Introduction to literature

Mar 16, 2025

TOPIC1:INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Ujuziblog post this article of introduction to literature, this articles give more understanding on meaning of literature, types of literature such as oral literature and written literature, importance of studying literature and different literature devices that help leaners to equip with higher literature knowledge.

01.THE OVER VIEW OF THE TERM LITERATURE

a)Meaning of literature

There is no single definition of that suits the meaning of literature. As a result, there have been various attempts to define the term literature. Some of these attempts are;

Literature is a work of art that uses language creatively to portray the message to the intended audience.

Literature is a work of art that uses language creatively to express human realities to society.

Literature is an imaginative work of art that uses language to reflect social realities.

Therefore, the definition of literature should include some important terms as follows:
"Literature is an imaginative work of art that uses language creatively and imaginatively to portray social realities (society)."

b) Key Terms/Concepts Used in Literature

The definition of literature is incomplete unless it involves these concepts:

Art – refers to the way of doing things. It includes creativity, decoration, beauty, painting, coloring, threading, beautification, and embroidery. It is creativity that comprises the use of attention of individuals. Art is divided into two (2) types, which are:

Performing art: It is an art that uses movement of bodies and voices to convey a particular expression. Performing art includes dance, music, and acting.
Fine art: It is an art that is created for aesthetic or intellectual purposes. It includes furniture making, painting, sculpting, drawing, pottery, etc.

Language – is the system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for interaction and communication, exchanging, and sharing of ideas. Language is an important tool in communication for delivering the intended message. No literature can exist without a language.
Creativity/Imaginative – it is the situation of applying skills, decoration, painting, designing an object, and making it unique from others.
Society – It is the people, folk, or inhabitants of a certain area or location who make up the society.
Artist – It is a person who deals with art, dancing, drawing, painting, and performing. An artist can be an orator, performer, dramatist, novelist, or painter.

02. LITERATURE AS AN ART

Literature is said to be an art due to the following points:

a) Language Use

The language used in literature is different from the language of everyday use. Literature uses figures of speech, and words are assigned an extra meaning beyond their ordinary implication. Some words carry literal meaning, while others have symbolic meaning. Therefore, you need to dig a bit deeper before concluding the intended message.

b) Character and Characterization

Literature uses real people or other characters that represent real people in the outside world. Inanimate beings may be personified in a way that they represent human qualities and act accordingly. This adds artistic effect to the literary work.

c) Choice and Presentation of Incidents

Literature is not just a collection of facts and stories to be reported. Incidents in literature are presented in an artistic way that makes the audience feel as if they are actually happening. There is the use of skillful narrative techniques like point of view, flashback, foreshadowing, suspense, etc. All these help the reader visualize the events as though they are unfolding before their eyes.

d) Selection of Setting

Writers select a setting that aligns with the content of their works. For example, issues like poverty, ignorance, social classes, and misuse of power are commonly portrayed in the African context.

e) Selection of Title

Literary works like plays, novels, and poems have titles that match the targeted message. For example, The Trials of Brother Jero links the title with the content by using the main character, Brother Jero.

f) Literature is Imaginative and Symbolic in Nature

The language used in literature is usually imaginative. Therefore, literature uses language imaginatively to represent social realities.

03. FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE

Since literature does not develop from a vacuum but from the society in which it emanates, it has different roles to play in society. The following are some of the most important roles of literature:

a) Literature Educates People in the Society

Literary works are used to impart knowledge to members of society. They create awareness of different social, political, and economic matters taking place in society. Literature educates young people on how they are expected to behave according to societal expectations and the roles they are required to fulfill.

b) Literature Expresses People’s Culture

Since literature develops from society, it automatically expresses the culture of its people. All cultural aspects like traditions, beliefs, customs, and norms are expressed so that society may cherish the good ones and carry them over to the next generations while modifying or discarding the outdated ones.

c) Literature is Used to Entertain People

Most literary works appeal to emotions. By reading, listening to, and watching literary works, we get entertained. Poems and dramas create enjoyment for the audience in a way that is different from physical pleasures like eating food. Literary enjoyment is called aesthetic pleasure; for example, comedies and melodrama.

d) Literature is Used to Influence People in Society

More often than not, people who are interested in watching, listening to, and reading literary works are tempted to act like the characters in the respective literary work. For example, during the struggle for independence, literary works were used to instill revolutionary ideas in the oppressed to take up arms against the oppressor. Consider the poem Your Pain by Armando Guebuza.

e) Literature is Used to Develop Language

By reading, listening to, and watching literary works, people improve their language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. People may also improve their vocabulary since they will not only come across new words but also learn how they are used in context. Authors also create new words, phrases, idioms, and figures of speech that help develop the language.

f) Literature is Used to Liberate People Mentally and Physically

Literary works present messages that help liberate society mentally, and as a result, people liberate themselves physically. Literature makes society aware of the existence of oppressive systems and suggests ways to get rid of them. For example, united we stand, divided we fall.

g) Literature is Used to Criticize Society

Literature may be used to criticize society by pointing out pressing issues and urging society to resolve them. Literary artists often highlight the evils of traditional society, such as outdated customs like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), widow inheritance, and forced marriage, and ask society to discard them. They may also expose the wrongdoings of the ruling class and suggest ways to remove corrupt leaders.

04. IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING LITERATURE

a) Literature helps us grow both personally and intellectually. It opens doors for us, stretches our minds, develops our imagination, increases our understanding, and enlarges our power of sympathy. It helps us see beauty in the world around us.
b) It links us with the cultural, philosophical, and religious world of which we are a part.
c) It enables us to recognize human dreams and struggles in different places and times.
d) It makes us human. Literature exercises our emotions through interest, concern, sympathy, tension, excitement, regret, fear, laughter, and hope.
e) It identifies society.
f) It broadens people's thinking.
g) It preserves and transmits people’s culture.
h) It unites people.
i) It encourages people.
j) It creates employment for people.

05. CONTEXT IN WHICH LITERATURE IS APPLIED IN SOCIETY

Context is a situation in which something happens, and that helps you understand it. It is also known as environment, circumstance, or background. There are different contexts in which literature is applied in society. These environments include:

a) Educational Context

Literature is used in schools, colleges, and universities as a field of study. Through studying literature, we get professionals or experts like analysts, novelists, playwrights, poets, teachers, authors, and professors of literature. Musicians are also experts in literature. They use their knowledge to entertain and educate members of society through their songs.

b) Religious Context

In different religious denominations, literature is a fundamental part of worship. Church choirs apply the knowledge of literature to compose, practice, and sing songs. The way they sing, praise, and worship through songs, hymns, and lyrics is a literary expression of faith.

(c) Economic Context

From the history of humankind, literature has been used for different purposes. Thus, literature cannot be isolated from the origin of humans through the labor process associated with the making and use of tools. Human beings had to use language to communicate various issues related to labor differentiation. Primarily, literature existed in oral forms such as songs (labor songs), myths, and folktales aimed at warning, encouraging hard work, criticizing evil, and maintaining social values. People composed different songs that accompanied them during and after their economic activities. An example of such songs/poems includes The Lazy Man by the Yoruba.

(d) Political Context

Literature plays a significant role in political activities. From the history of political struggles for independence, it has been observed that political leaders and other members used literature as a tool of communication. They composed different songs to mobilize people to unite and struggle for freedom. For example, the poem Your Pain was meant to help the people of Mozambique become self-aware of the impact of colonialism. This song inspired and motivated them to unite and fight for their freedom. Literature is also applied during political campaigns to influence people to vote for a particular political party, such as CCM or CHADEMA.

(e) Marriage Context

Literature is also used during marriage ceremonies, where different songs are sung for enjoyment, warning, and educating the couples. For example, wedding songs are mainly sung by the relatives of the bride to show appreciation for the ceremony and for a successful marriage.

(f) Funeral Context

Literature is applied through its works, such as songs, proverbs, and poems, to console the relatives and friends of the deceased. In the Hehe tribe, men cry in poetic form by naming their relatives who passed away a long time ago, a practice called Kuyeyela. The songs sung during funerals are called dirges. Dirges are songs performed at funerals or memorial services, where singers mourn the deceased through song, conveying deep feelings of sorrow and loss.

(g) Social Context

In this context, literature is applied according to the purpose of the social gathering. Literary works such as songs, comedies, idioms, proverbs, and short stories are used or performed to educate, criticize, warn, and entertain people. The aim is to encourage personal reform and socially acceptable behavior. Comedy, for instance, is performed to entertain people.

(h) Family Context

Literature is applied at the family level, where parents, guardians, adults, neighbors, and youth use literary works to communicate their emotions and feelings in different ways. Family members, such as elders and adults, as well as youth, narrate different stories such as fables, anecdotes, and folktales. They also sing songs such as childbirth and child-naming songs, as well as lullabies, to educate, entertain, and warn the younger generation.

06. FORMS OF LITERATURE

There are two major types/forms of literature, namely:

a) Oral Literature

This is a type of literature that presents the message through words of mouth. It is the oldest form of literature, as it was practiced before the invention of writing. Examples include myths, parables, and legends.

b) Written Literature

This is a form of literature that presents the message in written form. It began with the invention of writing. Written literature has two major forms: fiction and non-fiction. Examples include biographies, autobiographies, novels, plays, short stories, and essays.

