- What is a literary genre?
- Types of literary genre
- Lyrical subgenres
- Narrative subgenres
- Dramatic subgenres
We explain what a literary genre is, the four genres that exist and their history. Also, what are the lyrical and narrative subgenres.
What is a literary genre?
A literary genre is called each specific category in which the literary texts can be classified according to the characteristics of their structure, to its specific content or to the mechanisms it uses to produce the aesthetic effect it seeks.
The literary genre is a horizon of expectations of the literary work, that is, a label that serves to give us an idea of what a specific book contains: that is why they are used in libraries or bookstores as descriptors to organize their material.
These labels are conventional, that is, they are agreed upon and prior to the making of each work, thus indicating to the reader how it should be considered, what to expect from it, what its fundamental characteristics are, etc. That way, no one who opens a book of poetry you can expect a work of theater.
The literary genres are four:
- Poetry. The art to use the word to describe the objective or subjective reality of the poet, comparing it with another through similes and metaphors and embellishing it with musical twists from the language.
- Narrative. The art of building narrations told by a narrator, and that present characters, actions and situations that move or evoke fascination.
- Dramaturgy. The art of composing theatrical texts, usually intended to be performed live on stage. Involves characters Y dialogues, but no narrator.
- Rehearsal. The art of free reflection, that is, of discussing a specific topic in a moving, convincing or simply beautiful way.
History of literary genres
A first attempt to classify literary works was made by the well-known Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his bookPoetics (appeared around 335 BC). There, the following genres were considered, which would become parents of the current ones:
- The epic. Mother of the narrative, it consisted of an elaboration of legendary or mythological events of Greek culture, such as the Trojan War (narrated in theIliad Homer). For this, a narrator was employed, who dealt with thedescription, and dialogues were used. It was initially written in verse, since it is prior to the invention of writing and was sung in memory by the rhapsodies.
- The lyric. More or less equivalent to current poetry, it was more similar to singing and song, so it implied the use of accompanying musical instruments. However, the use of the rhyme and the meter were similar to modern traditional poetry.
- The dramatic. It was about writing and theatrical staging, which played a very important role in the culture of Ancient Greece, as it was the place of emotional and civic formation of its inhabitants. Represented myths and episodes of religious-mythological origin, according to two great forms: the tragedy and the comedy.
Types of literary genre
Modern literary genres are narrative, poetry, drama, and essay.
We usually speak of modern literary genres, to refer to current ones: narrative, poetry, dramaturgy and rehearsal; or to classical (or ancient) literary genres, to refer to those that Aristotle described in hisPoetics: epic, dramatic and lyrical.
Lyrical subgenres
Lyrical subgenres are often spoken of to refer to forms of verbal expression that employ procedures similar to poetry, and could be considered part of it. These subgenres are:
- The song. It is usually a description of a story or a subjectivity through poetic images, accompanied by music instrumental.
- The elegy. A poetic composition to mourn the death of a loved or admired one.
- The ode. A poem composed to pay homage to a lofty or solemn subject.
- The satire. A poetic composition that seeks to ridicule or degrade someone or something.
- The eclogue. Poems extensive pastoral nature and bucolic imaginary (country).
Narrative subgenres
The narrative subgenres are, likewise, the forms that the art of the narration literary:
- The story. A brief exploration of a narrative situation closed in on itself and told by a narrator.
- The micro-story. A hyper-brief form of story, similar to aphorism or verse.
- The novel. An extensive and rambling exploration of a larger and more complex narrative, in which many characters are often involved and many events occur.
- The chronic. A form of mixed narration that addresses real events, but from the techniques of literary composition.
Dramatic subgenres
The dramatic subgenres are those in which the texts of plays: