Genre and Subgenre
1. Nonfiction 2. Fiction 3. Drama 4. Poetry
1. NONFICTION
What is nonfiction? Nonfiction is a broad genre of writing that
encompasses all books that aren’t rooted in a fictional narrative.
- Nonfiction writing can be based in history and
biography, it can be instructional, it can offer commentary and humor, and it
can ponder philosophical questions.
What Is the Difference Between
Fiction and Nonfiction? Literary works of fiction are works that aren’t based
on true facts. Typically fiction appears as narrative—think of great novels by
the likes of Toni Morrison, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, James
Baldwin, Gabriel García Márquez, Edgar Allen Poe, and more.
In addition to novels,
fiction can appear as short stories, poetry, and in theatrical scripts for
film, television, and live performance.
What is nonfiction? Nonfiction is a broad genre of writing that encompasses all books that aren’t rooted in a fictional narrative.
- Nonfiction writing can be based in history and biography, it can be instructional, it can offer commentary and humor, and it can ponder philosophical questions.
What Is the Difference Between Fiction and Nonfiction? Literary works of fiction are works that aren’t based on true facts. Typically fiction appears as narrative—think of great novels by the likes of Toni Morrison, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Gabriel García Márquez, Edgar Allen Poe, and more.
Nonfiction Subgenres
- Informational writing: explains something that is actual, real life, &
contains facts. Ex.) Textbooks, magazines, newspapers, articles
- Essay: a short literary composition that reflects the
author’s point of view. Based on a particular theme or subject. (Argumentative
or narrative) Ex.) Mrs. Lust writes an essay about eating fast food and how it
can have harmful effects on your body.
- Persuasive writing is a form of nonfiction writing that encourages
careful word choice, the development of logical arguments, and a cohesive
summary. Young children can be guided through a series of simple steps in an
effort to develop their persuasive writing skills.
Example: Persuasive Essay.
Functions of Language
The
functions of the language its main objective is to involve the language when we
interact with other people, The linguists studied our way of speaking and
discovered that all languages change their form and function according to the purpose
for which they are used something that represents the use of a language for
something specific, for example when we transmit knowledge with others or thank
others for having done something right. There are 5 main functions of the
language which are: the informational, expressive, directive, aesthetics and
phatic functions, these functions are very important to be able to use the
language in a good way.
Informational
function, focuses on the reference (the topic spoken) and in the context, it is
used to provide objective information of something or someone, it is a function
of the most main ones since it seeks a reaction in the listener and is always
present even if another function is being used. Expressive Functions, is the
function of language that focuses on the issuer, since it allows you to
externalize your own feelings, desires, interests and opinions, a very clear
example is when we tell someone the following expression (a pleasure to know
it) these functions are very important since we use them daily and both can be
used at the same time without affecting each other.
Directive Function, this function can be associated with orders, but
also with the pleas or orders in general made by people, its main objective is
to perform or achieve a certain behavior for those who listen to orders or beg,
The questions (except for merely rhetorical ones) fall within this function of
language, because when someone asks a question, in general you are asking the
other to respond, it is requiring information in response. a very clear example
is "I pronounce you husband and wife" this phrase is expected to
behave determined by the people to whom it is performed or heard.
Aesthetics, its main objective is to create a feeling of liking or
appreciation in people, the central element is the form of the message, since
the same message (with the same content) can communicate in various ways,
resorting to different words, expressions and into sins. This function is
widely used by poets. Phatic Functions, focuses on the communication channel,
since it is used to start, end, prolong or interrupt a conversation, its
purpose is not to transmit information, these functions are less used by people
in general, but in some areas they are widely used.
Finally; the functions of language are very important to study and learn, since they are functions that we use daily but we do not know how to identify, these functions give objectives to what we talk or interact with other people, the 5 main functions have a specific objective in language, for example highlighting an action performed by other people or by ourselves, the 5 functions of the language we studied were; The informational, expressive, directive, aesthetics and phatic functions will all help us understand the language and apply them in a good way.(Filosoficana, Ciencias filosoficas, filosofia y lenguage, 2011)
- Speech: spoken communication; ability to express one’s
thoughts & emotions by speech, sounds, & gesture. Delivered in the form
of an address or lecture.
- Narrative: is information based on fact that is presented in a
format which tells a story.
- Autobiography: life story written by one’s self. This subset of nonfiction focuses on the life story of a particular subject. Biographies are written in the third person about someone other than the author. Example:
The life of Monsignor Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero was born on August 15, 1917 into a humble family in the municipality of Ciudad Barrios, in San Salvador. At the age of 14 he began to study at the seminary of the Claretian Fathers, continued with the Jesuits and completed his training in Rome, where he was ordained a priest in 1942. The following year he returned to his country, where he developed all his apostolate, always marked by his preaching on behalf of the weakest. Although he was of a rather conservative profile and close to institutions such as Opus Dei, he was also an admirer of Liberation Theology, a current associated with Marxism. Due to his tireless militancy in favor of human rights and his opposition to the dictatorship of his country, he faced the high hierarchies of the local church and even with Pope John Paul II, who in a meeting in the Vatican came to reproach him for his rigid attitude towards the Salvadoran regime. In 1977 he was appointed archbishop of San Salvador by Pope Paul VI, who, significantly, will be canonized the same day as Romero. The tragic death of Monsignor Romero unleashed a violent civil war that lasted until 1993, leaving 75,000 dead and at least 7,000 missing. It was precisely after the war that a report was issued with details on the murder: former army major Roberto d'Aubuisson, a figure on the Salvadoran right, was singled out as the mastermind behind the murder. Over the years, the figure of Romero became almost a legend in Latin America, where he is recognized by many as "the voice of the voiceless."
