Short introduction to literature as a concept for students at college composition level.

1. Literature What is it, and why should we care?

3. Is everything that’s fiction, literature?

4. Is everything that’s not fiction, not literature?

5. Is it only literature if it’s old?

6. Is it only literature if it’s studied in school?

8. All literature must be making some obscure point that “ordinary people” can’t understand.

9. Literature must be at least 50 years old.

10. Literature has no relevance to today’s world.

11. Most literature, like Shakespeare, is written in “Old English.”

14. Contemporary literature is often about contemporary topics.

17. “Cool” people who like literature:

18. Stephen King

19. Oprah

21. It takes 3 common forms

22. Prose (fiction & personal essays)

23. Poetry

25. Literature makes use of literary devices to make reading easier, more fun, and to add layers of meaning.

26. Literature is not some sort of secret text to which only certain people have “the meaning.”

28. Irony: the opposite of what’s expected. There are 3 kinds

29. Verbal irony: sarcasm. Clearly the person means the opposite of what is said.

30. Situational: what happens is the opposite of what’s expected.

32. Simile: uses “like” or “as”: as big as a house

33. Metaphor: is a direct comparison: She’s a brick house.

34. Metaphor is not the same as symbolism! If there aren’t 2 things being compared, it’s not a metaphor.

35. Mood or Tone: the attitude/emotion taken toward the subject of the story.

38. Happy reading!