Divisions of
Literature
As we have earlier
identified in terms
of structure, the two
divisions of
literature are prose
and poetry. Under
each division are
the different literary
types or genres.
PROSE. Prose is a
discourse which
uses sentences
usually forming
paragraphs to
express ideas,
feelings, and
actions. The three
most common types
of prose are fiction,
non-fiction, and
drama.
1. Fiction.
Fiction is "a series
of imagined facts
which illustrates
truth about human
life." In other
words, works
written as products
of man's
imagination are
works of fiction.
However, it does
not mean that they
are false, untrue or
opposed to truth.
Rather, it is
opposed to the
actual and to the
historically true. It
is not contrary to
truth at all since
incidents may not
have actually
happened but there
are possibilities that
they may and can
happen, as long as
the laws of
probability and
necessity are not
violated.
The principal
types of fictions are
short stories and
novels. We can add
one classification
which may include
myths, legends,
fables, parables,
and minor
narratives like
anecdotes and
exemplum.
A. The Short Story.
This is a brief
artistic form of
prose fiction
which is centered
on a single main
incident and is
intended to
produce a single
dominant
impression. Such
impression may
be one of
sadness, surprise,
sympathy, terror,
or other reactions.
Among the
notable short
story writers are
Edgar Allan Poe
who gave us the
first detective
stories, Guy de
Maupassant, O.
Henry, Anton
Checkov, William
Faulkner, D.H.
Lawrence, Ernest
Hemmingway, and
thousands more.
B. The Novel. The
novel is an
extensive prose
narrative. It is
much longer than
the short story
and is divided into
chapters. It has a
greater number
and variety of
characters, a more
complicated plot,
a more elaborate
use of setting, a
greater complexity
of theme than the
short story.
The novel may be
classified according
to different bases:
1. The author’s
vision of life. This
involves the
author’s attitude
towards
experiences which
may be romantic,
realistic,
naturalistic, etc.
a. romantic – The
romantic view
chooses the remote
in time and place,
the adventurous
and daring in
action, the heroic
and dashing in the
case of characters.
The interpretation of
life is optimistic and
usually idealistic.
The preference is
for the happy
ending.
b – It prefers the
familiar and
common place in
setting, characters
who are ordinary
men and women
like those we meet
daily, though
according to theme
and other feature,
they may rise to the
level of heroism.
The action itself is
limited to facts of
daily experience
which are observed
thoroughly and
recorded faithfully.
c. naturalistic – It is
exaggerated and of
extreme realism
dominated by
materialism,
pessimism and
determinism.
Characters are
portrayed as having
little or no free will,
the environment is
hostile; men’s
efforts are doomed
to failure and
sometimes, death.
Observation and
recording of the
dismal and cruel
aspects of life are
carried out with
more accuracy and
persistence.
2. The writer’s
choice of material.
This may be
historical,
psychological,
social, etc.
a. historical – a
historical novel
chooses an age or
era in the past. It
recaptures the spirit
and atmosphere of
that period and
chooses historical
events and
characters to give
authenticity to the
narration. But the
novelist usually
creates characters
and situations of his
own devising to
fulfill his particular
objectives.
b. psychological – It
focuses of what is
in the mind of the
character; its
insights are on the
motives behind the
yearnings and
impulses of the
characters. The
stream of
consciousness is
the term applied to
the method of
externalizing the
thoughts,
sensation,
memories, and
impressions that
rush through the
mind without order
or coherence.
c. social – This
novel deals with the
mores and customs
of a distinct social
group and the
problems faced by
those in this
society, be these
problems be
political, economic,
racial, etc. – often
without presenting
a solution. Noli and
Fili are examples of
this.
When the novel
favors or advocates
a theory or doctrine
it is called the novel
of propaganda.
When it deals
sympathetically
with the problems
of the working
class, the novel is
called a proletarian
novel.
2. The structure of
the novel.
According to
structure, the novel
may be panoramic
or dramatic.
a. the panoramic
novel – follows a
linear
development of a
loosely
constructed plot
and portrays a
broad section of
life. It gives
relatively little
importance to
character and
action as
motivating forces,
hence, they so not
greatly influence
the leisurely
development of
the narrative. The
chronicle is of this
type.
b. the dramatic -
emphasizes the
interaction of
character and
action. This type
of novel employs
the principle of
causality in the
unfolding of plot,
in the relationship
of characters and
action, in the
influence of
environment and
heredity both in
the growth of
characters and its
relation to action.
Some of the
greatest novels
belong to this
category, like War
and Peace by
Tolstoy; The Red
and Black by
Stendhal; The
Magic Mountain by
Thomas Mann.
