GENRES AND SUBGENRES WITH CASE STUDIES TAKEN FROM

LITERATURES IN ENGLISH
different groups on the basis of various characteristic features
the most basic level includes poetry, prose/narrative fiction, drama

THEORY OF GENRES

FORMALISTIC APPROACH
poetry: short and structured into stanzas
prose: longer form and contains story-telling
drama: kind of literature that includes dialogues

PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Larger function of literature is to teach morality and
examines philosophical issues, such as ethics, nature of
humanity.
poetry: feel the subjective, personal presence of the
speaking self
prose: speaking self is more impersonal, objective
drama: presence of the speaking self cannot be felt -->
dialogues

SEPARATED AND MIXED

GENRES

For a long time: classical principle of decorum --> genres and

subgenres should be clearly defined and separated

With the historical changes of literature: subdivison and fusion

SUBDIVISION

Genres can be subdivided into new

subgenres. e.g. novel --> historical,
FUSION
detective, psychological novels

mixture of two genres

e.g. Shakespeare started
experimenting the new genre of the
tragicomedy

GENRE-GENERATING FACTORS

The most important factor is the social and educational status of the public
--> reason why different genres are dominant in different historical periods

e.g. English Renaissance implied

drama --> illiterate and poor people
 POETRY
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE OPERATES ON THE BASIS OF TWO PRINCIPLES:

SCHEMES: ORDERING/ORGANIZING WORDS

alliteration
rhyme, eye rhyme
refrain
stanza

TROPES: MOVE THE MEANING OF TEXT FROM LITERAL TO FIGURATIVE

oxymoron
paradox
metaphor
symbol
irony
simile
hyperbole

1
LYRIC POETRY
expressing emotions and thoughts

1. elegy: feelings of sadness and suffering, death

2. epigram: expresses ideas in a clever way
3. ode: a formal, ceremonious lyric poem, are spent praising an
event/individual in a very emotive way (Shelley: Ode to the West W
4. sonnets: 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter

2
NARRATIVE POETRY

narrating a story
1. ballad: sentimental song, which is driven by a plot and contains
multiple characters (Keats: La Belle Dame sans Mercy)
2. dramatic monologue: speech of an individual character, speaker's
history and psychological insight
3. epic: contains a legendary hero, narrates the deeds and adventures
of these legendary figures

SONNETS
The sonnet became popular during the Italian Renaissance. The poet
Petrarch published love sonnets addressed to an idealized woman, Laura.
1. Petrarchan/Italian sonnet
divided into two stanzas: octave (8 lines) and sestet (6 lines)
The rhyme scheme: ABBA ABBA CDE CDE/ABBA ABBA CDCDCD
octave: introduces a problem/doubt within the speaker

3
sestet: change in tone, comment on problem/apply a solution

2. Shakespearean/English sonnet
divided into 3 quatrains and 1 couplet
The rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
first 2 quatrains: ask a single question
third quatrain and couplet: answer
Shakespeare: 154 sonnets addressed to a young man/Dark Lady -
-> feel of autobiographical poems, fall in love: painful
Sonnet 18: difference between the young man and the summer's
day, autumm, things are changing, but his beauty will last
forever
 NARRATIVE
FICTION

1 COMPONENTS
plot
design
character
focalization

2 TEXT TIME & STORY TIME

Order --> the plot jumps
back in time/assumption of a
future act
Duration --> little text +

3
much story time, much text +
little story time, story almost
same as text
Frequency --> singulative,
repetitive, iterative
CHARACTERIZATION
1. direct/indirect presentation
2. round/flat character

4 FOCALIZATION
external/internal focalization of character perception
external/internal perception of space
fixed/variable/multiple

1. Novel
5
generally long and narrative
SUBGENRES

permits a greater variety and deeper development of characters + greater complication

of plot
Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice

2. Short story
can be read at one sitting
cannot afford the space for the development of character
Gilman: Yellow Wallpaper
 DRAMA
dramatic text = script for performance
designed to be acted out --> direct presentation
reading drama is a task of imagination and freedom of interpretation
origin: fertility rituals - make sure that the newal of nature will happen
after winter
complex characters

Subgenres

Tragedy
death, sacrifice, waste
of values,
disintegration
autumm
Shakespeare: Romeo
Comedy
and Juliet

reintegration, celebration,
rebirth
spring
Shakespeare: The Merchant
of Venice

Romance

beauty, human
summer
Shakespeare: The
Tempest Satire

criticism of social morals

winter
Shakespeare: Hamlet

Tragicomedy

characters are both

white and black
no clear-cut moral
judgements
Shakespeare: Hamlet
Absurd

Human condition
has no sense