Literary genres of works and their definitions. What is a literary genre - what genres of works are there Genres of literature table with examples

Instructions

Explore epic kind literature. It includes the following: - story: relatively small in volume prose work(from 1 to 20 pages), describing an incident, a small incident or an acute dramatic situation in which the hero finds himself. The action of the story usually takes no more than one or two days in duration. The location of the action may not change throughout the story;
- story: a sufficient work (on average 100 pages), where from 1 to 10 characters are considered. The location may change. The validity period can cover a significant period, from one month to a year or more. The story in the story unfolds vividly in time and space. Significant changes may occur in the lives of the heroes - moves, and meetings;
- novel: large epic form from 200 pages. A novel can trace the lives of characters from birth to death. Includes an extensive system storylines. Time can touch past eras and carry far into the future;
- an epic novel can examine the life of several generations.

Familiarize yourself with the lyrical genre of literature. It includes the following genres:
- ode: a poetic form whose theme is the glorification of a person or event;
- satire: a poetic form that aims to ridicule any vice, situation or person worthy of ridicule
- sonnet: a poetic form that has a strict compositional structure. For example, the English model of a sonnet, which at its end has two obligatory stanzas containing some kind of aphorism;
- the following poetic genres are also known: elegy, epigram, free verse, haiku, etc.

TO dramatic kind Literature includes the following genres: - tragedy: dramatic work, in the finale of which there is the death of the hero. Such a ending for a tragedy is the only possible resolution of a dramatic situation;
- Comedy: a dramatic work in which the main meaning and essence is laughter. It may be satirical or kinder in nature, but every incident in a comedy makes the viewer/reader laugh;
- drama: a dramatic work in the center of which is the inner world of a person, the problem of choice, the search for truth. Drama is the most common genre nowadays.

note

In some cases, genres may be mixed. This is especially common in drama. You've probably heard such definitions of film genres as comedy melodrama, action comedy, satirical drama, etc. The same processes are possible in the literature.

Helpful advice

Read the works of Aristotle “Poetics”, M.M. Bakhtin “Aesthetics and Theory of Literature” and other works devoted to the problem of genders and genres in literature.

The definition of genre has changed over the years different times. Nowadays this word is commonly used to call unification works of art into groups based on common characteristics or correlating it with other works based on the same characteristics. In every kind of art there are various genres.

Instructions

Genres of literature, especially popular: fantasy, science fiction, detective, drama, tragedy, comedy.
Fantasy and science fiction are related; the plot is based on a fictional idea, often impossible for our world. It is typical for science fiction (Lem, Lukyanenko, Strugatsky, Efremov, Garrison) to find logical distance in time and from our time. Fantasy (Tolkien, Howard) does not have such a scientific basis, but comes from myths and fairy tales, so the existence of many heroes seems illogical for our world.

The plot of a detective story (Doyle, Christie, Stout) is based on solving a riddle, a mystery, usually a crime. Good detective helps develop logical and analytical thinking.

Drama, tragedy and comedy are literary and dramatic works that become the basis of theatrical and musical theater productions. The first genre, drama (Sheeler, Shakespeare) usually has a plot close to everyday life. The source of the conflict is the hero’s disagreement with the attitudes of society. Tragedy (Shakespeare, Pushkin) differs from drama in a more sublime plot and the death of the hero in the finale.
The plot of the comedy (Beaumarchais, Moliere) is based on an abundance of jokes and happy ending.

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Literary genres are historically formed and developing literary works, which are united by common formal and substantive forms.

The term genre (from the French genre - genus, type) can be applied to literary groups, formed by various signs. Most often used in relation to works combined in content (comedy, tragedy, drama). There is a classification literary genres in form: ode, novel, story, etc. And by type: epic (story, myth, etc.), lyrical (ode, elegy, etc.), lyric-epic (ballad and), dramatic (comedy, tragedy, drama). Can be allocated to separate categories- oral genres folk art(, song,) or small genres of folklore (riddle, proverb, ditty). The genres of Old Russian literature include: hagiography (description of the life of secular and clergy), teaching, walking (description of travel, most often to holy places), military tale, word (a prose work of an instructive nature) and chronicle.

