Introduction to Literature / Edilberto P. Dagot ... [et al.].

The careful reading of literary works of various types is an indispensable part of the general education of college students. Literature thus opens for the students a vista of learning not quite like and yet not opposed to other studies in fields such as the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences, Literature is of course primarily a humanistic endeavor and as such has relevance in very extensive fashion: it encompasses any kind of human situation or phase of human activity by means of its own particular mode or modes of presentation. It therefore mirrors reality and at the same time transforms that reality into an ideal which man strives to achieve. Man turns to literature to seek refuge from the drabness and chaos of everyday life. It is his self expressed and sublimated as well as his salvation through a hypothetical solution of problems that afflict humanity. This explains its relevance as a product of the milieu from which it springs. This text is principally designed for the general and liberal education of Filipino college students on the second year level. It provides an introduction to the four dominant types of literature--fiction, essay, drama, and poetry. It initiates the student to the study of literature as a verbal art while calling his attention to the cosmopolitan character of the selections which represent both the Eastern and Western literary traditions. By its nature this text should be suitable for (1) an introductory courses in literature offered to students who have finished two semesters of Freshman English (basic communication skills) or (2) an introductory course in world literature required of students in any field. --From the preface