21ST

CENTURY
LITERATURE
 LITERATURE

DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE

TYPES OF FICTION

TYPES OF NONFICTION

TYPES OF POETRY
 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

Two Divisions of Literature:

- From the Philippine Regions
- The World

Why 21st Century Literature?

- Senior High School students were all born in the 21st century.
- The range of years in 21st century literature was written from
(roughly) the year 2001 to present.

Characteristics of 21st Century Literature

- It deals with the current themes and reflects technological
culture
- It often breaks traditional writing
- It traces artistic representation of shared and familiar
experiences

The new millennium witnessed a range of exciting developments in

contemporary writings, from innovations in recognized forms such
as the novel, poem, play and short stories to developments in digital
writings,

Alongside these developments, the publishing industry also

changed, with technological advances giving rise to the dawn of the
eBook.

The most recent literary texts in the Philippines.

TEXTULA This is a poetry genre mastered by Frank Rivera
(poems written and read on mobile phones.)

GRAPHIC Are becoming as respectable as prose novels

NOVELS among literary critics.

BLOGS Where prose novels are being serialized (with

 readers suggesting change in plots.)

HYPERTEXTU Popular texts where readers move from one

AL POEMS website to another because of embedded links
in the words and sometimes, not returning to
the original pages at all.

FLASH Has also been to an extreme with six-word and

FICTION even one-word short stories.

Poems meant to be recited in front of large audiences have become

more fashionable than poems meant to be read silently by a single
reader.

“Literature is the garden of wisdom.” - James Ellis

What is Literature?

- A body of work presenting life and experience through a

medium called language.
- An artistic written record of man’s best thoughts and feelings
at a particular period.
- In one sense, it is a product of, and a commentary on, life
processes, and we can only get some sense of the meaning of
experience by living through it.

Importance of Literature

- In many ways, literature can change one’s perspective

towards life.
- Literary works are portrayals of the thinking patterns, social
norms, traditions and cultures of people.
- Literature is a refuge of our society. It satisfies our needs for
fiction.
- Literature serves as food for thought and tonic for
imagination. Exposing individuals to good literary works is
equivalent to providing them with the finest of educational
opportunities.
- It adds life to living. It not only describes living but adds to it.
Characteristics of Literature

 Expressive, artistic, imaginative, universal, influential,

timeless

 “The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what

you mean; not to affect readers, but to affect them precisely
as you wish.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

 To understand literature better, you must know both the

sense and sound of words that constitute the language of
literature. The words used are often figurative rather than
literal.

Figurative language

 Words that go beyond the literal meaning to make the

language beautiful and enjoyable.

Literal language

 Words with their exact meaning which are used in everyday

conversation and information dissemination.

DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE |

PROSE POETRY

The division of Is the division of

literature that literature that
refers to a spoken refers to
or written imaginative
expression of expression of
ideas in ordinary ideas in metrical
language and has form which uses
no metric figurative
regularly. language.
 Fiction - refers to prose writing that is not
factual, but rather, imaginary or product of the
author’s imagination.
Types of
Prose
Nonfiction - refers to prose writing which
deals exclusively with factual (or, at least,
assumed factual) events, descriptions,
observations, etc.

Types of Fiction

Short Story
Is a fictitious narrative shorter than a novel that revolves around a
single conflict.

Novel
Is a long prose narrative about fictitious characters and events that
is divided into chapters.

Novelette
A fictitious narrative shorter than a novel but longer than a short
story.

Legend
A story handed down by tradition from earlier times about the
origin of a place or a thing.

Mythology
A prose form that deals with the beliefs of a certain people as to
their gods, goddesses, and other supernatural beings.

Fable
Story that has a moral lesson wherein the main characters are
animals.

Parable
A story that illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by jesus
in the gospels.

Allegory
A prose story that uses symbolism to represent an idea. It is a prose
form in which things and actions are symbolic.

Fairytale
Is a traditional story often intended for children, that features
fanciful, wondrous and magical characters about elves, wizards,
fairies, kings, and queens, etc.

Types of Nonfiction

Essay
Is a type of nonfiction writing made up of related paragraphs that
mainly tries to explain or expound a subject or an idea.

Anecdote
A short and interesting story or an amusing event often proposed to
support or demonstrate some points and make readers/listeners
laugh.

Diary
A daily written record or account of the writer’s own experiences,
thoughts, activities or observations.

Biography
A story of a certain person’s life written by another who knows him.

Autobiography
A written account of a man’s life written by themselves.

History
A study of past events as relating to a particular people, country,
period, etc.

Journal
A magazine or periodical that deals with a particular subject or
professional activity

Character sketch
Is a short description of the qualities and traits of a person.

Travelogue
Is a written account of trips, journeys, tours, etc. Taken by the
writer.

Types of Poetry

Lyric poetry
Is a type of poetry where the poet feels free to express ideas and
emotions in musical language as he experienced them. William
wordsworth said that “it is a spontaneous overflow of emotions.”

Narrative poetry
Is a type of poetry that narrates a story. It is written in metered
verse and uses poetic devices such as rhyme and rhythm.

Dramatic poetry
is a type of poetry that is acted or performed before an audience.

Types of Lyric Poetry

Ode
Is a lyrical poem praising or glorifying an event or individual. It is
dignified in style and uses elevated language. It is the most
majestic of the lyric poems.

Elegy
A sad poem expressing sorrow or lamentation for a dead person.
Sonnet
A lyric poem that is composed of 14 iambic pentameter lines.

Song
A lyric poem that is intended to be sung, with melodious harmony
and rhythm.

Idyll
Deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes and suggests a mood of
peace and contentment.

Types of Narrative Poetry

Epic
A long narrative poem that narrates the exploits of a great hero or
people with supernatural power. It frequently reflects the ideals
and culture of a divine being.

Ballad
Is a short narrative poem telling a single incident in simple meter
and stanzas. It is one of the oldest forms of poetry that may refer to
any story told in song.

Metrical Tale
Deals with the emotions or phase of life and the story is told in a
simple and straightforward manner.

Metrical Romance
A narrative poem that tells a story of adventure, love and chivalry.
The typical hero is a knight on a quest.

Types of Dramatic Poetry

Tragedy
A play with a serious theme where the characters meet misfortune
and ends with a very sad event or experience.

Comedy
Is a type of drama that deals with humorous aspects of human
behavior. It has a playful mood and ends happily.

Farce
Is a drama that deals with ridiculous situations and it doesn’t
stimulate thoughts. It is an exaggerated form of comedy about a
trivial theme like mistaken identity, elaborate misunderstanding,
switched costume, etc.

Melodrama
A type of drama which aims to arouse tears or fears. What makes it
melodrama is its portrayal of the protagonist and the antagonist.
The protagonist suffers a lot but triumphs in the end while the
antagonist suffers.

Masque
A form of poetic play that is more related to opera. The main
interest is usually in the splendid setting, elaborate costumes,
music and dancing. Masques are usually given in honor of visiting
royalties.