Introduction to
Literature
A discussion of literary awesomeness
LITERATURE LEARNING
What’s literature?
The writing or the study of books, etc
valued as works of art (drama, fiction,
essays, poetry, biography, contrasted with
technical books and journalism)(Hornby
dictionary).
 What’s learning?
 The acquisition and development of
memories and behaviors, including skills,
knowledge, understanding, values, and
wisdom.



The aims of literature learning
 To widen our knowledge and visions to
understand more about some great
literary works, famous authors, and their
thought. It will also make us get
acquainted with their ideas, their feelings,
and their attitudes towards life, man,
nature and God.

The aims of literature learning
It is a means of transformation, that is, indirectly it
may lead the wrong back to the right path although
not all literary works are preaching and moralizing.
 Instances: Hemingway’s The old man and the sea,
 Dickens’s Oliver twist , Shakespeare’s Hamlet,
George Eliot’s Silas Marner , Jonathan Swift’s
Gullivers’s Travel, Stevenson’s Treasure Island and
Oscar wilde’s Happy prince.



.

Another Distinction of literary genres:
Popular Fiction vs. “Serious” Literary
works
 Pop fiction like Harry Potter movies and
pop song lyrics are considered less
valuable than “serious” literary works like
Shakespearian drama, Dickens's novel or
Wordsworth’s poem

Recently in Indonesian people talk about:
 Secular literature vs Islamic/dakwah
literature.
 The secular one refers to Shaman’s Ayu
Utami and a writer like Dinar rahayu
whereas the Islamic one refers to HTR,
Asma Nadia, Gola Gong etc.

The aims of literature learning
 Literature helps us to be (become more)
realistic, mature, wise and humane. It
helps understand human values,
sentiments, interests and problems. It
brings us closer to other human beings of
the same or different nationalities,
cultures, human values etc. we become
more tolerant, balanced and fuller.

What’s English literature?
 Narrow sense: anything that is written:
time tables, play’s dialogues, textbooks,
travel brochures and so on.
 Broad sense: The writing or the study of
 English books, etc valued as works of art
(drama, fiction, essays, poetry, biography,
contrasted with technical books and
journalism).it commonly refers to British
and American literature.


Short story
Literary genres
prose
Novella
novel
Comedy
Literature
Drama
tragedy
Epics
poetry
Ballads
Lyrical
poetry

The nature of good literature

Good literature must seem lifelike and
meaningful. it is caused by its focus on
the central themes of all literature: life,
truth, justice and love.

.
The nature of good literature
 The originality of the works of art.
Instances: Hamlet and Machbeth were
real historical characters but then
Shakespeare by his craftsmanship and
style made out of these old figures and
stories in a new and fascinating light.

The nature of good literature
 It should be life-enhancing. Matthew
Arnold said about poetry as a criticism of
life. Andre harjana says,”literature deals
with the the awakeing of mental
conscience and inner self
insight”(1985:22).

 Some
theories of Literature
 1. imitative theory
 2. expressive theory
 3. affective theory
Imitative or “mimetic” theory
 This theory holds that art is an imitation
of something. In his Poetics, Aristotle
(382-322 B.C) says, that a tragedy is an
imitation of an action that is serious and
complete. it is not 100% imitation but a
“re-creation” or “re-presentation”.



The Expressive theory
This theory holds that the artist is not
essentially an imitator but a man who
expresses his feelings. According to william
wordsworth, “poetry is the spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings and “the poet’s
job is to treat things NOT AS THE ARE..but as
they seem to exist to the sense, the passion.”
more than that it is an effort to pluck the
blindfold from our eyes and melt the ice
around our heart. It will deepen our
sensibilities.
Affective theory
 Affective theory insists that the aim is not
to induce a temporary emotional state.
But to induce emotional state that will
lead to action. Leo Tolstoy said that
emotion is not an end but a means.
Alexander Pope said that the aim or art is
to reform those whom it touches.
