История литературы / 2. Types and genres of literature

Readers of literature don't just read literature.  First, not all literature is similar; second, reading one genre is not the same as reading another.  We don't read poetry in the way that we read prose fiction.  In fact, we don't read one type of poem in the same way that we read another type. Different genres demand different ways of reading.  To a certain extent, genre and technique go hand-in-hand; nevertheless, many techniques are common to many forms of language use and can be found in many genres. Remember that a term is a concept, a tool for understanding. While the number of genres and their subdivisions has proliferated since classical times, the division of the literary domain into three major genres (by Plato, Aristotle, and, later, Horace), is still useful. These are lyric, drama, and epic, and they are distinguished by "manner of imitation," that is, by how the characters and the action are presented. 1) An epic is characterized by the action that should be entire; the character should be distinguished & episodes should easily arise from the main fable. But the main thing is that it renders life as something that happened to the characters or the author in the past & the author deals with it as with some clear-cut period of time. The true heroic epic was in verse, rather lengthy, and tended to be episodic. It dealt in elevated language with heroic figures whose deeds affected whole civilizations. Primarily written in third person. However, the epic poet makes his presence known, sometimes by speaking in first person. Prose writers use language to create a mixture of characters, places, and events that construct an entire world in the reader's mind. Genres: Novel, long story (повесть), short story, essay. 2) A lyric is a poem directly expressing the poet’s own thoughts & emotions. The direct appeal is the main that distinguishes a lyric from the epic. Typically, the subject matter is expressive, whether of personal emotions, such as love or grief, or of public emotions, such as patriotism or reverence or celebration. The poet writes the poem as his or her own experience; often the poet uses first person; however, this speaker is not necessarily the poet but may be a fictional character. Genres: Ballad, ode, elegy, sonnet etc. 3)Drama is letting one’s character to speak without any interference of the author. The characters are obviously separate from the writer; in fact, they generally seem to have lives of their own and their speech reflects their individual personalities. The writer is present in stage directions. Plays are works of literature that are generally intended to be performed by actors in front of an audience. Dialog and plot are two of the key ingredients in creating a play. Genres: Tragedy, comedy, family chronicle.