Relationship Between Oral and Written Literature

Both oral and written literature share the following characteristics:

Both portray social realities.
Both use language as their medium of communication.
Both consist of two elements: form and content.
Both perform similar functions such as educating, developing language, and uniting people.

Differences Between Oral and Written Literature

Oral literature is presented orally, while written literature is presented through writing.
Oral literature is preserved in memory, while written literature is preserved in books like novels and short stories.
Oral literature involves performance, while written literature is primarily read rather than performed.
Oral literature can change immediately, while written literature remains unchanged for a long time.
Oral literature is rich in different types, while written literature has fewer types.
Oral literature includes a variety of characters, while written literature is mainly limited to human characters.
Oral literature is owned by the whole community, while written literature is owned by the author.
Oral literature is older, while written literature is relatively young.

07. LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Language acts as a bridge through which literature conveys messages.

a) Features of Language Used in Literature

It is imaginative in nature

The language used in literature creates mental images in the reader’s mind. When the reader reads, they can visualize the content through figures of speech such as exaggeration and metaphor.

It does not strictly follow standard grammar rules

Writers of fiction or literary works are free to bend grammatical rules to achieve a particular effect.

It is symbolic in nature

In literature, words represent deeper meanings or ideas. For example, in Your Pain, the word "blood" symbolizes sacrifice.

b) Relationship Between Literature and Language

Literature uses language as a medium to present messages

Artists must have a rich vocabulary and a good command of language to effectively convey meaning.

Language is used to influence people's minds

Spoken words not only convey meaning but also shape thoughts and encourage social change.

Language is used to arouse emotions

Literature can inspire pleasure, enjoyment, sadness, pity, or even terror through the use of language.

Language is a part of literature

Literature cannot exist without language. Writers must use the language of their society to communicate with their audience. For example, Tanzanian writers use Kiswahili to reach a wider audience.

Literature helps develop language

Through reading, listening, speaking, and writing, literature enhances language skills.

Language makes literature a work of art

Literary language is creative, imaginative, and symbolic.

Literature is stored and presented through language

It is either written down or passed orally through spoken words.

c) Differences Between Ordinary and Literary Language

Usage: Ordinary language is commonly used in daily life, while literary language is used mainly in literature.
Syntax: Ordinary language follows standard grammar and word order, whereas literary language may break these rules for artistic effect.
Figures of Speech: Ordinary language may or may not use figures of speech, while literary language is rich in figurative expressions.
Clarity: Ordinary language is straightforward and easy to understand, while literary language often has deeper meanings and requires interpretation.
Meaning: Words in ordinary language retain their original meaning, while in literary language, words may acquire symbolic or multiple meanings.

d) Factors for Using Foreign Languages in African Literature

Underdevelopment of African languages

Many African languages lack a standardized written form, making it difficult for writers to use them in literature.

Absence of government language policies

Most African governments do not have policies that promote the use of indigenous languages in literature.

Lack of promotion in employment and education

No African country requires proficiency in an indigenous language for university admission or job opportunities.

Multilingualism in Africa

With over 2,035 languages in Africa, it is difficult to establish a common literary language.

High cost of developing African languages

Language development requires resources, making it expensive to standardize all African languages for literary use.

Limited market for African-language literature

Since many African languages are not widely written, literary works in these languages have low commercial value.

Challenges in publishing

Most publishers hesitate to publish books in African languages due to the lack of experts and market demand.

e) Importance of Language in Literature

Language is the medium of literature

It acts as the vehicle through which literature is expressed, whether oral or written.

Literature is created through language

There would be no literature without language. When language is used artistically, it becomes literature.

Literature transforms ordinary language into creative expression

Literary works use figurative language to create deeper meaning and artistic effect.

Reading literature improves language skills

Exposure to literary texts enhances vocabulary, comprehension, and linguistic creativity.

Language helps students analyze literary texts

Literature aids in understanding complex texts and themes.

Language in literature provides real-life experiences

It exposes readers to different cultural and social settings through storytelling.

Literary Devices

A literary device refers to artistic language structures used by writers to give a deeper meaning and flavor to their literary works. They include figures of speech and musical or sound techniques like rhyming schemes, alliteration, etc.

A figure of speech is an expression of things that deviates from ordinary language. Figures of speech make literary works appear colorful and attractive to read.

Roles of Literary Devices in Literature

They are used for comparison. Example: metaphor and simile.
They are used for emphasis. Example: reiteration or repetition.
They are used for clarity.
They are used for freshness.
They differentiate literary works from other works.
They are used for beauty.