Genre is a fairly broad concept, artistic creativity. Even Aristotle, in his treatise “Poetics,” laid the foundation for the theoretical division of works, but to this day there is no generally accepted interpretation of such concepts as genus, type and genre. So, based on the etymological meaning of the word, we can replace genera with genres, and types with forms. It is quite difficult to identify a single principle for dividing the types of poetry and prose into types and genres, especially considering that literary genres are constantly “changing and replacing” over time. However, we can highlight the most frequently used option, where gender refers to the method of depiction (dramatic, lyrical or epic); under the guise - one or another form of dramatic, lyrical and epic work; under genre - a variety of certain types of literary works (historical novel, satirical poem).

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• Literary genres

The concept of genre has existed since ancient times, from the very first attempts to understand the phenomenon of art in the works of Aristotle and Plato. Nevertheless, in literary studies there is still no consensus on its essence and functions as a fundamental law of verbal creativity, which, in turn, leads to the problem of classification of works. That is why the modern division into genres, based on certain characteristics, can be considered quite arbitrary.

Most of the currently known genres arose in the ancient era and, despite all the quirks of evolution, still retain a number of stable features. The most important of them is the belonging of an individual literary work to one of three genera - epic, lyric or drama in accordance with Aristotle's Poetics. At the same time, borderline genres are also distinguished: lyric-epic, lyric-dramatic, epic drama(“non-Aristotelian” or archaic).

Modern literary criticism accepts the ancient classification only as a starting point. Moreover, since the time of Aristotle, new genres have arisen, but the old ones have lost their meaning, and with it a number of characteristic features. However, there is still no more harmonious system that allows us to at least approximately explain the nature of the genre.

According to this classification, an epic can be classified as: an epic, a novel, a story, a story, a fable, an epic poem. For lyrics - ode, elegy, ballad, epigram. For drama - drama itself, tragedy, comedy, mystery, farce, vaudeville. The main lyric-epic genre is the poem, the lyric-dramatic genre is “ new drama» late XIX-early XX centuries. (Ibsen, Chekhov).

Along with classical differentiation, genres can be distinguished depending on their content and formal characteristics, as well as on the organization of speech in the work. Thus, since the times of classicism, the fable, unlike the ancient one (Aesop, Phaedrus), has a poetic form, but belongs to the epic, since its plot is based on the transmission of events and characters. The genre does not imply, rather, but meaningful features - motives of loneliness, unrequited love, death. And a ballad (also rondo, sonnet) is both (lyrical) and formal - a refrain at the end of each stanza or a strictly defined number of verses.

Any literary genres appear only at a certain stage in the development of art, they constantly change, disappear and appear again. The principles of identifying individual genres, their types, nature, functions, and significance are also changing. For example, classic tragedy presupposed the presence of “noble” heroes, adherence to the rules of “three unities,” a bloody denouement, and Alexandrian verse. Much later, in the 19th-20th centuries, all these substantive and formal features ceased to be mandatory. Anything began to be considered a tragedy dramatic work, revealing tragic conflict.

Currently, many works have a rather vague, “anti-genre” structure, since they can combine elements of all three genera. This is a kind of response to the widespread dissemination of mass literature over the last two centuries, connecting stable forms and content of works (for example, historical, love, adventure, fantasy, detective novels).

In literary criticism, there is also the concept of “text genres”, which is used to distinguish between historically established forms of works. Thus, genres can be monocultural (Old Icelandic sagas, tales) or multicultural (epic, sonnet). Some of them are characterized by universality, that is, the absence of a direct connection with the specifics national literature(, short story).

The word “genre” comes from the French genre, which translates as “genus” or “species”. Literary scholars do not agree on the definition of this term. But most often, literary genres are understood as groups of works united on the basis of a set of formal and substantive properties.

Literary theory of genres

Literary theory operates on three basic concepts: genus, type and genre. There is still no generally accepted interpretation of these concepts. Some are based on the etymological meaning of words and call genres genera. Others adhere to a more common division. In this case, gender refers to the method of depiction (lyrical or epic); under the guise - one or another specific form of lyrical, dramatic or epic poetry (for example, ode, comedy,); and under genre - varieties existing species poetry (for example, satirical or historical novel).

Genre, like other elements artistic form, is one of the main means of revealing content. Comparing the two genres of the poem, heroic and satirical, one can notice that in the first, the image of an important event in the life of the people comes to the fore, in the process of which the valor and strength of the representatives of this people are manifested. An example of a heroic poem is “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” In a satirical poem, on the contrary, some low event is depicted, which is ridiculed. Satirical poems include “Tambov Treasurer” by M.Yu. Lermontov. However, in both cases, the genre of a literary work is determined by the nature of what is depicted.

