CLASSIFICATIONS OF LITERATURE

1. STRUCTURE
-It is composed of parts or the organization of something
-It sometimes shown in narrative stories (writing), order of occurrence or order of telling / written material on a topic or subject
1.1 FICTION
 It is a literary work of imaginative narration, either oral/written
 It describes imaginary events and people (fantasy)
 Its purpose is to entertain, let the readers think and feel

1.2 NON-FICTION
 It is literary work of “real life” narration / exposition based on history and facts, real events and real people
 It aims to convey knowledge, facts, theories / concepts of a topic
2. FORM
- It refers to the work of style on how the elements of design are implemented
- It also refers to the arrangement of the elements in a composition
2.1 PROSE
-It is a literary work that is spoken / written which gives information, relate events, express ideas or opinions
-It is a literary medium that corresponds closely to everyday speech pattern
Example: Drama (play) -most everyday writing
Novels (fiction) -the language is typically straightforward without much decoration
Short stories -ideas are concerned in sentences that are arranged into paragraphs
2.2 POETRY
– It is a literary work expressed in verse, measure, rhythm sound and imaginative language that gives emotional response
to an experience, feelings and facts
3. GENRE
 FICTION –incorporates fantastical and imaginary ideas from everyday life
-presents human / life in 2 levels:
3.1 OBJECTIVE REALITY- actions / experiences
3.2 SUBJECTIVE REALITY – human apprehension and comprehension
(categorized by either novel or short story)
 POETRY- a patterned form of verbal / written expressions of ideas that follows rhythmical terms with sense
-sound and structure elements
 ESSAY – a prose composition in a moderate length with exploration, evaluation and explanation of viewpoint about
a particular topic or subject
-mostly are non-fiction (e.g. diary, memoirs, biographies, journals)
 DRAMA – a form of prose that is performed in front of an audience
-it presents a story that is delivered entirely in dialogue and action (e.g. Romeo and Juliet)
 Folk Songs
Psalms
Corrido
Prose is a division of literature which covers a literary work that is spoken or written within the
common flow of language in sentences and in paragraphs which give information, relate events,
express ideas, or present opinions. Under this division, we have two sub-divisions: the Fiction
and Non-Fiction.

1. Fiction is a sub-division of prose which covers a literary work of imaginative narration,

either oral or written, fashioned to entertain and to make readers think and more so, to feel.
It normally came from the writer’s imagination. Some Literary Genres that fall under fiction
include:
A. Legend is a prose fiction which attempts to explain the origin of things, places,
objects that we see around us. Example: The Legend of Makahiya, Why the Sea is Salty.
B. Short story is a short prose fiction narrative depicting a simple characterization
and plot conveying a moral which can be read in one sitting. Example: The Diamond
Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, Footnote to Youth by Jose Garcia-Villa.
C. Novel is a very long prose narrative depicting complex characterization and plot
which is usually divided into chapters. Example: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, War
and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
D. Novella is a long prose narrative similar to but shorter than a novel but longer than
a short story. It is also known as novelette. Example: Treasure Island by Robert Louis
Stevenson, The Call of the Wild by Jack London.
E. Myth is a traditional sacred story A traditional sacred story, typically revolving
around the activities of gods and heroes, which aim to explain a natural phenomenon or
cultural practice. Example: The Story of Cupid and Psyche The Fall of Troy The Myth
about Creation - Tagalog
 F. Folktales are traditional narrative, usually anonymous and handed down orally
Example: fairytales, the adventures of Juan
G. Fable is a short prose fiction narrative depicting animal characters which espouses
a lesson in life.
Example: The Lion and the Mouse, The Monkey and the Turtle.
H. Parable is a short prose allegorical narrative which presents a philosophical outlook
in life.
Example:The Parable of the Sower, The Prodigal Son.
2. Non-Fiction is a sub-division of prose which covers a literary work of “real life” narration
or exposition based on history and facts whose main thrust is intellectual appeal to convey
facts, theories, generalizations, or concepts about a particular topic. Some literary genres
that fall under non-fiction include:
A. Biography is a prose non-fiction detailing the life of a person written by another
person.
Example: The Great Malayan about the Life of Jose Rizal written by Carlos Quirino.
Sometimes, a biography may be written by the same person, hence, it is called
autobiography.
Example: Memoirs written by Juan Ponce Enrile was a lengthy narrative about his
own life.
B. History is a prose non-fiction record of events that transpired in the
past. Example: The History of Filipino People written by Gregorio Zaide.
C. News is a prose non-fiction narrative of events that happen everyday. The
newspapers are written for this purpose. Example:Philippine Daily Inquirer.
D. Diary is a personal account of significant events that happen in the life of a person.
E. Anecdote is a prose non-fiction narrative that depicts a single incident in a
person’s life. Example: The Moth and the Lamp.
F. Essay is prose non-fiction which is a formal treatment of an issue written from the
writer’s personal point of view. Example: On the Indolence of the Filipinos written by
Jose Rizal.
B. Poetry is a division of literature works which covers a literary work expressed in verse,
measure, rhythm, sound, and imaginative language and creates an emotional response to an
experience, feeling or fact. Traditionally, it has three sub-divisions namely: Narrative poetry,
Lyric poetry, and Dramatic poetry.

1. Narrative Poetry is a sub-division of poetry which tells or narrates a story. It may be

lengthy as an epic, or short as a ballad and typically measured as a metrical tale.
A. Epic is a narrative poem which accounts the heroic exploits of a community’s hero,
usually involving superhuman abilities. Example: Hudhod hi Aliguyon is an Ifugao epic.
B. Ballad is a narrative poem which depicts a single incident that transpired in
a person’s life. It is usually recited during gatherings in the past but it may be sung in
the present days. Example: Forevermore by Side A Band.
C. Metrical Tale is a narrative poem which narrates a story in a “metered” or
“measured” number of syllables hence it was called metrical. Example: BAYANI NG
BUKID by Al Perez
2. Lyric Poetry is a sub-division of poetry which features poems intended to be sung with
the accompaniment of the musical instrument called “lyre” hence, lyric poetry. The following
are the types of lyric poems.
 A. Awit is a romance metrical tale of dodecasyllabic measure which is recited during
formal performances or informal gatherings. Example: Florante at Laura by Francisco
“Balagtas” Baltazar.
B. Corrido is a martial or adventure metrical tale of octosyllabic measure which is
recited for recreational purposes. Example: IbongAdarna by Jose Corazon dela Cruz.
C. Ode is a lyric poem of noble and exalted emotion which has dignified countenance.
Example: Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
D. Elegy is a lyric poem of sad theme such lamentation for the dead, longing for a
missing love, and a grief for things beyond one’s control. Example: Elegy Written in a
Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray.
E. Sonnet is a lyric poem of 14 iambic pentameter lines usually about love and
beautiful themes.
Example: Sonnet to Laura by Francesco Petrarch.
F. Idyll is a lyric poem celebrating the tranquil and beautiful landscapes of rural and
country settings. Example: Beside the Pasig River by Jose Rizal.
G. Folk Songsare short poems intended to be sung. The common theme is love,
despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope and sorrow. Example: CHIT-CHIRIT-CHIT
H. Psalms (dalit) is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a
philosophy of life
Example: Psalm of David
3. Dramatic Poetry is a sub-division of poetry which features poems meant to be performed
on stage. Theater plays and dramatic presentations belong to this type.
A. Tragedy is a dramatic poetry which features a hero whose hubris or shortcoming
eventually causes his downfall or defeat often ending in a very sad
conclusion. Example: Hamlet by William Shakespeare and The Three Rats by Wilfrido
Ma. Guerero.
B. Comedy is a dramatic poetry which is similar with tragedy except that the hero
triumphs and overcomes the odds towards the end and emerges
victoriously. Example: The Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.
C. Melodrama is a dramatic poetry which is a combination of the elements of tragedy
and comedy yet ends in a happy note. Example:A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William
Shakespeare
D. Farce is a dramatic poetry which is an exaggerated comedy that aims to elicit
laughter hence, relaxation. Examples: Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
E. Social Play is a dramatic poetry which tackles social issues and problems such as
poverty, corruption, discrimination, racism, sexism, among others, with an aim to bring
awareness and bring about positive change. Example: Zsazsa Zaturnah by Carlo
Vergara.
 P
oetry tells a long story
NARRATIVE POETRY tells a long story in verse.
 Epic is a long narrative poem in which a series of heroic adventures are
presented.
• Ballad is a short narrative poem intended to be sung. A well-known example of this
is Lord Randall, a traditional Scottish ballad, which employs a lot of repetition all
through out.

"O where ha you been, Lord Randal, my son?

And where ha you been, my handsome young man?"
"I ha been at the greenwood; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie down."
"An wha met ye there, Lord Randal, my son?
And wha met ye there, my handsome young man?"
"O I met wi my true-love; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I'm wearied wi huntin, and fain wad lie down."

 Metrical tale is a narrative poem written in verse. Its characters are ordinary people
concerned with ordinary
events. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is its best example.
 Metrical Romance is a long rambling love story in verse. The themes of most stories are
chivalry or knighthood, romantic love, and religious elements. Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight.

LYRIC POETRY
• Ode is a song of praise for something or someone.

• Elegy is a song of lamentation. Its usual theme is about death of a loved one.

• Song is also accompanied by music.

• Simple Lyric includes all lyric poems that do not fall under any of the four types.

• Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines.

e.g. Shakespearean Sonnet

English sonnet written in iambic pentameter lines (pattern: babcdcd-efef-gg). It presents and
develops its theme in in the first three quatrains and states a conclusion in the couplet, or the
last two lines.

e.g. Sonnet 24

Mine eye hath play’d the painter and hath stell’d

Thy beauty’s form in table of my heart;

My body is the frame wherein ’tis held,

And perspective it is the painter’s art.

For through the painter must you see his skill,

To find where your true image pictured lies;

Which in my bosom’s shop is hanging still,

That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes.

Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done:

Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me

Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun

Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;

Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art;

They draw but what they see, know not the heart.

DRAMATIC POETRY portrays life and character in extreme situations. The characters present
some actions in powerful, emotion packed lines like those of Shakespeare’s plays.
• POETIC PLAYS

Comedy is a type of drama which aims primarily to amuse; hence it ends happily. It started in a
ritual in honor of

Dionysius. Examples of comedies are Birds which ridiculed Athenian democracy; Clouds which
attacked the philosopher Socrates; and Lysistrata which denounced war. Menander is
considered the best of the writers of the new comedy. The word comedy comes from a Greek
term “ komos” which means festivity or revelry.

Tragedy is a type of drama in which the chief characters undergo amorally significant struggle
which ends disastrously. It presents humanity having a sense of dignity and free will. There are
three great tragic writers. Aeschylus wrote 90 plays, out of which only 7 remained. Prometheus
Bound, a well-known work, tells the story of the great Titan Prometheus. He is a superhuman
who stole fire from heaven and gave it to mankind. Sophocles is a “golden age” writer who
produced more than 100 plays. His drama, Antigone, is a model of self- sacrifice. He also

wrote the famous play Oedipus the King. Eurepides had written 92 plays, only 19 of which
existed in full. His tragedies are about real men and women instead of real characters. Aristotle
called him the “the most tragic” because his plays are the most moving. His dramas are often
performed on the modern stage. His best well known dramas are

Medea, Trojan Women, Orestes and Electra.

Melodrama presents sensational actions, sentimental love stories, and extravagant emotions
that usually end up

happily.

Farce is an exaggerated comedy based on humorous situations. The characters use funny lines
or situations that are too ridiculous to be true. The characters seem to be caricatures and the
motives are undignified and absurd.

Masque is a form of court pageantry that flourished in England in the 16th century but was not
revived later. It had a prologue serving to introduce the group of actors who came in a sort of
decorative float.

Historical Play / Histography is a drama based on the lives of outstanding figures in history.
Herodotus and Thucydides are two important historians who flourished during the classical age.
Herodotus is commonly called the “Father of History,” and hid writings contain the first truly
literary use of prose in western literature. His work presents a reverent spirit, giving a certain
air of moral dignity to the entire composition. He is considered as the earliest and the best
historian by scholars. His works describe the war between the Persians and the Greeks – the
struggle for supremacy between Europe and Asia, between civilization and barbarism, freedom
and despotism. Thucydides, they say, is a better historian because of his critical use of sources,
inclusion of documents and laborious research that made his History of Peloponnesian War a
significant influence on later generations of historians. Xenophon was the third historian who
wrote Hellenica. His writings were superficial but he wrote with authority on military matters.
PROSE is written in paragraphs. For example, novels, novelettes, short stories, legends,
contemporary dramas, legends, fables, essays, anecdotes, news, and speeches
(fiction/nonfiction)

A. Fiction

Novel is a long narrative with considerable number of characters and setting.

Novelette is a prose narrative that is more elaborate than a short story but can also be read in
one sitting and can produce a single, concentrated effect. Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man
and the Sea” is an example of a

novelette.

Short Story is a short narrative which usually involves one or more major characters, one plot,
and a single conflict.

Legend is a story about the origin of things. The characters are normally fictitious.

Myth is a fictional tale about god and goddesses.

Fables have animals and other inanimate things that are gifted with human attributes as
characters.

Anecdotes are short humorous stories about animas or children.

Fairy Tale is a story that presents folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, giants,
and other unusual creatures. The story usually presents a happy ending.

Folk tales are also called “migratory tales.” A folk tale is a story which consist of one or a
combination of many folklore themes (motifs). They are handed from generation to generation
through word of mouth and spread all over the world.

B. Non- Fiction

Autobiography is a combination of three Greek words “auton” which means self, “bio” means
life, and “graphein” to write. It tells about the author’s own life story.

Biography is a written account of another person’s life.

Diary /Journal is a chronological presentation of life events. It includes the writer’s

observations, feelings and experiences.

Essays are classified into formal and informal. They usually express the opinions of the writer
about an event, people, or things. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne is considered the Father of
Modern Essay while other philosophers call him the Father of Modern Skepticism.