Presented by: Marytonie B.
Cercado
MaEd - English
• Introduction
• What is
Literature?
• What is Genre?
• 4 Major Genres of
Literature
• Assessment
• derived from the Latin “litteratura/ literatura”, meaning “learning, a writing,
grammar”
• collection of written works, including prose, fiction, drama, poetry, biography,
diaries, memoir, letters, essays, and non-fictional books
• purpose of literature are recording, preserving, transmitting knowledge and
entertainment; can have social, psychological, spiritual, or political roles
• a category within literature, determined by literary technique, tone, content, or
length
• genres can be in a form of prose or poetry, encompassing a wide range of sub-
genres and cultural movements.
• the concept of literary genre began with Aristotle, who classified literary genres
into species, mainly discussed in this treatises Rhetoric and Poetics.
• He categorized it into epic, tragedy, comedy, dithyrambic poetry, and phallic songs.
He also identified three rhetorical genres: deliberative, forensic, and epideictic
oratory.
Poetry is a condensed form of writing that
effectively invokes a range of emotions in the
reader, often bringing awareness of current issues
and human experiences.
Poetry is a form of self-expression that uses words
to evoke emotions in an imaginative way. It can be
safely divided into three main genres: lyric poetry,
narrative poetry, and dramatic poetry.
Lyric poetry uses song-like and emotional words to
describe a moment, an object, a feeling, or a person. It
focuses on the poet’s personal attitudes and state of
mind, using sensory language to set the scene and inspire
emotions in the reader. Examples of lyric poetry include
elegy, haiku, ode, sonnet, and the works of John Keats
and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Narrative poetry tells a story and often sets it to music
as ballads. It includes epics, allegory, burlesque, and
other storytelling forms. Examples of narrative poetry
include Homer’s The Odyssey and Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride”.
Dramatic poetry is written in the form of a dramatic
monologue or dialogue, often presenting a character’s
thoughts and emotions in a particular situation. It is
similar to a play but written in verse form. Examples of
dramatic poetry include Robert Browning’s
“Porphyria’s Lover” and T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J.
Alfred Prufrock”.
Derived from a Greek word meaning 'deed' or 'act',
symbolizing action and performance.
A mode of fiction represented in various forms such
as plays, opera, mime, and ballet, performed in
theatres or broadcasted.
Drama, as a literary genre, is a mode of
fiction represented through performance,
such as plays, operas, ballet, etc.,
intended to be seen and heard by an
audience. It involves characters engaged
in a plot, with elements like conflict,
resolution, dialogue, and action.
Drama is distinct from other literary forms like
novels or poetry and can encompass various genres
like tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, historical
drama, and musical drama. The term "drama"
originally meant something written, but it evolved to
represent a specific type of play that is neither a
comedy nor a tragedy, focusing on the enactment of
characters on a stage before an audience, often
involving dialogue, actions, and conflicts
1.Comedy:
Comedy is a popular form of drama
that aims to make the audience laugh. It has a
light tone and usually has a happy ending.
Examples include Noises Off by Michael Frayn
and The Simpsons.
2. Tragedy:
In tragedy, the protagonist or hero
is brought down by their flaws.
Murders, pain, deaths, and insanity are
among the most common ideas in
tragedies. Examples include La traviata
by Verdi, Carmen by Bizet, and Die
Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by
Mozart.
3. Tragicomedy:
Tragicomedy is a genre that combines elements of tragedy
and comedy. It has a serious tone but also includes
humorous scenes and characters. Examples include Three
Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man
Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
(2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012).
4. Melodrama:
Melodrama is a genre that focuses on the emotional
response of the audience. It often involves intense
emotions, high stakes, and a clear division between good
and evil. Examples include A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler,
and The Lady of the Sea.
5. Musical:
Musicals combine songs, spoken dialogue, dance, and
acting. It is easy to confuse them with operas, but in a
musical, the lines are spoken, while in an opera, they are
sung. Examples include The Sound of Music and My Fair
Lady.
6. Docudrama:
Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life
events. While not always completely accurate, the general
facts are more-or-less true. Examples include Black Mass
(2015) and Zodiac (2007).
• Fiction refers to any creative work, particularly
narrative works, that portray individuals,
events, or places that are imaginary or in ways
that are imaginary.
• Fictional portrayals are inconsistent with
history, fact, or plausibility.
• In a traditional narrow sense, "fiction" refers
to written narratives in prose, such as novels,
novellas, and short stories.
• However, fiction can also encompass
imaginary narratives expressed in any
medium, including live theatrical
performances, films, television programs,
radio dramas, comics, role-playing games, and
video games.
• Stephen King: King is a prolific American author known for his horror,
supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy novels. Some of his
most famous works include "Carrie," "The Shining," "It," "The Stand," and "Misery."
