Geoffrey Chaucer

iambic pentameter

Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty; it is the written record of man’s spirit, of his thoughts, emotions, aspirations; it is the history, and the only history, of the human soul.

Literature, in its broadest sense, is any written work. More restrictively, it is writing that possesses literary merit. Literature can be classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction and whether it is poetry or prose.

Literature can be classified into two main groups: Prose and poetry.

These sub-genres stem from the three primary forms of literature: Poetry, Drama, and Prose.

For example, literature has four main genres; poetry, drama, fiction and non- fiction. 3. All of these genres have particular features and functions that distinguish them from one another.

Examples of literary works:

• fiction.
• nonfiction.
• manuscripts.
• poetry.
• contributions to collective works.
• compilations of data or other literary subject matter.
• dissertations.
• theses.

Literary Genres

• Drama. Stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action.
• Fable.
• Fairy Tale.
• Fantasy.
• Fiction.
• Fiction in Verse.
• Folklore.
• Historical Fiction.

Oral literature is done through words and speaking, whereas written is through the written word. Written literature can be in the form of short stories, novels and prose whereas oral literature can be described as poems and bards.

An example of written is a book that an author created several years ago. The definition of written is words put down so that they can be read. An example of something written is a letter.

Literary writing is usually fictional, and it makes use of figurative or symbolic language….Main Characteristics:

• usually fiction that displays a sense of reality.
• tension or conflict.
• artistic unity (a main idea is conveyed)
• figurative language (similes, metaphors, irony, symbolism, analogy)

Great literature is based on ideas that are startling, unexpected, unusual, weighty. or new. Great literature makes us see or think things we never did before. The ideas underpinning the work challenge our accustomed categories and ways of thinking, putting minds on edge. We may agree, and also we disagree.

An author’s purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader, to inform the reader, or to satirize a condition. An author writes with one of four general purposes in mind: 1. To relate a story or to recount events, an author uses narrative writing.

Literature is art that shares a story and develops a theme for the audience. While it can stand alone as a form of art, it also is closely related to other art forms. Music is similar to poetry in pattern and rhythm. It can also reflect the same social concerns as literature and often represents a time in history.

Literature allows a person to step back in time and learn about life on Earth from the ones who walked before us. We can gather a better understanding of culture and have a greater appreciation of them. We learn through the ways history is recorded, in the forms of manuscripts and through speech itself.

Literature is the foundation of humanity’s cultures, beliefs, and traditions. It serves as a reflection of reality, a product of art, and a window to an ideology. Everything that happens within a society can be written, recorded in, and learned from a piece of literature. Without literature, life ceases to exist.

As an educative source, literature plays a significant part in human life. Literature works with direct or implied moral. Literature influences us and makes us understand the every walk of life. Narratives, in particular, inspire empathy and give people a new perspective on their lives and the lives of others.

The literature of any nation is the image that reflects the sincere ideas, so we can call it the mirror of life which reflects writers ‘ thought about life and the real situation of the world around.

There is an intimate connection between literature and life. It is, in fact, life which is the subject matter of literature. Life provides the raw material on which literature imposes an artistic form. Literature, as we defined in the previous section, is the communication of the writer’s experience of life.

The purpose of a literature review is to gain an understanding of the existing research and debates relevant to a particular topic or area of study, and to present that knowledge in the form of a written report. Conducting a literature review helps you build your knowledge in your field.