Different Literary types / GenrePoetryDramaProseFiction

Non- fictionShort StoryJournalism

EssayPrepared By: Ms. Eva Jane Oquendo

Different Literary types / Genre

Genre Definition Genre- means the type of

art, literature or music characterized by a

specific form, content and style. For example, literature

has four main genres; poetry, drama, fiction and

non-fiction.

All of these genres have particular features and functions that distinguish them from one another. Hence, it is necessary on the part of readers to know which category of genre they are reading in order to understand the message it conveys, as they may have certain expectations prior to the reading concerned.

Types of Genre•There are five types of genres in literature, which include:

PoetryPoetry- is the first major literary genre. All types of poetry share specific characteristics. In fact, poetry is a form of text that follows a meter and rhythm with each lines and syllables.

subdivided into different genres such an epic poem, narrative, romantic, dramatic, and lyric. Dramatic poetry includes melodrama, tragedy and comedy, while other poems includes ode,sonnet, elegy, ballad, song and epics.

•Popular examples of epic poems are Paradise Lost by John Milton, The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer and romantic poem includes, Red Red Rose byRobert Burns etc.•All these poetic forms share specific features such as they do not follow paragraphs or sentences; they use stanzas and lines instead.

•Some forms follow very strict rules of length and number of stanzas and lines such as villanelle, sonnet and haiku etc.•while some may be free like a free verse poem “Feelings, Now” by Katherine Foreman that is devoid of any regular meter and rhyme scheme. Besides that, often poetry uses figurative language like metaphor,simile, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and alliteration, etc. to create heightened effects.

DramaDrama -is a form of text that is performed in front of an audience. - It is also called a play. Its written text contains dialogues, and stage directions. This genre has further categories such as comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy etc. William Shakespeare is known as the father of English drama.

His well-known plays include Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet, while Greek playwrights were the pioneers in this field such as Sophocles’ masterpiece is Oedipus Rex and Antigone, while modern dramas include Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller etc.

ProseIt is a kind of written text different from poetry in that it has complete sentences organized into paragraphs. Unlike poetry, prose focuses on characters and plot than focusing on sounds. It includes short stories and novels, while fiction and non-fiction are its sub genres. Prose is further categorized into essays, speeches, sermons and interpretations.

FictionFiction -has three categories that are, realistic, non-realistic and semi-fiction. Usually, fiction work is not real and therefore, authors can use complex figurative language to touch readers’ imagination. Unlike poetry, it is more structured, follows proper grammatical pattern and correct mechanics. A fictional work may incorporate fantastical and imaginary ideas from everyday life.

It comprises some important elements such as plot, exposition, foreshadowing, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. The popular examples of literary fiction include, James Joyce’s’ novel A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.

Non-FictionNon-fiction -is a vast category that also has sub-genres; it could be creative like personal essay, and factual like scientific paper. It may also use figurative language, however, not abundantly like poetry, or fiction has. Sometimes, it may tell a story like autobiography, or sometimes it may convey the information to the readers.

Other examples of non-fiction include biographies, diaries, memoirs, journals, fantasies, mysteries and romances. The popular example of non-fiction genre is Michael Pollan’s highly celebrated book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, which is an account about eating habits of Americans.

Short story- brief fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novel and that usually deals with only a few characters .The short story is usually concerned with a single effect conveyed in only one or a few significant episodes or scenes. subject.

The form encourages economy ofsetting, concise narrative, and the omission of a complex plot; character is disclosed in action and dramatic encounter but is seldom fully developed. Despite its relatively limited scope, though, a short story is often judged by its ability to provide a “complete” or satisfying treatment of its characters and subject.

Journalism 

Journalism - is gathering, processing, and dissemination of news, and information related to news, to an audience. The word applies to the method of inquiring for news, the literary style which is used to disseminate it, and the activity (professional or not) of journalism.

The media that journalism uses vary diversely and include:

content published via newspapers and magazines (print), television and radio (broadcast), and their digital media versions — news websites and applications

EssaysEssay -  are generally scholarly pieces of writing giving the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of anarticle, a pamphlet and a short story.

Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author.

Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been dubbed essays (e.g. Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population are counterexamples. In some countries (e.g., the United States and Canada), essays have become a major part of formal education.

Secondary students are taught structured essay formats to improve their writing skills; admission essays are often used by universities in selecting applicants, and in the humanities and social sciences essays are often used as a way of assessing the performance of students during final exams.

The concept of an "essay" has been extended to other mediums beyond writing.

Function of Genre

Depending upon their types, different genres have different roles.

For example, fiction and dramatic genres help students and writers learn and improve their communication skills. A poetic genre, on the other hand, enhances imaginative and emotional power of the readers. 

 Non-fictional texts and essays help readers develop analytical and persuasive capabilities.

However, the major function of genre is to establish a code of behavior between the writers and audience, and keep the readers informed about the topics discussed or the themes presented.