Genres of Literature

1. Genres of Literature Fiction and Non-Fiction

2. Fiction and Non-Fiction • Genres of literature are divided into (2) categories • Non-Fictions are informational texts dealing with real-life subjects • Real or Actual • Fictions are narrative literary works produced by the imagination • Made-Up

3. How to Remember the Difference • Remember: Fact or Fiction

4. Non-Fiction • Essays • Biographies • Autobiographies • Speeches • Text Books

5. Essays • A short literary composition that reflects the author’s outlook or point • Usually analytic, speculative, or interpretive • Makes a judgment on something Example: Anything by David Sedaris and Chuck Pahlunuk’s Stranger than Fiction

6. Biographies • A written account of another person’s life • Somebody wrote about someone else Example: John Adams by David McCullough

7. Autobiographies • A history of a person, written or spoken by the same person • Usually a narrative • Usually inaccurate • Recreates events • History Example: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

8. Speeches • Expressions of thoughts and emotions by speech, sounds, and gestures Examples: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Malcolm X’s “Who Taught You to Hate Yourself” speech

9. Fiction • Drama • Poetry • Short Story • Fantasy • Fable • Fairy Tales • Science Fiction • Realistic Fiction • Historical Fiction • Tall Tale • Legend • Mythology

10. Drama • Composed for theatrical performance • Conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action Examples: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Richard III, Wicked, and The Lion King

11. Poetry • Verse and rhythmic writing • Imagery evokes an emotional response • Visually interesting • Interesting word choice (diction) • May or may not follow a rhyme scheme • Various types of poems • Haikus, epics, etc. Examples: Tim Michin

12. Short Story • Brief work of fiction • One central story without subplots • Contemporary short stories are oftentimes published in collections or magazines Example: Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man’s Hard to Find”

13. Fantasy • Incorporates fantastical, magical, imaginative creatures or settings in a way that is essential • Suspension of disbelief Example: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

14. Fables and Fairy Tales • Have similar characteristics to fantasy, but usually teach a moral or lesson • Fables usually have animals or inanimate objects as the main characters • Fairy tales employ goblins, fairies, trolls, etc. Example: Grimm’s Fairy Tales

15. Science Fiction • Based on the impact of potential science (actual or imagined) • Sometimes set in the future, alternate realities, or other planets Example: William S. Burroughs’s John Carter of Mars

16. Realistic Fiction • Can happen in real life

17. Historical Fiction • Fictional characters • Fictional events • Has a historical setting

18. Tall Tale • Exaggerated story • Usually humorous • Heroes achieve impossible feats • Legends are people who actually existed, but have stories told about them that contain imagined material Can you think of any examples?

19. Mythology • Explanation of natural phenomena • Human nature • Pertains to the actions of the gods • Shows a model of behavior