How To Differentiate Literary Genres

Do you like literature? If so, you have many reasons that justify it. Within literature there is a lot of variety to enjoy. Thanks to reading, it is possible to reach places that human beings have never seen, meet people from the past and others that only exist in someone else’s imagination, try new foods, enjoy pleasant smells, etc.

Literature makes it possible to awaken a large number of emotions and feelings, as it stimulates the senses by making us live, through imagination, many new experiences.

For this reason, it is not strange to cry after the death of a character, feel nostalgic for a farewell, want to live the forbidden love story of the protagonists, hate the one who hurt the young woman, etc.

Now, as is well known, within literature there are different genres, do you know what are the characteristics that differentiate one from the other? Do you have it clear? If the answer is no, don’t let the parrot go! On this occasion, through this article, we will be sharing with you the way in which the different literary genres differ.

Knowing this will not only allow you to have a clear idea in your mind. Also, it will make it possible for you to identify which genre you like the most and exploit it to its fullest, reading as many works as possible and inquiring into the life and work of different authors, as well as their motivation when writing.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop and sharpen critical thinking and recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each of the literary genres, in order to promote in others the desire to read different literary genres and thus broaden their horizons. Therefore, you cannot stop reading this article. It will be very instructive and enriching.

Instructions for differentiating literary genres

For many people, reading is a very common activity, whether they do it to pass the time, to investigate, to work or to get information. It is part of our life, as it is among the activities we do daily.

However, not many people would know how to classify their books according to the literary genre to which they belong, despite being a very easy task to perform. The key is to know the particular characteristics of each one. But what are they?

The first thing you have to know is that, following the guidelines given by Aristotle in his book “Poetics”, literature has been divided into three main genres, which are: the lyrical genre, the epic or narrative and the dramatic. In turn, each of these genres contain different subgenres, each with particular characteristics that differentiate them from others.

The lyrical genre

It is a type of literary text that has the purpose of expressing the emotions of the writer, as well as his reflections on different topics and his way of seeing life. This makes it a type of text full of subjectivity and, therefore, it is unrelated to other genres, such as the journalistic, the essay, etc.

Some of its main characteristics are the following:

In this genre, the author’s feelings always predominate, regardless of whether they are loving, happy, angry or depressive. Which makes it a subjective text.
The writer or poet usually expresses himself in the first or third person. In this way he represents himself or some other character.
The poet expresses his ideas using three attitudes. The enunciative, which has the objective of narrating something or describing a fact that may or may not be proper, the apotrophic, where it communicates with an ende during the narration, as is the case with hymns and, finally, the song in where he takes advantage of the metric, the verses and the rhymes to create a composition that expresses his feelings.
The use of a very worked language and full of different connotations, which is given a rhetorical use to be able to express their ideas and feelings in a much more aesthetic way. To do this, the poet uses different literary resources.
The metric or rhythmic structure that is used to configure the literary text and that is essential to achieve the desired rhythm, intonation and melody.

The most common way to do it, in Spanish, is by counting the syllables that make up each of the verses.

The epic or narrative genre

This is the literary genre that is considered the oldest. It is responsible for presenting the facts, real or fictitious, in an imaginative way. Among its most outstanding characteristics, we find the following:

It narrates the exploits of a hero. Therefore, it can be a real historical narrative or inspired by mythology or legendary events. In general, the hero of the story always has extraordinary traits, which makes him the perfect or ideal man. A brave person, ethical, good looking and a good citizen. With this, they sought to instruct the society of the time.
The presence of supernatural elements. Some of them are the appearance of mythical characters, such as gods, demons, angels, beasts, etc.
His intention is moral. As we have already mentioned, it seeks to instruct society by teaching it virtues to imitate and defects that are condemned and punished with a tragic fate, so that, in this way, they always want to do what is right and avoid what is bad.
The use of verse and elevated language to narrate the facts. This gives it a much more cultured tone, which could only be used by people who had been educated or studied.
The war theme. In general, the exploits that are narrated are linked to a war and, in this environment, it is where the hero acts.
religious presence. The gods usually play a very important role in the development of events and in the hero’s decision-making and actions.
the dramatic genre
This is a type of literary text which represents a moment in the life of the main characters in the story and have been designed to be plays performed in front of spectators.
Some of its most important characteristics are the following:
The presence of dialogue. It is through the use of dialogue that the actions of the characters are presented, as well as their psychology and nature.
It does not have the figure of the narrator. All the facts are explained through the interactions and dialogues that occur during the course of the work.
It lacks descriptions. In view of this, the scenery and staging is what will be responsible for reflecting the characteristics of the time or space where the events take place. The rest must be interpreted from the interpretation on stage.
It is written to be represented. Although it can be read, the playwright’s main goal is to get it on stage.
It has dimensions. That is, indications given by the playwright or director so that the work is represented as close to what they have in mind. These dimensions indicate the entry and exit of characters, the space where they are, the clothing they wear, etc.

Now that you have this general information on literary genres, what else do you need to know?

What do you need to differentiate literary genres?

In addition to the above, it is important that you know what are the subgenres that make up each of these literary genres. This will help you identify them better.

Within the lyrical or poetic genre we find the following:

The song: it is a poem that expresses a lot of emotion and feeling, whose central theme is usually love and takes up the Provençal troubadours.
The anthem: it is nothing more than an exalted and solemn composition that expresses patriotic, warlike or religious sentiments.
The ode: it has a poetic and meditative character and is intended to exalt something or someone.
The elegy: it is a melancholic composition related to mourning and is filled with a lot of emotion.
The eclogue: presents pastoral and rural life in an idyllic way. Usually, two pastors talk about topics related to love.
Satire: is a writing in verse or prose that is used to ridicule something or someone.
The romance: it is a poem that is intended to narrate events that have been transmitted through oral tradition.

Within the epic genre, we can find the following subgenres:

The epic: which narrates the exploits of a hero with exemplary characteristics designed to instill values in the people.
The epic: narrates events of antiquity that have a mythological character. Hence, its protagonists are always gods, heroes and fantastic creatures.
The epic song: it is similar to the epic. However, it focuses on the Middle Ages.
The novel: this is the most widely used subgenre, but also the most complex. Its objective is to narrate a series of events, real or imaginary, in order to entertain the reader. Its shorter version is the short story.
The legend: it is a narrative that is based on some supernatural phenomenon of a popular tradition.
The apologist: it has educational purposes and can be written in prose or verse.
The fable: although it is very similar to the apologist, its moral tends to be simpler and, usually, it is carried out by personified animals.

The subgenres that make up the dramatic genre are the following:

Tragedy: in this style, the protagonists often face different vicissitudes guided by an inescapable and often fatalistic destiny.
The comedy: it is a work with a humorous or festive character.
The tragicomedy: it is nothing more than a mixture of tragedy and comedy full of sarcasm and parodies.
The drama: its purpose is to produce a series of strong emotions in the audience.

But, what else should you take into account in relation to the different literary genres? Let’s see it right now.

Tips to differentiate literary genres

In case you want to dedicate yourself to writing, the first thing you have to do is define what literary genre you want to venture into. Then, carefully review and analyze what are the main characteristics of each of the genres.

Also, stop to consider each of the subgenres that make them up. In this way you will be defining what your style will be, your personal brand, what will make you unique, different from other writers.

On the other hand, it is always recommended that you drink from someone else’s waters. This means that you should consult and read the great writers of the literary genre you have chosen. For example, in the case of poetry, some of its greatest exponents are Federico García Lorca, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Mario Benedetti, Rubén Darío, Pablo Neruda, among others.

In relation to the dramatic genre, among the most recognized works are Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet by William Shakespeare, La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas, La Vida es sueño by Juan Calderón de la Barca, the house of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca, etc.

In the same way, the epic or narrative genre is full of great references. If you take enough time to document yourself, you will not only be able to enrich your vocabulary, but you will also have different tools that will allow you to make your writing richer, more versatile, aesthetic and original.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to transcend in history, the dream of everyone who is dedicated to art, in any of its different manifestations.