LITERARY GENRE: FICTION

(December 9 – Monday)
Literature (from the Latin Littera meaning 'letters' and referring to an acquaintance
with the written word) is the written work of a specific culture, sub-
culture, religion, philosophy or the study of such written work which may appear in poetry or
in prose.
Genre is the classification and organization of literary works into the following
categories: poetry, drama, prose, fiction, and nonfiction. The works are divided based on
their form, content, and style. While there are subcategories to each of these genres, these are
the main categories in which literature is divided.
Fiction is a type of writing that comes from an author's own imagination and tells a
story. Authors publish fiction across a range of mediums, and fiction stories can be any
length—like novels and novellas or short stories.
The term ‘fiction’ comes from the Latin word “fingere” and refers to any narrative in
prose or verse that is entirely or partly the work of the imagination. Although in its broadest
sense fiction includes plays and narrative poems, it is most commonly used when referring to
the short story and the novel.
Storytelling has always been an essential part of man’s existence. From the earliest
times, man has exchanged stories based on both his experience and imagination. Fiction, in
the form of the novel and the short story, most directly fulfils our innate need for storytelling.
It takes us to imaginary times and places, introduces us to new people and tells us about
significant events in their lives. Fiction, since its emergence in the form of the novel in the
18th century has been the most popular literary genre in Western culture.
Subgenres of Nonfiction
Fantasy is a type of fiction that focuses on magical and supernatural elements that do not
exist in the actual world. There can be elements of romance, action and mystery in fantasy,
and typically include the following characteristics:
 Magical elements or characters of magic, like sorcerers, witches or werewolves
 Conflict involving good versus evil
 Imaginary worlds, often similar to medieval settings
 Mythical characters or beings like elves, dragons or talking animals
Horror is a literary, cinematic, and television genre aimed at frightening, startling, shocking,
and even repulsing viewers. A horror book, horror film, or horror television show’s primary
goal is to instill fear in the reader via scary imagery, themes, and circumstances. Common
characteristics include:
 Explorations into the darker aspects of humanity
 Main characters who readers can identify with and who often have haunted pasts and
emotional traumas
 Supernatural elements such as ghosts or demonic forces
 A goal to provoke terror in their readers
Mystery is a genre of fiction that focuses on solving crimes and mysterious events.
Ordinarily, the protagonist is a detective, and the remaining characters are suspects until
proven otherwise. Common characteristics of the mystery genre include:
  A mysterious crime or death that needs to be solved
 Suspects that have motives that the detective must evaluate
 Clues left by the author that show the reader possible outcomes about who the
murderer might be
 Red herrings, or clues that lead the reader to false conclusions about the murder
The romance genre can take place during any time period and may contain a realistic plot
line or have magical elements, but the primary element of a romance novel is that there is a
central love story throughout the novel. Other characteristics include:
 A hero or main protagonist with whom the other main character falls in love
 Many conflicts throughout the story making it difficult for the characters to be
together
 An emotionally satisfying conclusion
Science fiction stories often take place in the future and involve fictional aspects of science
and technology. Characteristics of science fiction include:
 Space or time travel
 Futuristic setting or alternate history
 Advanced technology
 Exploration of societal issues within our current societal model (Dystopian society)
The thriller genre generally has a fast-paced storyline and tension and suspense from
beginning to end. There are many sub-genres within the thriller genre such as the
psychological, political and spy variety to name a few. Some characteristics of the thriller
genre include:
 Suspense incorporated throughout the novel
 Plot twists to keep the readers guessing as they read
 Cliffhangers at the end of each chapter that leaves the plotline at a climactic moment
in the story
 Ending climax to answer the questions readers build up throughout the story
Writers create and market young adult fiction to readers between the ages of 12 and 18. The
plotline can be realistic or can contain magical elements, but in most young adult fiction the
protagonist faces challenges and changes that are relatable to an adolescent. Common
elements in the young adult fiction genre include:
 A teenage protagonist
 A love triangle in which the protagonist must choose between two potential love
interests
 Conflicts in the story that are age-appropriate for the audience such as trying to feel
like they belong, succeeding in a sport or having a romantic relationship
Realistic fiction is a type of fiction in which a story is told that could easily happen in today's
society. It contains believable characters and events and takes place in an actual setting, but
the storyline itself is one that has never actually happened. Characteristics of realistic fiction
include:
 Conflicts that the reader could face in everyday life
 A setting that takes place in the present-day and is an actual location or a fictional
place that could be real
 Characters that seem like actual people you might encounter
 Conflicts that are solved realistically
Historical fiction is a story that takes readers to a particular time and place in the past,
typically at least 50 years or more in order for it to be considered historical fiction. Although
the story takes place in the past, the plot itself is one that didn't actually happen in history.
Common characteristics of historical fiction include:
 A combination of historical and fictional experiences
 A setting that exists in a historical time and place in the past
 Mostly fictionalized characters, but occasionally there is a character that is based on a
historical figure from that time period
 LITERARY GENRE: NONFICTION
(December 10 – Tuesday)
Nonfiction is a category of literature that deals with reality where the author’s creativity is in
the writing style instead of the story itself.
Nonfiction is literature that, regardless of the subject matter, has a simple goal: to provide
information. It should be based on facts and conclusions of the author's research or expertise,
as opposed to the creativity of the author's imagination.
Nonfiction is any literary work that is fact-based, intended to present true events and
information as accurately as possible. Fiction, on the other hand, refers to narratives that are
drawn from the imagination. The following are the subgenres of nonfiction:
Both biographies and autobiographies focus on retelling a life story, but the two genres are
different. Autobiographies are written about and by the author. Biographies are third-person
narratives, where the author tells someone else’s story (while still remaining accurate and
factual). Unlike autobiographies, the subject of the story can be living or dead when writing
biographies.
A memoir tells readers about significant moments in the life of the author. Memoirs are
sometimes confused with autobiographies since they are both written from the same
perspective. However, what differentiates the two is that memoirs may be written about a
shorter period of time, such as a specific event or experience in the writer’s life.
Travel writing is a nonfiction genre with several of its own subgenres. Travelogues are