3. other forms.
There are many
other forms of
fiction, most of
these were the
forerunners or
precursor of the
modern literary
genre of short story.
Some of these were
written in verses or
poetry. Among
these are:
A. Myth – a
symbolic narrative,
usually of unknown
origin and at least
partly traditional,
that ostensibly
relates actual
events and that is
especially
associated with
religious belief. It is
distinguished from
symbolic behavior
(cult, ritual) and
symbolic places or
objects (temples,
icons). Myths are
specific accounts of
gods or
superhuman beings
involved in
extraordinary
events or
circumstances in a
time that is
unspecified but
which is understood
as existing apart
from ordinary
human experience.
The term mythology
denotes both the
study of myth and
the body of myths
belonging to a
particular religious
tradition. It usually
served to explain
some natural
phenomenon.
B. Parable - short
fictitious narrative
that illustrates a
moral attitude, a
doctrine, a standard
of conduct, or a
religious principle.
The term originally
referred to a Greek
rhetorical figure, a
kind of extended
simile, involving the
use of a literary
illustration. The
parable differs from
the fable in the
inherent plausibility
of its story and in
the exclusion of
anthropomorphic
animals or
inanimate creatures,
but it resembles the
fable in the
essential qualities
of brevity and
simplicity. The
storytelling aspect
of a parable is
usually
subordinated to the
analogy it draws
between a particular
instance of human
behavior and
human conduct at
large. The simple
narratives of
parables give them
a mysterious,
suggestive tone and
make them
especially useful for
the teaching of
moral and spiritual
truths. Parables can
often be fully
understood only by
an informed elite,
who can discern the
meaning within their
brief, enigmatic
structures.
To a Western
audience, some of
the most famous
parables are in the
New Testament; in
them, Jesus uses
the form to illustrate
his message to his
followers by telling
a fictitious story
that is nevertheless
true-to-life. There
are also parables in
the Hebrew Bible
(notably those of II
Samuel 12:1-9 and II
Samuel 14:1-13), but
they have suffered
in popularity by
comparison with the
New Testament
parables.
C. Fable - The word
fable derives from
the Latin word
fabula, which
originally meant
about the same as
the Greek mythos;
like mythos, it came
to mean a fictitious
or untrue story.
Myths, in contrast,
are not presented
as fictitious or
untrue.
Fables, like some
myths, feature
personified animals
or natural objects
as characters.
Unlike myths,
however, fables
almost always end
with an explicit
moral message, and
this highlights the
characteristic
feature of fables--
namely, that they
are instructive tales
that teach morals
about human social
behavior. Myths, by
contrast, tend to
lack this directly
didactic aspect, and
the sacred
narratives that they
embody are often
hard to translate
into direct
prescriptions for
action in everyday
human terms.
Another difference
between fables and
myths relates to a
feature of the
narratives that they
present. The
context of a typical
fable will be
unspecific as to
time and space;
e.g., "A fox and a
goose met at a
pool." A typical
myth, on the other
hand, will be likely
to identify by name
the god or hero
concerned in a
given exploit and to
specify details of
geography and
genealogy; e.g.,
"Oedipus was the
son of Laius, the
king of Thebes."
D. Legend -
Legends are
traditional stories or
groups of stories
told about a
particular person or
place. Formerly the
term legend meant a
tale about a saint.
Legends resemble
folktales in content;
they may include
supernatural
beings, elements of
mythology, or
explanations of
natural phenomena,
but they are
associated with a
particular locality or
person and are told
as a matter of
history.
In common usage
the word legend
usually
characterizes a
traditional tale
thought to have a
historical basis, as
in the legends of
King Arthur or
Robin Hood. In this
view, a distinction
may be drawn
between myth
(which refers to the
supernatural and
the sacred) and
legend (which is
grounded in
historical fact).
Exemplum - from
the Latin "example,"
(plural EXEMPLA),
an exemplum is a
short tale originally
incorporated by a
medieval preacher
into his sermon to
emphasize a moral
lesson or illustrate a
point of doctrine.
Fables, folktales,
and legends were
gathered into
collections, such as
Exempla (c. 1200)
by Jacques de Vitry,
for the use of
preachers. Such
exemplars often
provided the germ
or plot for medieval
secular tales in
verse or prose.
2. Non-fiction
1. The Essay. The
essay is a prose
composition of
moderate length,
usually expository
in nature, which
aims to explain or
elucidate an idea,
a theory, or an
impression of a
point of view. It is
conveniently
classified as
formal
(impersonal) and
informal (personal
or familiar).
a. The formal
essay deals with a
serious and
important topic,
usually derived
from philosophy,
theology, science,
politics, morality,
etc. It is
authoritative and
scholarly in
treatment and
reveals the
writer’s mastery of
his subject. Its
interest is in the
intellectual. The
tone is objective
and impersonal.
