What genres exist in literature? Types and genres of literature

Literature refers to works of human thought that are enshrined in the written word and have social significance. All sorts of things literary work depending on HOW the writer depicts reality in it, it is classified as one of three literary families: epic, lyric or drama.

Epic (from the Greek “narration”) is a generalized name for works that depict events external to the author.

Lyrics (from the Greek “performed to the lyre”) - a generalized name for works - usually poetic, in which there is no plot, but the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the author are reflected ( lyrical hero).

Drama (from Greek “action”) - a generalized name for works in which life is shown through conflicts and clashes of heroes. Dramatic works are intended not so much for reading as for dramatization. In drama, it is not the external action that is important, but the experience of a conflict situation. In drama, epic (narration) and lyrics are fused together.

Within each type of literature there are genres- historically established types of works, characterized by certain structural and content features (see table of genres).

Tragedy (from Greek “goat song”) - a dramatic work with an insurmountable conflict, which depicts an intense struggle strong characters and passions, ending with the death of the hero.

Comedy (from Greek " happy song") is a dramatic work with a cheerful, funny plot, usually ridiculing social or everyday vices.

Drama is a literary work in the form of a dialogue with a serious plot, depicting an individual in his dramatic relationship with society.

Vaudeville - a light comedy with singing couplets and dancing.

Farce – theatrical play light, playful character with external comic effects, designed for coarse taste.

Oh yeah (from Greek “song”) - a choral, solemn song, a work glorifying, praising some significant event or heroic personality.

Hymn (from Greek “praise”) is a solemn song based on programmatic verses. Initially, hymns were dedicated to the gods. Currently, the anthem is one of national symbols states.

Epigram (from Greek “inscription”) is a short satirical poem of a mocking nature that arose in the 3rd century BC. e.

Elegy - a genre of lyrics dedicated to sad thoughts or lyric poem, imbued with sadness. Belinsky called elegy “a song of sad content.” The word "elegy" is translated as "reed flute" or "plaintive song." Elegy arose in Ancient Greece in the 7th century BC e.

Message – a poetic letter, an appeal to a specific person, a request, a wish.

Sonnet (from Provence “song”) - a poem of 14 lines, possessing a certain system rhyming and strict stylistic laws. The sonnet originated in Italy in the 13th century (the creator was the poet Jacopo da Lentini), in England it appeared in the first half of the 16th century (G. Sarri), and in Russia in the 18th century. The main types of sonnet are Italian (of 2 quatrains and 2 tercets) and English (of 3 quatrains and a final couplet).

Poem (from the Greek “I do, I create”) is a lyric-epic genre, a large poetic work with a narrative or lyrical plot, usually on a historical or legendary theme.

Ballad - lyric-epic genre, plot song with dramatic content.

Epic – large piece of art, telling about significant historical events. In ancient times - a narrative poem of heroic content. In the literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, the genre of the epic novel appeared - this is a work in which the formation of the characters of the main characters occurs during their participation in historical events.

Novel - a large narrative work of art with a complex plot, in the center of which is the fate of the individual.

Tale - a work of fiction that occupies a middle position between a novel and a short story in terms of volume and complexity of the plot. In ancient times, any narrative work was called a story.

Story - a work of art of small size, based on an episode, an incident from the life of the hero.

Fairy tale - a work about fictional events and characters, usually involving magical, fantastic forces.

Fable is a narrative work in poetic form, small in size, of a moralizing or satirical nature.

Instructions

Explore epic kind literature. It includes the following: - story: a relatively small 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 characters - moves, and meetings;
- novel: large epic form from 200 pages. A novel can trace the lives of the characters from beginning to end. 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.

The following genres belong to the dramatic genre of literature: - tragedy: a 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;
-: a dramatic work in which the main meaning and essence is laughter. It may be satirical or kinder, but every incident 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.

IN modern literature many different genres, each of which is unique and original. But if tragedy or comedy is easy enough to identify, then give precise definition the drama genre is not always possible. So what is dramatic work and how not to confuse it with something else?

Unlike, the drama shows life experiences and various intricacies of fate. Of course, people's lives, their morals and characters can be quite vivid in comedic works, but drama is not so inherent in ridiculing vices and comically exposing any of the characters' actions. Here the hero’s life itself, his thoughts and feelings are at stake. Dramatic works are very realistic because they show a person exactly as he is without allegories, grotesqueries and embellishments. That is why drama is considered the most complex and, at the same time, one of the most interesting literature. Sometimes drama is very reminiscent of tragedy, because here sharp corners are exposed and light is shed on many unpleasant details of the lives of the heroes. Often the drama becomes so intense and heavy that it is almost impossible to distinguish it from. But tragic works now they are no longer so popular and never have a chance of a successful outcome. But a drama can end well, despite all the intricacies of the plot and the difficult fates of the heroes. In our language, the word “drama” itself has firmly come to be combined with a tragic plot or the life drama of the characters, while historically this word has no meaning at all similar meaning. Any dramatic the work, regardless of its content, shows real life ordinary people, their sorrows, joys, experiences and bright moments. It is not at all necessary that the reader will have fun during the plot, but the drama should not intimidate or make him cry. It is just a part of life, no more terrible or unsightly than reality. It is interesting that the very concept of drama, as in works of art, dates back to the 18th century. She was very much among the enlightened pundits, politicians and philosophers. Initially, dramatic works were strongly associated with tragedies, tragicomedies, farces and even costumed performances in masks. But centuries later, drama became part of artistic reproduction and received its own, separate from others. genres, place. Dramatic works amaze with their realism and genuine plot. There are few places where you can meet a destiny that is not fictional, but similar to your own, like two peas in a pod. In dramas, of course, there are also, but such dramas are also necessary, because they teach us goodness and faith in the best and brightest. Love drama because it is based on life.