sometimes called travel memoirs, where the author discusses personal travel experiences.
Travel guides are another form of travel nonfiction, providing information about destinations
and reviews.
Personal essays are short, reflective pieces that discuss the author’s thoughts and feelings
about a particular subject or experience. They’re less formal than academic essays and can
cover a wide range of topics.
News articles are factual, timely reports on current events. They’re typically written in an
objective style and follow the “inverted pyramid” structure — starting with the most
important details and ending with the least.
Opinion pieces express the author’s viewpoint on a specific issue, while editorials represent
the official stance of a publication. Both aim to persuade readers with compelling arguments
and evidence.
Research papers present the results of a study or investigation. They’re structured, formal,
and follow specific guidelines for citation and formatting.
Case studies examine a particular situation or problem in detail, often focusing on real-life
examples. They’re used to illustrate theories, analyze solutions, and draw conclusions.
Reviews and Critiques
These types of nonfiction analyze and evaluate the work of others, such as books, articles, or
academic research. They require a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to
express opinions clearly and concisely.
 LITERARY GENRE: DRAMA
(December 11 - Wednesday)
DRAMA
This literary genre is often also referred to as a play and is performed in front of an audience.
Dramas are written through dialogue and include stage directions for the actors to follow.
When you hear the word drama, you probably think of your favorite dramatic television show
or movie. But literary drama has less to do with a serious storyline and more to do with stage
performances. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of drama in literature, and
what they look like on the stage.
The word ‘drama’ refers to any work that is intended for performance by actors on stage. It is
a type of writing or genre that is very different from poetry or fiction because the written text,
what we call the play, is only one component of the work. Other elements are needed to bring
a dramatic text to life:
 the actors, the people who interpret the parts of the play;
 the director, the person who decides how the play should be performed;
 the audience, the people who watch the play. When reading a play, we should always
try to imagine how it could be presented on stage. It always helps to see as many live
or filmed versions of the play as possible.
A play takes place on a stage. On the stage, a set representing the place where the
action takes place is built. The set usually includes props, stage furniture, objects, colored
backcloths, etc. The set will immediately give us information about the play, for example,
which historical period it is set in. It will also create expectations about what we are about to
see. There are, of course, a great variety of set designs from complex multi-story sets to
simple bare stages. A set is described as naturalistic, when it represents real life, or symbolic,
when it tries to convey ideas or meaning.
Lighting plays an important role in conveying the meaning of a play. Its primary
function is to illuminate the actors and the stage but it can also focus attention on a particular
area of the stage while the rest is in darkness or semi-darkness. Lighting is used to show the
time of day when the action takes place. It also creates atmosphere. Filters are used to
produce colored light which may create warm, cold or eerie atmospheres. Today it is possible
to incorporate spectacular lighting effects into a performance by using strobe lighting,
ultraviolet light, underfloor lighting and other special techniques.
Like lighting, sound effects may also play an important part in theatrical productions.
Sounds that come from the stage or sounds made offstage can make the production more
realistic and credible. Music is often used to create atmosphere or to underline particularly
significant moments in the play.
Drama in literature refers to the performance of written dialogue and stage action. It
is a literary genre that allows actors to act out a writer’s words directly to an audience. But
there is more than one type of literary genre. Here are some explanations and examples of
different types of drama in literature. The following are the subgenres of drama:
COMEDY
In comedy the characters amuse and entertain us. This form of theatre has its roots in ancient
Greece where many of the rituals in honor of the gods involved becoming drunk, singing
obscene songs and making rude comments. The Greek word for these proceedings was
‘komos’ from which the word ‘comedy’ derives.
Humor is the main ingredient of a comedy. It can be divided into three broad categories:
 verbal humor, when what the characters say is funny;
 behavioral humor, when what the characters do is funny;
 situational humor, when the situation the characters find themselves in is funny.
In the case of most comedy, the humor is a mixture of all three categories.
The comic plot is usually based on a series of mistaken identities, misunderstandings and
improbable situations. The plot develops and tension grows until it comes to a head and the
underlying comic complications are revealed. At this point the characters are reconciled and
order is restored. Comedies are usually humorous plays. But being funny is not the only way
to define a comedy. The elements of a comedy include:
 Light-hearted tone
 Clever wordplay or turns of phrase
 Serious topics addressed in a humorous way
 Comical misunderstandings
 Happy ending
 Silly, offbeat characters
 Often ends with a wedding, especially in romantic comedies
FARCE
Farce is a type of comedy designed simply to make the audience laugh. Its humor is
based on highly exaggerated or caricatured characters, ludicrous situations, broad verbal
humor and slapstick physical horseplay.
There have been elements of farce in English theatre since the Middle Ages but the
term ‘farce’ was not used until after the Restoration. Eighteenth and nineteenth century
audiences were particularly fond of this type of drama, however, it was somewhat frowned
upon by the critics until the end of the 19th century, when Oscar Wilde introduced artfulness
and polish to the form. Elements of farce can be found in the works of more recent
playwrights such as Tom Stoppard and Samuel Beckett.
A farce is a type of broad comedy. It depends less on a narrative storyline and more
on physical humor, sight gags, silly jokes. Here are the parts of a farcical comedy:
Exaggerated humor:
 Slapstick gags
 Nonsensical storyline
 Improbable events
 One or two settings
 Humor is often crude and inappropriate
OPERA
Operas are dramas in which the characters sing each line rather than speaking. The entire
production is set to a musical score. You can tell you are watching an opera if it includes
these attributes:
 Musical soliloquies known as arias;
 Plot-driving passages that can be non-melodic;
  A libretto (text) set to a musical score;
 Subject matter that is tragic, comic, or melodramatic;
 Can incorporate an element of dance, but typically relies on singing performances;
 Elaborate sets, costume design, and production
MELODRAMA
When you hear drama, you probably think of melodrama. Melodramas tell a serious story in
serious ways. Not sure if a drama is a melodrama? Check if it includes the following:
 Character tropes such as heroes, heroines, villains, mentors, etc.
 Sweeping stories of romance or serious topics;
 Larger-than-life plots and circumstances (or very small stories told in big ways);
 Exaggerated character reactions;
 Clear literary themes;
 Flawed characters who must overcome their faults in order to reach their
resolution;
 Ending that is sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy.