Different typologies of literary genres

Aristotle was the first to attempt to systematize it in his Poetics. Today, different typologies of genres are accepted, based on different criteria.

In this case, the following literary genres are distinguished: short story, story, novel, sketch, essay, ode, poem, play, sketch.

Subjects

Genres differ in thematic features. For example, a novel can be science fiction, gothic, historical, picaresque, psychological. That, “Peter I” by A. N. Tolstoy is historical novel, his “Aelita” is a fantasy novel, and “Hero of Our Time” by M. Yu. Lermontov is a socio-psychological one.

Literary genres are also divided according to the characteristics of their ideological and emotional assessment. For example, early stories A.P. Chekhov are humorous, and Yu.P. Kazakova are lyrical.

Modern literary genres are not an element of any system or typology. They are aimed at new artistic searches and often deliberately move away from genre definitions.

Japan – “Land of the Rising Sun”

Poetic names are especially common Asian countries. Thus, Japan is known as the "Land of rising sun" The Japanese call their country "Nippon" or "Nihon", which translates as "Birthplace of the Sun". Thus, “Land of the Rising Sun” is almost the exact original name of the country. Such a poetic name appeared thanks to the Chinese: it was they who called Japan “The Motherland of the Sun” in the Song Dynasty with the Japanese Emperor. This was due to the fact that Japan is located east of China, on the side where the sun rises.

Korea – “The Land of Morning Freshness”

Korea is called the “Land of Morning Freshness”. This is due to the ancient name of Korea, Joseon. This name consists of two hieroglyphs, the first of which now means, among other things, “morning”, and the second – “freshness”. Scientists are inclined to believe that the word “Joseon” did not initially carry such a poetic meaning. This name has come down to the present day from Chinese manuscripts that distorted the Korean pronunciation. Moreover, the pronunciation Chinese characters changed over time. Now the name "Joseon" for Korea is used only in the DPRK. IN South Korea They call their country “Namkhan”.

China - "The Celestial Empire"

You can often hear China called “The Celestial Empire”. This name first appeared in China before our era and originally denoted the entire world known to the Chinese. Then, “The Celestial Empire” was called only the territory over which the power of the Chinese emperor, who in Confucian ideology was the representative of heaven on earth, extended. Currently, in China, the “Celestial Empire” means the whole world, but in Russia this is what they call China.

England – “Fogy Albion”

England is called " Foggy Albion" Albion is ancient name British Isles, translated from Latin as “white mountains”. This is how the ancient Romans named the islands they discovered due to the fact that the coast of England was formed from chalk rocks. The epithet "foggy" is explained by the fact that the islands of Great Britain are often shrouded in very thick fog.

Ireland - the emerald isle

Thanks to Ireland's mild year there is a lot of greenery. That is why this country is called the “Emerald Isle”. In addition, green is the national color of Ireland, strongly associated with the most famous national holiday- Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Finland – the land of a thousand lakes

There are approximately 190,000 lakes in Finland, which form an extensive lake system. The lakes are playing special role in nature in Finland. It is not surprising that this country received the poetic name “Land of a Thousand Lakes.”

What is the epic genre? The fact is that it is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. This is due to the fact that this genre contains several varieties. Let's figure out what this epic genre is, and what directions does it contain? And also in what connects epic and lyric poetry.

What is a literary genre?

It seems that at the beginning of the story about the genres of epic works it would be advisable to understand the concept of a literary genre as such. The word "genre" comes from the French genre, taken from the Latin, which has the word genus, both of which mean "kind, genus."

As for the literary genre, it is such groups of works of literature that develop historically and are united by a combination of a number of properties. Such properties are both substantive and formal in nature. This is how they differ from literary forms, which are distinguished only on the basis of formal characteristics. Genre is often confused with a type of literature, which is incorrect.

Now let's move on to a direct consideration of the question of what this is - an epic genre.

What is the essence of the concept?

An epic (this is also the name of the genre we are considering) is one (just like drama and lyrics) that tells about events that supposedly happened in the past. And the narrator remembers them. A characteristic feature of the epic is the coverage of existence in such various aspects as:

• Plastic volume.
• Extension in time and space.
• Plot content, or eventfulness.