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Sources:

• drama as a genre

To identify a person by laughter, it is not at all necessary to be professional psychologist. The power of laughter, its intensity, and the actions that accompany it can all tell a lot about a person.

Instructions

Laughter from the heart speaks of a cheerful disposition and flexible character e. Laughter until you wheeze, relieves any nervous tension.

People with a weak will have a quiet, soft laugh.

Quiet short laugh- evidence of strength, great intelligence, will. Such people are often excellent storytellers. They can easily handle heavy loads.

Silent laughter is a sign of secrecy, caution, prudence and cunning.

They usually have a jerky laugh nervous people with troubled character ohm

Rough laughter is a sign of authority, selfishness, and animal nature. Often these people laugh alone with themselves.

Laughter ending in a sigh indicates a tendency to hysteria, susceptibility to sudden mood swings, and weak will.

A person who laughs openly and loudly is confident in himself and knows how to enjoy life. True, sometimes these people show rudeness and sarcasm. They love to laugh at others.

If a person laughs quietly, tilting his head slightly, he is not too confident in himself. People with such laughter try to adapt to the situation and please others.

A person who squints his eyelids is balanced and confident. He is stubborn and persistent, always achieves his goal.

If your interlocutor wrinkles his nose while laughing, it means that he is prone to frequent changes of views. Such people are emotional, capricious, and act depending on their mood.

A person covering his mouth with his hand is shy and timid. He doesn't like being the center of attention. People with such a laugh are quite repressed and cannot open up to a stranger.

Laughter accompanied by touching the face character depicts its owner as a dreamer and visionary. Such a person is emotional, sometimes even excessively. He has difficulty navigating real world.

If a person often holds back his laughter, he is reliable and self-confident. Such people are balanced, do not waste time on trifles, and firmly move towards their goals.

Your interlocutor does not smile, but grins, his mouth tilted to the right. Be careful! Here is a rude, thick-skinned and unreliable person, prone to deception and cruelty.

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Until now, people who are far from literary criticism as a science believe that “novel” and “romantic” are close concepts, which means that novels are about love. Of course, this is far from true. The novel is ancient, complex and ambiguous literary genre, which includes Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Palahniuk’s Fight Club, and Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. But these are, of course, very, very different novels.

Novels were, as it were, opposed to the Latin literary model, so forms that, in fact, were not novels at all could be called that way - historiography, fables, visions, short stories.

But the emergence of the novel as a genre dates back to antiquity. For example, these are the works “Metamorphoses, or the Golden Ass” by Apuleius, “Daphnis and Chloe” by Long, “Satyricon” by Petronius.

The novel received its rebirth in the Middle Ages, it is either a chivalric novel. These include, for example, about King Arthur, Tristan and Isolde, etc.

What can be called a novel

The novel is a very complex and controversial genre, the study of which is still difficult for literary scholars. According to researcher M.M. Bakhtin, this happens because all others, except the novel, have already been established, have their own specific canons and distinctive ones, while the novel is still a very mobile, constantly changing genre, which has been in its infancy for many hundreds of years.

Distinctive features the novel can be distinguished only very roughly. Typically this is epic work large form, in the center of which is an individual. Most often, this person is depicted at a turning point, a crisis moment in his life. Depending on the literary movement, to which the novel belongs, personality can develop (e.g. famous trick“dialectics of the soul” by L.N. Tolstoy), fall into non-standard situations and experience adventures (in an adventure or adventure novel), experience love twists and turns(V love story).

The novel must be built on conflict - interpersonal, intrapersonal, social, etc.

A unified classification of types of novels does not exist to this day, but there are different types of them. For example, according to content they most often distinguish:

Social,
- moral, descriptive
- cultural and historical,
- psychological,
- a novel of ideas,
- adventure.

IN Lately More and more new types of novels are appearing, for example the novel-. Many of the novels combine features of both.

Some literary works, which are essentially novels, are classified by the authors as a story, and stories and stories are often written into novels.

As is known, all literary works, depending on the nature of the depicted, belong to one of three genres: epic, lyric or drama .

1 ) Anecdote2) Apocrypha3) Ballad4) Fable5) Epic

6) Drama7) Life 8) Riddle9) Historical songs

10)Comedy11)Legend12) Lyrics13) Novella

14) Ode 15)Essay16) Pamphlet17) Tale

18) Proverbs and sayings 19) Poems 20) Story21) Roman

22) Fairy tale23) Word 24) Tragedy25) Ditty26) Elegy

27) Epigram 28) Epic29) Epic

Video lesson "Literary genres and genres"

EPOS(from the Greek “narration”) is a generalized name for works depicting events external to the author.

LYRICS(from the Greek “performed to the lyre”) is a generalized name for works in which there is no plot, but the feelings, thoughts, experiences of the author or his lyrical hero are depicted.

DRAMA(from the Greek “action”) - a generalized name for works intended for production on stage; The drama is dominated by character dialogues, and the author's input is kept to a minimum.

Varieties of epic, lyrical and dramatic works are called types of literary works.

Type and genre - concepts in literary criticism very close.

Genres are variations of a type of literary work. For example, genre variety the story can be fantastic or historical story, and the genre variety of comedy is vaudeville, etc. Strictly speaking, a literary genre is a historically established type of artistic work that contains certain structural features and aesthetic quality characteristic of a given group of works.

TYPES (GENRES) OF EPIC WORKS:

epic, novel, tale, story, fairy tale, fable, legend.

EPIC is a major work of fiction telling about significant historical events. In ancient times - a narrative poem of heroic content. In the literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, the genre of the epic novel appeared - this is a work in which the formation of the characters of the main characters occurs during their participation in historical events.

A NOVEL is a large narrative work of art with a complex plot, in the center of which is the fate of an individual.

A STORY is a work of art that occupies a middle position between a novel and a short story in terms of volume and complexity of the plot. In ancient times, any narrative work was called a story.

A STORY is a small work of fiction based on an episode, an incident from the life of the hero.

TALE - a work about fictional events and characters, usually involving magical, fantastic forces.

A FABLE (from “bayat” - to tell) is a narrative work in poetic form, small in size, of a moralizing or satirical nature.

TYPES (GENRES) OF LYRIC WORKS:

ode, hymn, song, elegy, sonnet, epigram, message.

ODA (from Greek “song”) is a choral, solemn song.

HYMN (from Greek “praise”) is a solemn song based on programmatic verses.

EPIGRAM (from Greek “inscription”) is a short satirical poem of a mocking nature that arose in the 3rd century BC. e.

ELEGY is a genre of lyrics dedicated to sad thoughts or a lyric poem imbued with sadness. Belinsky called elegy “a song of sad content.” The word "elegy" is translated as "reed flute" or "plaintive song." Elegy originated in Ancient Greece in the 7th century BC. e.

MESSAGE - a poetic letter, an appeal to a specific person, a request, a wish, a confession.

SONNET (from the Provencal sonette - “song”) is a poem of 14 lines, which has a certain rhyme system and strict stylistic laws. The sonnet originated in Italy in the 13th century (the creator was the poet Jacopo da Lentini), in England it appeared in the first half of the 16th century (G. Sarri), and in Russia in the 18th century. The main types of sonnet are Italian (from 2 quatrains and 2 tercets) and English (from 3 quatrains and a final couplet).

LYROEPIC TYPES (GENRES):

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, 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, does he introduce 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.

Literary genre- this is a model according to which the text of a literary work is built. A genre is a set of certain characteristics that allow a literary work to be classified as an epic, lyric or drama.

Main types literary genres

Literary genres are divided into: epic, lyrical and dramatic. Epic genres: fairy tale, epic, epic, novel-epic, story, novel, sketch, story, anecdote. Lyrical genres: ode, ballad, elegy, epigram, message, madrigal. Dramatic genres: tragedy, drama, comedy, melodrama, farce and vaudeville.

Genres in literature have a number of specific characteristics, divided into: genre-forming and additional. Genre-forming features serve to determine the specifics of a particular genre. For example, a genre-forming feature of a fairy tale is an orientation towards fiction. The events occurring in the fairy tale are perceived by the listener as magical, fictitious, and not directly related to reality. The genre-forming feature of a novel is its connection with objective reality, the coverage of events that happened in reality or those that could happen, a large number of acting characters, lead special attention inner world heroes.

Development of literary genres

Literary genres do not tend to stand still. They develop all the time and never stop changing. When forming or changing literary genres, attention is paid to real historical reality, in the aura of which the creation of literary works takes place.

What is a literary genre for?

We have figured out what a genre in literature is, but it would not be amiss to consider why a literary genre is needed - what function does it perform?

The genre is able to give the reader a fairly holistic idea of ​​the work. That is, if the title of a work contains the word “novel,” then the reader immediately begins to tune in to a significant amount of text, in contrast, for example, to a small “story,” which evokes a corresponding association with the approximate number of pages in the book.

Genre can also give the reader an idea of ​​the content of the work. For example, if it is defined as “drama,” then we can imagine in advance that the person in the work will be shown in a dramatic relationship with society and, most likely, we will observe tragic events at the end of the book.

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