TRAGEDY
The origins of tragedy date back to ancient Greece, when people held festivals
involving ritualistic practices including human sacrifice in honor of the god Dionysius.
Dionysius was usually represented in the form of a goat and the word ‘tragedy’ means ‘goat
song’.
Through the time the term ‘tragedy’ has come to be used to refer to any serious
dramatic representation in which the main character, or tragic hero, undergoes a series of
misfortunes that eventually lead to his downfall. The hero is usually a nobleman or king or
great leader that we look up to. His downfall arouses pity and fear. We feel fear because we
see an extraordinary man reduced to a weakened and tragic state. We feel pity because we
recognize that the hero has a tragic flaw, something negative in his character which
eventually causes his fall. We understand his weakness and feel that his misfortunes are
greater than he deserves.
When analyzing tragedy, we can, broadly speaking, refer to five stages:
 exposition: the playwright provides the audience with the information necessary to
follow what is happening when the play opens. Who are the characters? What
situation do they find themselves in?
 development: when the tragic hero usually commits the act that will lead to his
downfall;
 climax: the point at which the protagonist realizes his terrible mistake;
 decline: the loss of order and the moral destruction of the protagonist;
 dénouement or resolution: the death of the hero and the reestablishment of order.
Just from the word tragedy, you can assume that the ending will be sad. But there is
more to a tragedy than a play with no happy ending. You can tell if a play is a tragedy if it
includes:
 A protagonist with a tragic flaw
 Circumstances that quickly get out of control – and not in a funny way
 Darker themes than a melodrama, such as human suffering, hatred, or poverty
 Features the downfall of a previously heroic or well-liked character
 An irredeemable ending that results in one or more characters’ deaths
  Reaches a tragic catharsis

