. It is usually dramatic, with objectives, diverse characters, and meter. Narrative poems include epics, ballads, idylls
and lays.
a. Epic – a narrative poem about supernatural powers possessed by heroes and heroines
b. Ballad – a narrative poem with harmony and rhythm
c. Idyll – a narrative poem about rustic life
d. Metrical Romance – a narrative poem dealing with the emotions or phase of life and the story is told in a simple,
straightforward and realistic manner
2. Lyric - is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were sung,
accompanied by a lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat. Aristotle, in Poetics

4. 1447a, mentions lyric poetry (kitharistike played to the cithara, a type of lyre) along with drama, epic poetry, dancing, painting and
other forms of mimesis. The lyric poem, dating from the Romantic era, does have some thematic antecedents in ancient Greek and
Roman verse, but the ancient definition was based on metrical criteria, and in archaic and classical Greek culture presupposed live
performance accompanied by a stringed instrument.
a. Song – a lyric poem intended to be sung, with melodious harmony and rhythm
b. Sonnet – a lyric poem consisting of 14 iambic pentameter lines
c. Ode – a lyrical poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally.
d. Elegy – a lament for the dead
3. Drama - is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical
Greek: δρᾶμα, drama), which is derived from "to do," "to act" (Classical Greek: δράω, draō). The enactment of drama in theatre,
performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of
reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and
collective reception. The early modern tragedy Hamlet (1601) by Shakespeare and the classical Athenian tragedy Oedipus the
King (c. 429 BCE) by Sophocles is among the masterpieces of the art of drama. A modern example is Long Day's Journey into
Night by Eugene O’Neill (1956).
a. Historical – a theatrical play with historical plot
b. Comedy – a theatrical play with a happy ending
c. Tragedy – a theatrical play with the death of some major characters