Aristotle on the nature of the epic

Ancient Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC. e. Aristotle in his work “Poetics” wrote that the epic genre is (in contrast to dramatic and lyrical works) impartiality and objectivity of the author at the time of narration. According to Aristotle, the features of the epic are the following:

1. Wide coverage of reality, which means depiction and privacy individual characters and events occurring in public life.
2. The revelation of people's characters during the course of the plot.
3. Objectivity in storytelling, in which the author’s attitude towards his characters and the world depicted in the work occurs through the selection of artistic details.

Varieties of epic

As mentioned above, there are several types of epic genres that can be combined based on their volume. These are large, medium and small. Each of these types includes the following varieties:

• The major ones include epic, novel, epic poem (poem-epic).
• The medium type includes the story.
• Small ones include short stories, short stories, and essays.

Some more details about the types of works that belong to the epic genres will be discussed below.

Anything else to note? There are also folklore, folk-epic genres, such as epics, fairy tales and historical songs.

What else is the meaning of the epic?

The features of this genre are also the following:

• A work classified as epic is not limited in its scope. As V.E. Khalizev, who was a Soviet and Russian literary critic, said, the epic belongs to a type of literature that contains not only short stories, but also works designed for prolonged reading or listening - epics, novels.
• In the epic genre big role belongs to the image of the narrator (narrator). He, talking about the events themselves, about characters ah, at the same time he separates himself from what is happening. But at the same time, in the narration itself, not only what is being told is reproduced, imprinted, but also the mindset of the narrator, his manner of presentation.
• In the epic genre it is possible to use almost any artistic means, known in the literature. Its inherent narrative form allows for the deepest penetration into the inner world of an individual person.

Two large forms

The leading genre of epic literature until the 18th century was the source of its plot is folk legend, whose images are generalized and idealized. The speech reflects a relatively unified popular consciousness, and the form is usually poetic. An example is Homer's poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey".

In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was replaced as the leading genre by the novel. The plots of the novels are mainly drawn from modern reality, and the images become more individualized. The speech of the characters reflects multilingualism public consciousness, which is sharply differentiated. The form of the novel is prosaic. Examples include novels written by Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Looping

Epic works strive for the most complete reflection of life's realities, so they tend to be combined into cycles. An illustration of this trend is the epic novel called “The Forsyte Saga.”

It represents a monumental series of diverse works describing the life of the wealthy Forsyth family. In 1932, for Galsworthy's inherent art of storytelling, of which The Forsyte Saga is the pinnacle, the writer was awarded Nobel Prize on literature.

Epic means “narration”

An epic (from the ancient Greek ἔπος - “word, narration” and ποιέω - “I create”) is an extensive narrative, which is presented either in verse or in prose, and is dedicated to outstanding historical events on a national scale. IN in a general sense An epic is a complex, long history that includes a series of large-scale events.

The predecessors of the epic were epic songs that were half lyrical and half narrative in nature. They were caused by the exploits of a tribe or clan, dedicated to the heroes around whom they were grouped. Such songs were formed into large-scale poetic units called epics.

In epics classified as heroic-romantic, their main characters purposefully and actively participate in significant historical events, in the process of which the formation of their personality takes place, as, for example, in A. N. Tolstoy’s novel “Peter I”. There are also “moral descriptive” epics, which tell about the state of society in a comic way, such as “Gargantua and Pantagruel” by Rabelais or “ Dead Souls» Gogol.

Epic and lyrical genres

The two genres are interconnected and in some cases can form a kind of symbiosis. To understand this, let's define lyrics. This word comes from the Greek λυρικός, which means “performed to the sound of a lyre.”

This type of literature, also called lyric poetry, reproduces a person’s personal feeling, his attitude towards something, or the mood of the author himself. Works in this genre are characterized by emotionality, sincerity, and excitement.

But there is also an intermediate option between verses and epic genre- this is a lyric epic. There are two sides to such works. One of them is observation and evaluation by the reader from the side of the plot narrative, presented in the form of poetry. And the second, which, however, is closely related to the first, is that he receives a certain lyrical (emotional) assessment of the narrator. Thus, lyric-epic is characterized by both epic and lyrical principles in displaying the surrounding reality.

Lyric-epic genres include such genres as:

• Poem.
• Ballad.
• Stanzas.

Genre is a type of literary work. There are epic, lyrical, dramatic genres. There are also lyric epic genres. Genres are also divided by volume into large (including Romani and epic novels), medium (literary works of “medium size” - stories and poems), small (short story, novella, essay). They have genres and thematic divisions: adventure novel, psychological novel, sentimental, philosophical, etc. The main division is related to the types of literature. We present to your attention the genres of literature in the table.