LITERARY GENRE: POETRY

(December 12 – Thursday)
Poetry is a major literary genre that can take many forms. Some common
characteristics that poetry shares are that it is written in lines that have meter and rhythm.
These lines are put together to form stanza in contrast to other writings that utilize sentences
that are divided into paragraphs. Poetry often relies heavily on figurative language such as
metaphors and similes in order to convey meanings and create images for the reader.
Although poems come in all shapes and sizes, they share certain characteristics.
Imagery, metaphors and symbols make poetry dense with meaning. Sound features, such as
rhyme, rhythm and repetition, give the language a special musical quality. The standard rules
of grammar and syntax are often ignored, so that the language may be used in a striking or
original way.
When studying poetry, it is useful to consider the theme and the overall development
of the theme in the poem. Obviously, the sort of development that takes place depends
considerably on the type of poem one is dealing with. It is useful to keep two general
distinctions in mind: lyric poetry and narrative poetry.
LYRIC POETRY
A lyric poem is a comparatively short, non-narrative poem in which a single speaker presents
a state of mind or an emotional state. Lyric poetry retains some of the elements of a song
which is said to be its origin: for Greek writers, the lyric was a song accompanied by the lyre.
Subcategories of the lyric are, for example, elegy, ode, sonnet, dramatic monologue and most
occasional poetry.
ELEGY
Until the 17th century, the term ’elegy’ was used to refer to any poem whose theme was
solemn meditation. Since then, it has been applied to poems in which the speaker laments the
death of a particular person or the loss of something he valued. More broadly defined, the
term elegy is also used for solemn meditations, often on questions of death, such as Gray’s
’Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’.
ODE
An ode is a long lyric poem with a serious subject written in an elevated style. Odes address a
specific person, thing, or event. An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an individual, an
idea, or an event, conveying the speaker's sentiments about a person, place, thing or idea.
SONNET
The term sonnet comes from the Italian word ‘sonetto’, which means ‘little song or sound’.
The sonnet was originally a love poem which dealt with the lover’s sufferings and hopes. It
originated in Italy and became popular in England in the Renaissance.
Sonnets are practically synonymous with Shakespeare, but there are actually two different
kinds of this famous poetic form. Having originated in 13th century Italy, the sonnet usually
deals with love and has two common forms: the Petrarchan (named for its famous
practitioner, the poet Petrarch) and the Shakespearean (also known as the English sonnet).
Each type contains 14 lines but comes with its own set of rules. Sonnets are often about love
—lost love, married love, forgotten love, the longing for love, etc. They are written in iambic
pentameter.