The Most Common Literary Devices Used in Literature

a) Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.” It suggests that one thing is another thing or is equal to another thing.
Example:

He was a lion.
The Lord is my shepherd.

b) Simile

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by using the words “like,” “as,” “than,” or “resembles.”
Example:

As white as snow.
Life is just like ice cream; enjoy it before it melts.

c) Irony

The use of words in such a way that the intended meaning is completely opposite to their literal meaning. It can be used intentionally or unintentionally to make the audience think about what has just been said or to emphasize a certain idea.
Example:

Bread is as soft as a stone.
A bank lends you money provided you show that it is not needed.

Types of Irony

i. Verbal irony
Occurs when words are used to suggest the opposite of their usual meaning. The intended meaning of the statement differs (often the opposite of) what the statement literally says.
Example:

“The bread is as soft as a stone.”
In Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, Dr. Stockman, who is declared an enemy, is in reality a friend of the people.

ii. Dramatic irony
A failure of a character to see or understand what is obvious to the audience. It also refers to a contradiction in a play between what a character thinks and what the audience knows to be true.
Example:

In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus fails to realize what the audience knows—that he has married his mother.

iii. Situational irony
Occurs when what happens is contrary to what is expected, or the actual outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected.
Example:

The son of an English teacher fails an English exam.
The daughter of a rich merchant is expelled from school for lack of school fees.

d) Satire

A literary technique that ridicules its subject, including individuals, organizations, or states, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. Satire often uses irony.

e) Sarcasm

A bitter, cutting speech intended to wound someone’s feelings.
Example:
Student: I don’t understand.
Teacher: Well, I wouldn’t expect you to.

f) Personification

The representation of inanimate objects or abstract ideas as living beings. It connects readers with the object that is personified.
Example:

The mountains cried, the valleys wept, and the hills waited, all mourning the death of Nyerere.

g) Apostrophe

A direct address to the dead or an inanimate object, creating an emotional surge.
Example:

Nyerere, only if you were alive!
O heart of man-made God.

h) Rhetorical Question

A question asked not to gain information but for emphasis. No answer is expected.
Example:

Did you help me when I needed help?
Did you once offer to intercede on my behalf?

i) Hyperbole (Overstatement)

A figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.
Example:

I am so hungry that I can eat a whole cow.
She wept and wept until there was a sea of tears.

j) Litotes (Understatement)

The use of a negative or weak statement to emphasize a positive meaning.
Example:

I was not feeling unhappy → I was happy.
I am not unmindful → I mind.

k) Euphemism

A figure of speech that avoids the use of taboo or unpleasant words.
Example:

Restroom for toilet.
Pass away for die.

l) Metonymy

The substitution of a word with another word that is closely related to it.
Example:

Crown for king/government ruled by a king.
He has a good name (Name refers to reputation).

m) Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which the whole is represented by a part or a part by the whole.
Example:

He has several mouths to feed (Mouths represent people).
Fifty head of cattle (Head represents the whole animal).

n) Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate natural sounds.
Example:

The humming bee.
The cackling hen.
The whizzing arrow.

o) Climax

The arrangement of ideas in an increasing order of their importance.
Example:

He came, he saw, he conquered.
Eat, drink, and sleep.

p) Imagery

A literary device that creates mental pictures appealing to the reader’s five senses.

Types of Imagery:

Visual image: An image of sight (greater than the Rift Valley).
Auditory image: An image of sound (The scream of a man).
Tactile image: An image of touch (Standing hard and ready).
Olfactory image: An image of smell (A stinking room).

q) Symbolism

A literary device that uses one object to stand for something else.
Example:

Crown to mean superiority.
Sunrise to symbolize the beginning of a struggle.

r) Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory words.
Example:

True lie.
Silent noise.

s) Paradox

A statement that contradicts itself.
Example:

They have been burning us with a cold fire.
Look at those walking corpses

Style/Technique

Style or technique refers to the quality that distinguishes an author’s work from the work of another author. It includes the writer’s choice and employment of figures of speech in a literary work.

In other words, technique refers to the way a literary work has been constructed and brought to the reader. In most cases, literary works are presented in:

Dialogue or
Monologue (soliloquy)

There are a variety of styles used by different artists in literature, but the most important technique is narrative technique.

Types of Narrative Techniques

Oral Traditional Narrative Technique – This style refers to the retelling of a story that resembles the traditional way of storytelling, often beginning with phrases like "Once upon a time…", "A long time ago…", "Many years ago…", etc.
Straightforward Narrative Style – A narration that follows the sequence of events from the beginning to the end of the story. It is common in many novels.
Flashback – A narrative style where the end or middle of the story is found at the beginning and vice versa.
Foreshadowing – A narrative style where a certain character makes predictions about events that later occur in the story.

