Prose

1. Essay - is a short literary composition dealing with single matter usually from a personal point of view, thus a
revelatory of the author's taste, opinions, prejudices, moods and personality. Essay can either be formal or informal.
Specific subdivisions are :
a. Reflective essays - are serious and dignified and usually employ aphorisms.
b. Narrative essay or story essay - makes use of an incident to illustrate an idea or a theme
c. Descriptive essay - has some narrative elements as well as color, vividness and realistic portrayals
d. Biographical essay - sketches life Orr presents character analysis
e. Nature essay - attempts to picture the world of God's creation
f. Critical essay - includes biographical criticisms, literary criticism and book reviews
g. Periodical essays- those published in periodicals hence they are called journalistic
h. Didactic essays - enforce a moral and therefore the tone is serious and instructive

2. Fiction - products of man's imagination in stories of people and events

a. prose allegory - a prose form in which the characters, ideas and actions stand for something else or ideas where
meanings are implied
1. Fable 2. Myths 3. Legends
b. prose romances - stories with some supernatural or magical events, fantastic and unrealistic
1. Fairy tales 2. Folk tales 3. Myths and legends
c. prose satires - stories where human vices and follies are held up to ridicule ( jealous, stupid husband, braggart and
unfaithful wife)
d. Novels - fantasy love adventure
e. Short story
f. Novelettes - between short story and a novel in terms of length (50 to 150 pages)

3. Prose drama - written in dialogue and intended to be presented by actors and actresses
a. Comedy b. Tragedy c. Melodrama d. Farce
e. History play
1. Closet drama - intended for private reading rather than stage
2. Tragicomedy - combination of tragedy and comedy
3. Problem play - neither comedy or tragedy but deals with middle class life and problems
4. Comedy of manners - type of play which satirizes the extremes of fashion and manners
5. Comedia del l'arte - type of comedy developed in 16th century Italy. characters wore masks

4. Non-fiction
a. Biography and autobiography
b. Letters : epistles, diaries, journals
c. Book reviews
d. Literary criticism
e. Scientific and current publications