- divided from the Latin term litera which means letter - has been defined differently by various writers - others define literature as a faithful reproduction of man’s manifold experiences blended into one harmonious expression. - because literature deals with ideas, thought and emotions of man, literature can be said to be the story of man - man’s love, grief, thoughts, dreams, and aspiration coached in beautiful language is literature.

- the basis of Christianity - possess the words and teachings of Jesus Christ

- composed of rich and diverse group of works that has evolved with the country's history - from fables to legends, before the Spanish influence.

- an ancient Greek poet - acknowledged as the author of The Illiad and The Odyssey

- written within the common flow of communication - with the use of sentences and paragraphs

- muslim Bible - originating from Arabia

- has been the source of myths and legends in Greece.

- the longest epic in the world - contains the history of religion in India.

- depicts the religion and customs of the English in the early days - originated from England and was written by Geoffrey Chaucer

- was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe of the US - depicts the sad fate of the slaves, and later on became the basis of democracy.

- this shows the religion and customs of the early Italians.

- this shows the cultural characteristics of the Spaniards and their national history

- includes Doce Pares and Roncesvalles of France - tells about the Golden Age of Christianity in France.

- includes the cult of Osiris - the mythology and theology of Egypt

- was written by Confucius of China - became the basis of the Christian religion.

- from Arabia and Persia (Iran) - shows the ways of government, of industries and of the society of the Arabs and Persians.

- a long narrative divided into chapters and events are taken from true-to-life stories Example: America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan (1943)

- a narrative involving one or more characters, one plot and one single impression Example: Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez (1925)

- presented on a stage - divided into acts and each has many scenes Example: Walang Sugat by Severino Reyes (1900's)

- are fictitious narratives, usually about origins Example: Why the Pineapple Has a Hundred Eyes

- fictitious - deal with animal and inanimate things who speak and act like people and their purpose is to enlighten the minds of the children to events that can mold their ways and attitudes. Example: The Monkey and The Turtle

- expresses the viewpoint or opinion of the writer about a particular problem or event.

- deals with the life of a person which may be about himself, his autobiography or that of others Example: Jaime Ongpin, the Enigma by Nick Joaquin (1990)

- report of everyday in society, government, science and industry, and accidents happening nationally or not.

- formal treatment of a subject and is intended to be spoken in public - appeals to the intellect, to the will or the emotions of the audience.

- refers to those expressions in verse - with measure and rhyme, line and stanza - has a more melodious tone.

- form describes important events in life either real or imaginary.

- extended narrative about heroic exploits often under supernatural control Example: Hudhud ni Aliguyon

- narrative which is written in verse - can be classified either as a ballad or a metrical romance. Example: Bayani ng Bukid ni Al Perez

- this is considered the shortest and simplest - has a simple structure and tells of a single incident. - in the early time, this referred to a song accompanying a dance

- kind of poetry meant to be sung to the accompaniment of a lyre - but now, this applies to any type of poetry that expresses emotions and feelings of the poet. - are usually short, simple and easy to understand

- short poems intended to be sung. - common theme is love, despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope and sorrow Example: Bahay Kubo

- a lyric poem of 14 lines dealing with an emotion, a feeling, or an idea These are two types: A.Italian- abba abba, cdcdcd or cdecde B.Shakespearean- abab bcbc cdcd ee Example: Sonnet 1 by Jose Garcia Villa

- lyric poem which expresses feeling of grief and melancholy, and whose theme is death. Example: Ang Isang Punong Kahoy by Jose Corazon de Jesus

- poem of a noble feeling, expressed with dignity - no definite number of syllables or definite number of line in a stanza

- song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a philosophy of life

- these have measures of twelve syllables (dodecasyllabic) - slowly sung to the accompaniment of a guitar or banduria

- have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic) - recited to a martial beat.

- a form of poetry that is written in verse and meant to be recited in public or acted out - is composed of dialogue between characters, monologues, and soliloquies

- comes from the Greek word “komos” meaning festivity or revelry. - this form usually is light and written with the purpose of amusing, and usually has a happy ending.

- usually used in musical plays with the opera - arouses immediate and intense emotion and usually sad but there is a happy ending for the principal character

- involves the hero struggling mightily against dynamic forces

- exaggerated comedy - seeks to arouse mirth by laughable lines; situations are too ridiculous to be true; the characters seem to be caricatures and the motives undignified and absurd.

- either purely comic or tragic and it pictures the life of today - aim to bring about the changes in the social conditions.