PETRARCHAN SONNET
Characteristics and Rules:
 2 stanzas
 Presents an argument, observation, or question
in the first 8 lines (octave)
 Turn (or “volta”) between 8th and 9th lines
 Second stanza (6 lines – the sestet) answers the
question or issue posed in the first o
 Rhyme Scheme: ABBA, ABBA, CDE CDE
SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET
Characteristics and Rules:

 3 quatrains (4 lines each) and a couplet (2 lines)

 Couplet usually forms a conclusion
 Rhyme scheme: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG
DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE
In a dramatic monologue a speaker, who is explicitly someone other than the author,
makes a speech to a silent auditor in a specific situation and 11 at a critical moment.
Without intending to do so, the speaker reveals aspects of his temperament and
character. In Browning's My Last Duchess for instance, the Duke shows the picture of
his last wife to the emissary from his prospective new wife and reveals his excessive
pride in his position and his jealous temperament.

A dramatic monologue is written to reveal character traits by exposing the character's

feelings and thoughts.

OCCASIONAL POETRY
Occasional poetry is written for a specific occasion: a wedding (then it is called an
epithalamion, for instance Spenser’s Epithalamion), the return of a king from exile (for
instance Dryden’s Annus Mirabilis) or a death (for example Milton’s Lycidas), etc.
NARRATIVE POETRY
Narrative poetry gives a verbal representation, in verse, of a sequence of connected events, it
propels characters through a plot. It is always told by a narrator. Narrative poems might tell
of a love story (like Tennyson's Maud), the story of a father and son (like Wordsworth's
Michael) or the deeds of a hero or heroine (like Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel). Sub-
categories of narrative poetry: epic, mock-epic, ballad, romance.
EPIC
Epic is a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and
adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.
Epics generally have the following features: o the hero is a figure of great importance; o the
setting of the poem is ample in scale; o the action involves superhuman deeds in battle or a
long and arduous journey; o the gods or supernatural beings take an interest or active part in
the action; o there are catalogues of some of the principal characters, introduced in formal
detail; o the narrator begins by stating his theme and invoking a muse; o the narrative starts in
medias res, that us ‘in the middle of things’, when the action is at a critical point.

MOCK-EPIC
The mock-epic makes use of epic conventions (invocations of the Gods, descriptions of
armour, battles, extended similes, etc.), like the elevated style and the assumption that the
topic is of great importance, to deal with completely insignificant occurrences. A famous
example is Pope's The Rape of the Lock, which tells the story of a young beauty whose suitor
secretly cuts off a lock of her hair. The mock heroic has been widely used to satirise social
vices such as pretentiousness, hypocrisy, superficiality, etc. The inappropriateness of
grandiose epic style highlights the trivial and senseless nature of the writer’s target.
BALLAD
A ballad is a song, originally transmitted orally, which tells a story. Ballads are usually
grouped into five main categories on the basis of the subject matter:
 the supernatural; romantic tragedies; crime and its punishment; outlaws and badmen;
historical events or natural disasters such as shipwrecks and plagues.
ROMANCE
A form of narrative poetry which developed in 12th century France. The word ’romance’
refers to the French language which evolved from a dialect of the Roman language, Latin.
The plot of these poems usually centres around a single knight who fights at tournaments,
slays dragons and undergoes a series of adventures in order to win the heart of his heroine.
Romances introduced the idea of courtly love according to which the lover idealises and
idolises his beloved, who is usually another man’s wife (marriage among the medieval
nobility was usually for economic or political reasons). The lover suffers agonies for his
heroine but remains devoted to her and shows his love 17 by adhering to a rigorous code of
behaviour both in battles and in his courtly conduct.

OTHER FORMS:
An epigram (from the Greek for ‘inscription) is a very short poem which is condensed in
content and polished in style. Epigrams often have surprising or witty endings.
Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. It consists of a seventeen-syllable verse made
up of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Traditional haikus contain very
brief descriptions of nature that convey some insight or capture the essence of the moment.
Haiku became popular in England and America at the beginning of the 20th century and
influenced poets of the Imagist movement
Pastoral poetry is an ancient literary form which deals with the lives of shepherds, and the
idyllic aspects of rural life in general, and typically draws a contrast between the innocence of
a simple life and the corruption of city especially court life.