The thematic division of genres is rather arbitrary. There is no strict classification of genres by topic. For example, if they talk about the genre and thematic diversity of lyrics, they usually single out love, philosophical, and landscape lyrics. But, as you understand, the variety of lyrics is not exhausted by this set.

If you set out to study the theory of literature, it is worth mastering the groups of genres:

• epic, that is, prose genres (epic novel, novel, story, short story, short story, parable, fairy tale);
• lyrical, that is, poetic genres (lyric poem, elegy, message, ode, epigram, epitaph),
• dramatic – types of plays (comedy, tragedy, drama, tragicomedy),
• lyroepic (ballad, poem).

Literary genres in tables

Epic genres

• Epic novel

  Epic novel– a novel with an image folk life at turning points in history. "War and Peace" by Tolstoy, " Quiet Don» Sholokhov.

• Novel

  Novel- a multi-issue work depicting a person in the process of his formation and development. The action in the novel is full of external or internal conflicts. By topic there are: historical, satirical, fantastic, philosophical, etc. By structure: novel in verse, epistolary novel, etc.

• Tale

  Tale – epic work medium or large form, constructed in the form of a narrative about events in their natural sequence. Unlike the novel, in P. the material is presented chronically, there is no sharp plot, there is no shallow analysis of the feelings of the characters. P. does not pose tasks of a global historical nature.

• Story

  Story– small epic form, small piece with a limited number of characters. In R. most often one problem is posed or one event is described. The novella differs from R. in its unexpected ending.

• Parable

  Parable- moral teaching in allegorical form. A parable differs from a fable in that its art material draws from human life. Example: Gospel parables, a parable about the righteous land told by Luke in the play “At the Bottom.”

Lyrical genres

• Lyric poem

  Lyric poem- a small form of lyrics written either on behalf of the author or on behalf of a fictional person lyrical hero. Description inner world the lyrical hero, his feelings, emotions.

• Elegy

  Elegy- a poem imbued with moods of sadness and sadness. As a rule, the content of elegies consists of philosophical reflections, sad thoughts, and grief.

• Message

  Message- a poetic letter addressed to a person. According to the content of the message, there are friendly, lyrical, satirical, etc. The message may be addressed to one person or group of people.

• Epigram

  Epigram- a poem that makes fun of a specific person. Character traits- wit and brevity.

• Oh yeah

  Oh yeah- a poem distinguished by solemnity of style and sublimity of content. Praise in verse.

• Sonnet

  Sonnet– a solid poetic form, usually consisting of 14 verses (lines): 2 quatrains (2 rhymes) and 2 tercet tercets

Dramatic genres

• Comedy

  Comedy- a type of drama in which characters, situations and actions are presented in funny forms or imbued with the comic. There are satirical comedies ("The Minor", "The Inspector General"), high comedies ("Woe from Wit") and lyrical ones ("The Cherry Orchard").

• Tragedy

  Tragedy- a work based on an irreconcilable conflict in life, leading to the suffering and death of the heroes. William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet".

• Drama

  Drama- a play with an acute conflict, which, unlike the tragic one, is not so sublime, more mundane, ordinary and can be resolved one way or another. The drama is based on modern rather than ancient material and establishes a new hero who rebelled against circumstances.

Lyric epic genres

(intermediate between epic and lyric)

• Poem

  Poem- an average lyric-epic form, a work with a plot-narrative organization, in which not one, but a whole series of experiences are embodied. Features: the presence of a detailed plot and at the same time close attention to the inner world of the lyrical hero - or an abundance of lyrical digressions. Poem “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol

• Ballad

  Ballad- a medium lyric-epic form, a work with an unusual, intense plot. This is a story in verse. A story, told in poetic form, of a historical, mythical or heroic nature. The plot of a ballad is usually borrowed from folklore. Ballads “Svetlana”, “Lyudmila” V.A. Zhukovsky

Types of literature- this is a community of verbal and artistic works according to the type of attitude of the author to the artistic whole.

In literature, three types are defined: drama, epic, lyric.

Epic- (translated from ancient Greek - word, narrative) - an objective image of reality, a story about events, the fate of heroes, their actions and adventures, an image of the external side of what is happening. The text has a mainly descriptive-narrative structure. The author directly expresses his attitude to the events depicted.

