Literature as Art

• Literature is derived from the Latin “littera” which means “letter”, which refers primarily to written texts.
• Literature - Consists of writings which recognize the meanings of nature and life, in words of charm and power, touched with the character of the author, in artistic forms of permanent interest.
• Literature is simply anything that is written
• Literature is the written, printed or oral productions of the human mind collectively, which deals with themes of permanent and universal interest, characterized by creativeness and grace of expression, as poetry, fictions, essays, etc., distinguished from works of scientific, technical or journalistic nature.
• Oral Literature - is the literature of the ancient periods when they did not yet have much concern about an enduring preservation of the expressions of their wits and emotions or their experiences.
• Written Literature - is one that is produced from the use of the pen by literary writer and is more permanent than oral literature because it remains as is.
• Literature is the total of preserved writings belongings to a given language or people (Webster).
• 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 (Henry Van Dyke).
• Literature is a written record of man's best thoughts and feelings
• Literature is the writings having excellence of form and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest or the body of written works produced in particular language, country or age (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary).
• Literature gives us a picture of life - not the picture that science gives and not the picture that is actually (historically) true, but picture that has its own kind of truth - a "truth" that includes important elements that science, from its very nature, is forced to leave out.
• Literature whether fiction, poetry or drama is an expression of meaning articulated through form (Introduction to Literature by Edilberto K. Tiempo, Miguel A. Bernard, & Edith L. Tiempo).
• Literature is a faithful reproduction of life, executed in an artistic pattern. It is into harmonious and desired patterns of expression (Philippine Literature From Ancient Times To The Present by Teofilo del Castillo y Tuazon & Buenaventura S. Medina, Jr.).
• Literature is an oral or written reproduction of human experiences expressed artistically either in prose or in poetry.
• Literature gains force from the universality of its thought and appeal. It is true that it speaks through the printed page, just as painting speaks in the grammar of color, light, and shadow.
• Oral Literature - It is preserved and handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth.
• Oral literature started unwritten, but eventually captured for writing.
• For self-expression - "The mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Whatever be the person's emotion, whether he/she is glad or sad, loving or grieving, he/she wants others to know. People may have wonderful and ingenious imagination and want to give pleasure and to entertain others with real or imagined stories.
• To spread knowledge and information. Some ideas are worth recording and remembering.
• To pass on ideas and values - Right attitudes are formed and good character is developed.
• To impart truth, accuracy, and evaluation - This allows others to analyze, evaluate, form valid judgments, and make wise decisions.
• The reasons why people write are for self-expression, to spread knowledge and information, to pass on ideas and values, and to impart truth, accuracy, and evaluation
• Permanence - Great literature stands through the ages and still opens new world of meaning and experience. It can be read repeatedly, yet still gives new pleasure and fresh insights, thus, it has a lasting appeal.
• Universality - Great literature appeals to anyone, anywhere, anytime forever relevant. It deals with elemental feelings, fundamental truths, and universal conditions.
• Artistry - Great literature appeals to our aesthetic sense or sense of beauty.
• Intellectual Value - Great literature stimulates our thought. It makes us realize fundamental truths about life and human nature; thus, enriching our mental life.
• Spiritual Value - Great literature inspires and brings out moral values making us better persons. It relates to God's plan and purpose for humanity.
• Style - Great literature is marked with the peculiar way in which the writer sees life, forms his/her ideas, and expresses them distinctly. It should suit content.
• Suggestiveness - Great literature appeals to our emotions, stirs our imagination, feeling, moves us deeply and evokes visions over and beyond the level of ordinary life and experience.
• The qualities of great literature with the acronym UPASISS are universality, permanence, artistry, suggestiveness, intellectual value, spiritual value, and style.
• Prose is discourse that follows the usual flow of conversation which uses sentences forming paragraphs to express ideas, feelings and actions.
• Fiction is a literary work which is a result of the author's imagination.
• Short Story is a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot, and one single impression. Example: Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez
• Novel is a true-to-life story divided into chapters where many characters are involved and spans long period of time. Example: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
• Play is a scripted story executed on stage. Example: Call Me Flory by Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero
• Legend is a narrative about the origin of man, place, event and happenings.
• Fable is a narrative where the characters are animals and inanimate objects that speak and act like people, and usually ends with values that can mold their attitudes.
• Non-fiction - is a type of prose writing that is based on facts, real events, and real people.
• The two divisions of prose are fiction and non-fiction
• Essay is an attempt to express the viewpoint and opinion of the writer on a particular problem or event.