• Agatha Christie: Christie was a British writer known for her detective novels, short
story collections, and plays. She is considered the best-selling novelist of all time,
with over two billion copies sold worldwide. Some of her most famous works
include "Murder on the Orient Express," "And Then There Were None," and "The
Mousetrap."
• Leo Tolstoy: Tolstoy was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright. He
is best known for his novels "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina," which are
considered two of the greatest works of fiction ever written.
• William Shakespeare: Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He
is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's
preeminent dramatist. His plays, including "Romeo and Juliet," "Hamlet,"
"Macbeth," and "Othello," are still performed and studied worldwide.
• Ernest Hemingway: Hemingway was an American novelist, short story writer, and
journalist. He is known for his concise and straightforward writing style and his
themes of love, war, and death. Some of his most famous works include "The Old
Man and the Sea," "A Farewell to Arms," and "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
• Charles Dickens: Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He is considered
one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era, known for his satirical and
descriptive writing style. Some of his most famous works include "A Tale of Two
Cities," "Great Expectations," and "Oliver Twist."
• Virginia Woolf: Woolf was an English writer, considered one of the most important
modernist 20th-century authors. She is known for her stream-of-consciousness
writing style and her themes of gender, sexuality, and identity. Some of her most
famous works include "Mrs. Dalloway," "To the Lighthouse," and "A Room of One's
Own."
• George Orwell: Orwell was an English novelist, essayist, and journalist. He is
known for his political and social commentary, and his works often explore
themes of totalitarianism, propaganda, and social injustice. Some of his most
famous works include "Animal Farm" and "1984."
• J.K. Rowling: Rowling is a British author known for her fantasy novel
series "Harry Potter," which has become one of the best-selling book
series of all time. She has also written other novels, including "The Casual
Vacancy" and "The Cuckoo's Calling" under the pseudonym Robert
Galbraith.
• Margaret Atwood: Atwood is a Canadian author known for her
speculative fiction novels, which often explore themes of gender,
sexuality, and power. Some of her most famous works include "The
Handmaid's Tale," "Alias Grace," and "Oryx and Crake."
• Nonfiction is a literary genre that provides
information based on facts and conclusions. It
portrays real individuals, events, or places, in
contrast to fiction, which involves imaginary
or fictional elements.
• Nonfiction works can take various forms,
including essays, biographies, memoirs,
documentaries, and news articles.
• The primary goal of nonfiction is to present
accurate and verifiable information to the
audience, often exploring real-world issues,
events, or experiences. Nonfiction is an
essential genre that contributes to knowledge,
education, and understanding of the world
around us.
• Expository Nonfiction: This type
of nonfiction aims to inform the
reader about its subject by
providing an explanation for it. It
can cover a wide range of topics,
including history, science,
technology, and more. Examples
include textbooks, how-to guides,
and informational articles.
• Narrative Nonfiction: Also known
as creative nonfiction, this type of
nonfiction tells a true story using
literary techniques such as
dialogue, plot, and imagery.
Memoirs, biographies, and travel
writing are examples of narrative
nonfiction.
• Persuasive Nonfiction: This type
of nonfiction aims to persuade the
reader to adopt a particular point
of view or take a specific action. It
can include opinion pieces,
political speeches, and advertising
copy.
• Descriptive Nonfiction: This type
of nonfiction aims to describe a
person, place, or thing in detail,
using sensory language to create a
vivid picture in the reader's mind.
It can include travel writing, nature
writing, and product reviews.
• Academic Nonfiction: This
type of nonfiction is written
for an academic audience and
typically includes research
studies, scholarly articles, and
dissertations.
• Self-help Nonfiction: This type
of nonfiction aims to provide
practical advice and guidance
on how to improve various
aspects of one's life, such as
personal finance,
relationships, and health.
• Journalism: This type of
nonfiction includes news
articles, investigative reports,
and feature stories that aim to
inform the public about
current events, social issues,
and other topics of interest.
• Biography and Memoir: These
types of nonfiction tell the
story of a person's life, either
from the perspective of the
person themselves (memoir)
or from an outside observer
(biography).
• Travel Writing: This type of
nonfiction describes the
author's personal
experiences and
observations while traveling
to various locations around
the world.
• Historical Nonfiction: This
type of nonfiction explores
historical events, figures,
and phenomena, often using
primary sources and other
research methods to provide
a detailed and accurate
account.
QUESTION
TIME
ASSESSMENT
Discuss the following: (10 points each)
1.How does the use of narrative structure differ
between fiction and nonfiction writing?
2.How do the themes explored in drama differ from
those in other literary genres?
3.What role does the author's perspective play in
shaping the reader's experience in both fiction
and nonfiction?
4. How does the presentation of characters
differ between fiction and drama?
5. How do the structures of poetry and drama
contribute to their unique forms of expression?
6. In what ways does nonfiction writing engage
with real-world events and experiences
compared to fiction?