Drama- (from ancient Greek - action) - depiction of events and relationships between characters on stage in actions, clashes, conflicts; features are: expression author's position through stage directions (explanations), characters are created through the heroes’ remarks, monologue and dialogic speech.

Lyrics(from the ancient Greek “performed to the sounds of the lyre, sensitive”) experiencing events; depiction of feelings, inner world, emotional state; the feeling becomes the main event; external life is presented subjectively, through the perception of the lyrical hero. Lyrics have a special linguistic organization (rhythm, rhyme, meter).

Each type of literature in turn includes a number of genres.

Genre- characteristic of a certain genus. This is a historically established group of works united common features content and form. Literary genres are divided into epic, dramatic and lyrical.

Epic genres:

• epic novel - a comprehensive depiction of people's life in a turning point in history;
• a novel is a depiction of life in all its fullness and diversity;
• story - a depiction of events in their natural sequence;
• essay - a documentary depiction of events in the life of one person;
• short story - an action-packed story with an unexpected ending;
• a story is a short work with a limited number of characters;
• a parable is a moral lesson in allegorical form.

Drama genres:

• tragedy - literal translation - goat's song, an insoluble conflict that causes suffering and death of the heroes in the finale;
• drama - combines the tragic and the comic. At its core is an acute but solvable conflict.

Lyrical genres:

• ode - (classicism genre) a poem, a song of praise, glorifying achievements, virtues outstanding person, hero;
• elegy - a sad, mournful poem containing philosophical reflections on the meaning of life;
• sonnet - a lyric poem of strict form (14 lines);
• song - a poem consisting of several verses and a chorus;
• message - a poetic letter addressed to one person;
• epigram, epithalam, madrigal, epitaph, etc. - small forms of apt short poems dedicated to the specific goals of the writer.

Lyric-epic genres: works that combine elements of poetry and epic:

• ballad - a plot poem on a legendary, historical theme;
• poem - a voluminous poem with a detailed plot, with big amount characters with lyrical digressions;
• novel in verse - a novel in poetic form.

Genres, being historical categories, appear, develop and, over time, “leave” from the “active stock” of artists depending on historical era: ancient lyricists did not know the sonnet; in our time, an archaic genre has become one that was born in ancient times and popular in XVII-XVIII centuries Oh yeah; romanticism XIX centuries brought to life detective literature etc.

A genre in literature is a selection of texts that have a similar structure and are similar in content. There are quite a lot of them, but there is a division by type, form and content.

Classification of genres in literature.

Division by gender

With such a classification, one should consider the attitude of the author himself to the text of interest to the reader. He was the first to try to divide literary works into four genres, each with its own internal divisions:

• epic (novels, stories, epics, short stories, short stories, fairy tales, epics),
• lyrical (odes, elegies, messages, epigrams),
• dramatic (dramas, comedies, tragedies),
• lyric-epic (ballads, poems).

Division by content

Based on this principle of division, three groups emerged:

• Comedy,
• Tragedies
• Dramas.

Two latest groups talk about tragic fate, about the conflict in the work. And comedies should be divided into smaller subgroups: parody, farce, vaudeville, sitcom, sideshow.

Separation by shape

The group is diverse and numerous. There are thirteen genres in this group:

• epic
• epic,
• novel,
• story,
• novella,
• story,
• sketch,
• play,
• feature article,
• essay,
• opus,
• visions.

In prose there is no such clear division

It is not easy to immediately determine what genre a particular work is. How does the work you read affect the reader? What feelings does it evoke? Is the author present, is he introducing his personal experiences, is there a simple narrative without adding analysis of the events described. All these questions require specific answers in order to make a final verdict on whether the text belongs to a certain type of literary genre.

Genres tell their story

To begin to understand the genre diversity of literature, you should know the characteristics of each of them.

1. Form groups are perhaps the most interesting. A play is a work written specifically for the stage. A story is a prosaic narrative work of small volume. The novel is distinguished by its scale. A story is an intermediate genre, standing between a short story and a novel, which tells about the fate of one hero.
2. The content groups are small in number, so it is very easy to remember them. Comedy has a humorous and satirical character. Tragedies always end in unexpectedly unpleasant ways. The drama is based on the conflict between human life and society.
3. The typology of genres by genus contains only three structures:
   1. The epic tells about the past without expressing one’s personal opinion about what is happening.
   2. Lyrics always contain the feelings and experiences of the lyrical hero, that is, the author himself.
   3. The drama reveals its plot through the characters' communication with each other.