Santiago Moreno 1st 4

LITERATURE LITERATURE TRANSMITS

INCONTROVERTIBLE CONDENSED
EXPERIENCE... FROM
GENERATION TO GENERATION. IN
THIS WAY LITERATURE BECOMES
THE LIVING MEMORY OF A
NATION. 

ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN

WHAT IS LITERATURE? LITERATURE THROUGH

Etymology: “litteratura” derived from “littera”
(letter), both in latin. The letter is the smallest
element of alphabetical writing.
 “Text”  related to “textile” and can be
translated as “fabric”: threads which form a
fabric to words and sentences which form a
meaningful and coherent text.
The broad definition incorporates everything
that has been written down in some form or
another, i.e., all the written manifestations of a
culture (hence, there are terms such as
'research literature', 'the literature on civil
rights', etc.).
HISTORY
Before writing developed as a system of signs,
whether pictographs or alphabets, “texts” were
passed on orally. This predecessor of literary
expression, called “oral poetry,” consisted of
texts stored in a bard’s or minstrel’s memory
which could be recited upon demand
While in the Middle Ages handwritten
manuscripts were richly decorated the arrival
of the modern age ( invention of the printing
press)  reduced or disappeared the
illustrations in the text.

NARRATIVE MODALITIES AND CLASSIFICATION OF LITERARY

GENERIC CATEGORIZATION WORKS
Genre: usually refers to one of the three classical
literary forms of epic, drama, or poetry. Applied
primarily to the three classical forms of the As early as Greco-Roman antiquity, the
literary tradition classification of literary works into different
Text type: refers to highly conventional written genres has been a major concern of literary
documents such as instruction manuals, sermons, theory, which has since then produced a
obituaries, etc. a broader term that is also number of divergent and sometimes even
applicable to “non-canonical” written texts. contradictory categories.
Discourse: various linguistic conventions referring
to areas of content and theme . Refers to a variety
of written and oral manifestations which share
common thematic or structural features
.

MAJOR GENRES IN TEXTUAL

STUDIES
FICTION
As early as Greco-Roman antiquity, the POETRY
As early as Greco-Roman
Epics:classification
Homer’s epics, theof literary antiquity,
works
Iliad and the into
Odyssey
thedifferent
(XVII BC), One of the oldest genres in literary history.
classification
genres
and Virgil’s of
(70–19 literary
hasBC)
been works
a major
Aeneid into different
concern
(c. 31–19 of literary
BC) influenced the Related to the term “lyric,” which derives etymologically
genres
major has been
medieval
theory, epics.a Majority
which major concern of produced
of traditional
has since then literary
epics revolve
a from the Greek musical instrument “lyra” (“lyre” or “harp”).
theory,
around which
a hero has
who has since
to fulfillthen produced
a number of tasksaof “Poetry,” goes back to the Greek word “poieo” (“to make,”
national
number
or cosmic
ofsignificance
divergentinand sometimes
a multiplicity of
even “to produce”), poet is the person who “makes” verse.
number of divergent and sometimes
contradictory categories. even
episodes Subdivided into the two major categories:
contradictory categories. Narrative poetry: epic long poem, the romance, and the
Romance:  considered a forerunner of the novel mainly ballad. They tell stories with clearly developed, structured
because of its tendency toward a focused plot and unified plots.
point of view e.g Apuleius’ Golden Ass (II AD) Lyric poetry: mainly concerned with one event, impression,
Novel: one of the most productive genres of modern or idea
literatura which emerged in Spain during the XVII A.D and in
England during the XVIII century Miguel de Cervantes’ Types of poetry:
(1547–1616) Don Quixote (1605; 1615) picaresque novel, Elegy:  laments the death of a dear person
Bildungsroman, epistolary novel, historical novel Ode: several stanzas with a serious, mostly classical theme.
Sonnet: Used in poetry primarily to deal with the theme of
Short story: with roots  in antiquity and the Middle Ages. “worldly love”
Story, myth, and fairy tale relate to the oldest types of
textual manifestation The most important elements in poetry
lexical-thematic dimension
Novella or novelette: an intermediary position between diction
novel and short story, since its length and narratological rhetorical figures
elements cannot be strictly identified with either of the two theme
genres. visual dimension
Main elements  to develop a story and its Theme: stanzas
Plot What happens?, Characters Who acts?, Narrative concrete poetry
perspective Who sees what?, Setting Where and when do rhythmic-acoustic dimension
the events take place?. rhyme and meter
onomatopoeia

DRAMA
Derives from the Greek “draein” (“to do,” “to act”), thereby
referring to a performance or representation by actors.
Has its roots in cultic-ritual practice
Simple forms of drama:
Mystery and Miracle plays, religious, allegorical, or biblical
themes adapted from Christian liturgy  for performance in
front of churches and in the yards of inns
Tragedy “a representation of an action that is heroic and
complete”
Comedy: its humorous themes intended to entertain the
audience
History plays: a historical event or figure addition of
contemporary references
Closet drama: XIX century, England. Drama to be read in
private
Levels of a play:
text                                actors
dialogue                        methods
monologue                    facial expressions
plot                                gestures
setting                           language
stage direction
transformation
directing
stage
lighting
performance 
FILM
Film has become a semi-textual genre.
It is predetermined by literary techniques; conversely,
literary practice developed particular features under the
impact of film.
As well as Drama, is categorized under the heading
performing arts because they use actors as their major
means of expression
The study of film has existed for quite some time now as an
independent discipline
The most obvious difference between film and drama is the
fact that a film is recorded and preserved rather than
individually staged in theater performance
The most essential elements of film can be grouped under
the dimensions of:
spatial dimension             temporal dimension
film stock                          slow and fast motion
lighting                              plot time
camera angle                    length of film
camera movement            flashback
point of view                     foreshadowing
editing                               acoustic dimension
montage                            music
dialogue                             
music

Bibliography: Klarer, M. (2004).

An introduction to literary
studies. London: Routledge.