The style is clear
and
straightforward.
Its main purpose
is to teach or to
instruct.
b. The informal or
familiar essay may
deal with any
subject, even the
commonplace and
ordinary, which it
raises to the level
of the literary
through technique
and style. Hence
where the formal
is objective, the
familiar is
subjective in the
handling of the
topic. hristopher
Morley.
2. Oration – Often
contrasted to the
essay by its
structure and
purpose, the oration
represents another
form of prose. Its
language is
carefully chosen to
convey ideas clearly
and forcefully. It is
usually inspired by
a significant event
or an important
issue. Its language
is meticulously
chosen to produce
the desired impact
on the audience. It
is intended to be
delivered orally,
thus its style is
eloquent and
forceful to convince
and persuade.
3. Biography – A
biography is a
record of human
life, an account
written by someone
else, of an
individual’s
significance
experiences, their
effects on him, and
his personal
reactions and
response to them.
Holman and
Harmon define
biography as “the
accurate
presentation of the
life history from
birth to death of an
individual, along
with an honest
effort to interpret
the life so as to
offer a unified
expression of the
character, mind,
and personality of
the subjects.”
4. Personal
Writings. This group
of literary works
includes the
author’s personal
documents, in other
words, writings
about the author
which he himself
has written.
a. Autobiography –
it is an account of
a person’s life
written by the
person himself. It
is usually more
revealing of the
person’s interior
self.
b. Memoirs – a
form of
autobiography but
more specifically
take into account
significant events
in which the
author was a
witness or
participant, and
other noted
personages
involved.
c. Journals &
diaries – daily
records of events
and experiences
in the author’s life.
They tend to
reflect the private
personality of the
writer, the diary
more intimately
than the journal.
They may or may
not be written for
publication. Note
again that not all
diaries and
journals are
literary. Literary
standards must be
the basis of its
literary merits.
d. Letters and
Epistles. In
literature, these
are private and
personal
correspondence
between notable
figures and
convey the ideas
and feelings of the
writer. Epistles
are letters but are
more formally
written and are
generally
addressed to and
meant to be read
by a group of
persons.
c. Drama - Drama is
a type of literature
usually written to be
performed. People
often make a
distinction between
drama, which
concerns the
written text, or
script, for the
performance, and
theater, which
concerns the
performance of this
script. Many of the
most honored and
influential works of
literature around the
world have been
dramas.
The two major kinds
of drama are
tragedy and
comedy.
1. Tragedy.
Traditionally, a
tragedy is
dominated by a
serious tone,
concerns kings and
princes, deals with
profound issues,
and usually
concludes with the
death of the leading
character, or the
tragic hero. This
tragic hero is a man
of high estate. The
struggle of the
protagonist or hero
against the conflict
is such that it
affirms his capacity
for greatness.
a. Serious Drama -
drama which may
have tragic
overtones or
details, and a
general tone of
seriousness, but
which may not end
in catastrophe for
the hero. The
conclusion may
even be hopeful
with main
characters who are
ordinary men and
women, as
contrasted with the
tragic heroes of
classical or pure
tragedy.
b. Tragicomedy -
has similar
characteristics to
serious drama but
is more of a
combination of the
tragic and the
comic.
c. Melodrama - it is
serious in tome but
characterized by the
sensational and the
theatrical.
Characters and
situations are
somewhat
exaggerated to
produce an
excessive appeal to
the emotions of the
audience.
Characterization is
usually superficial:
the heroes are very
good and the
villains, very bad.
2. Comedy. A
comedy typically
deals with common
people, is
dominated by a light
tone that
encourages
laughter (or at least
amusement or
entertainment), and
ends happily, often
with the uniting of a
pair of young
lovers. It portrays
the lighter and
brighter side of life
and is meant to
evoke laughter.
a. comedy of
humors or comedy
of character -
originate from the
specific traits of a
character
b. comedy of
situation - originate
from the situation of
plot
c. comedy of
manners -
originates from the
manners, customs,
and lifestyle of a
particular class of
society or
community
d. farce - "Farce is
to comedy what
melodrama is to
tragedy." It is
characterized by
exaggeration where
character types are
placed in ridiculous
and improbable
situations intended
to produce laughter.
If it focuses on the
predominance of
physical action like
sliding on the
banana peelings or
falling from the
carabao into its
dung, it is called
slapstick.