Setting

Setting refers to the time and place where events take place in a literary work. It is the locale, historical time, and social circumstances in which the actions of the work of art occur.

For example, one can write the setting as:
"In Tanzania after independence."

Types of Setting

Real Setting – A setting that takes place in a real location known to people. It makes a literary work more realistic.

Example: The Lion and the Jewel is set in Nigeria.

Imaginary Setting – A setting in an unreal place unknown to people.

Elements of Setting

Geographical Setting – The place where the story occurs (e.g., Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya).
Temporal Setting – The time period of the story (e.g., pre-independence, colonial era, post-independence).
Social Setting – The situational or environmental setting, dealing with conflicts such as class struggles (e.g., the conflict between the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated).

Character and Characterization

A character is any participant in the action of a literary work. It can be a human being or an inanimate object.

Types of Characters

Main/Major/Central Characters – These characters play an important role in the story and drive the plot.
Minor Characters – These characters have small roles but help develop the main characters and events.

Classification of Characters

Protagonist – The central character in a story, often with positive traits and loved by the audience.
Antagonist – The character who opposes the protagonist and creates obstacles in the story.
Dynamic/Developing Character – A character that changes over time due to events in the story.
Static Character – A character who does not change throughout the story.
Round Character – A complex character with multiple dimensions to their personality.
Flat Character – A character with a simple and undeveloped personality.
Foil Character – A character who contrasts with the protagonist to highlight differences.
Stock/Stereotype Character – A character that appears repeatedly in a specific genre and is easily recognizable.
Symbolic Character – A character representing a larger idea, such as corruption or greed.

Characterization

Characterization is the process of describing a character in a literary work.

Types of Characterization

Direct Characterization – The author directly states the character's traits (e.g., brave, corrupt, weak).
Indirect Characterization – The reader must infer the character’s traits through evidence given in the story.

Methods of Describing a Character

Through what they think
Through what they say
Through what they do
The way they behave towards others
Through what other characters say about them
Through what the author says about them

Diction (Language Use)

Diction refers to the choice and arrangement of words in a literary work. It determines the artistic effect and how language is used.

Point of View

Point of view refers to the angle or position from which a literary work is narrated. It determines who tells the story.

Types of Point of View

First-Person Point of View – The narrator is one of the characters in the story, using the pronoun "I" to share their experiences.
Second-Person Point of View – The narrator directly addresses the reader using "you" (rarely used in literature).
Third-Person Point of View – The narrator is outside the story, using "he," "she," or "they."

Third-Person Limited – The narrator follows only one character's thoughts.
Third-Person Omniscient – The narrator knows everything about all characters (also called the All-Knowing Point of View).

Importance of Point of View

Helps the audience understand the characters and interpret the story as intended by the writer.
A first-person point of view brings inspiration for drama and emotion.

Content in Literature

Content refers to what is being said or conveyed in a literary work.

a) Theme

A theme is the central or dominant idea in a literary work. It is usually stated in a sentence form.

Common Themes in African Literature:

Betrayal
African traditions
Colonialism
Position of women
Corruption
Class struggles
Racial segregation
Protest
Neo-colonialism

b) Message

A message is the lesson or insight learned from a literary work. The writer may aim to:

Persuade
Criticize
Inform
Explain
Entertain
Describe
Tell a story

c) Conflict

Conflict is the struggle, quarrel, or misunderstanding between characters in a literary work.

Types of Conflict

Economic Conflict – Disputes over wealth, property, or economic status.
Philosophical Conflict – A conflict between the author's beliefs and the audience.
Political Conflict – Struggles for power or governance.
Social Conflict – Class struggles (e.g., rich vs. poor, educated vs. uneducated).
Family Conflict – Disputes within family members (e.g., parents vs. children).
Personal Conflict – An internal struggle within a character (dilemma).

d) Climax

The climax is the highest point of tension or action in a story.

e) Moral Lesson

A moral lesson refers to the teachings a reader gets from a literary work.

f) Philosophy

A philosophy is the belief or stance of a writer, often reflecting real-life experiences.

g) Crisis

A crisis is a moment of great difficulty or disaster in the story.

Quizzes

"Writing literature in a local language is the only way to make sure it reaches everyone in society." Argue for or against this statement with eight (8) points.
How is the subject of literature different from other subjects in the secondary school curriculum?
Support the view that society creates literature, and literature shapes society.
Show how literature is a reflection of life (six points).
Discuss five roles of characters in a literary work.