- Biography: Writing about someone else’s life. Autobiographies
are written by the subject themselves. While autobiographies are, by necessity,
written by someone who is currently alive at the time of the writing,
biographies may profile subjects both living and dead.
Álvaro Germán Ibarra Torres, (Concepción Batres, Usulután, El Salvador; April 9, 1954), better known as "Álvaro Torres" is a famous Salvadoran singer-songwriter and composer mainly in the Latin pop genre, romantic ballads and boleros. Álvaro Torres was born in Hacienda Nueva, municipality of Concepción Batres, department of Usulután, Republic of El Salvador. He grew up in the Bajo Lempa region, specifically in the Los Linderos canton on the banks of the Lempa River. His parents, María del Carmen Torres and José Germán Ibarra, separated when he was two years old, and despite not having been raised with his father, it was from him that he inherited his beautiful talent and passion for music. Among his best known songs are: "Chiquita mía", "He vivido esperando por ti", "De Punta a punta", "Hazme olvidarla", "Yo Te seguiré queriendo", "Mi verdadero amor", "Si estuvieras conmigo", "Te va a doler", "Tres", "Yo te seguiré queriendo", "Stress", "Ojalá", "Todo se paga", "Amor que mata", "Lo que se dice olvidar", "Reencuentro", "Nada se compara contigo", "Te olvidaré", "El Último Romántico", "A ti mi amor", "Al acecho", "Más romántico que nadie", "Ni tú ni ella", "Espacios vacíos", "Aléjate de mí", among many others. He has sung a duet with Mexican singers such as: Dulce, with the theme "Nuestro Amor"; Marisela, with the song "Mi amor por ti", Tatiana, with whom he recorded "Quiero volver a tu lado", Selena, with whom he played "Buenos Amigos", In addition to other duets, he recorded with José Feliciano in 2005 the song "No Me Vuelvo A Enamorar" and "He Venido a Pedirte Perdón", songs included on the album Álvaro Torres Interpreta a Juan Gabriel en Boleros. Throughout his career he has obtained many recognitions including several gold and platinum records.
2. FICTION
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the
plot takes place in a setting located in the past. Although the term is
commonly used as a synonym for the historical novel, it can also be applied to
other types of narrative, including theatre, opera, cinema, and television, as
well as video games and graphic novels, and Authors also frequently choose to
explore notable historical figures in these settings, allowing readers to
better understand how these individuals might have responded to their environments.
Some subgenres such as alternate
history and historical fantasy insert speculative or ahistorical elements into
a novel.
Historical fiction sometimes encouraged movements of
romantic nationalism. Walter Scott's Waverley novels created interest in Scottish
history and still illuminate it a series of novels by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
on the history of Poland popularized the country's history after it had lost
its independence in the Partitions of Poland. Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote several
immensely popular novels set in conflicts between the Poles and predatory
Teutonic Knights, rebelling Cossacks and invading Swedes. He won the 1905 Nobel
Prize in literature. He also wrote the popular novel, Quo Vadis, about Nero's
Rome and the early Christians, which has been adapted several times for film,
in 1913, 1924, 1951, 2001 to only name the most prominent. Sigrid Undset's
Kristin Lavransdatter fulfilled a similar function for Norwegian history;
Undset later won a Nobel Prize for Literature (1928).
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that
typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced
science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and
extraterrestrial life. It has been called the "literature of ideas",
and often explores the potential consequences of scientific, social, and
technological innovations, whose roots go back to ancient times, is related to
fantasy, horror, and superhero fiction, and contains many subgenres. Its exact
definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and
readers.
According to American writer and professor of biochemistry Isaac Asimov, "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology." American science-fiction author and engineer Robert A. Heinlein wrote that "A handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method."
Realistic fiction
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a
fictional universe, often inspired by real world myth and folklore. Its roots
are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama. From
the twentieth century it has expanded further into various media, including
film, television, graphic novels, manga, animated movies and video games.
Fantasy is distinguished from the genres of science
fiction and horror by the respective absence of scientific or macabre themes, though
these genres overlap. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly
features settings of a medieval nature. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy
consists of works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians from
ancient myths and legends to many recent and popular works.
- FOLCKLORE is oral history that is preserved by the people of the culture,
consisting of traditions belonging to a specific culture.
An example of folklore is a story
about where their family came from told to a grandchild by his grandma.
Folcklore include (myth, legend, tall tale, fairy tale and fable)
- Myth: a traditional story,
especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural
or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
Example: When a black butterfly arrives at our house, according to myth
someone is going to die from that house.
- Legend: A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated.
Example: There are many well-known legends in our country, but one that
is considered of our country, is the legend of the mona witch.
Our ancestors said that there were some women who at eleven o'clock at
night were given three volantines or turns back and then three forwards (they
jumped forward or backward); that these women had a guacal where they left
their soul and without it took on monkey figures, or pigs and dedicated the the
most. And so these witches, accompanied by the darkness of the night, climbed
into the trees and threw fruit at the people. They climbed on the roofs of the
houses, jumping from place to place and throwing stony at the people passing on
the neighboring street. Many people have tried to grab them and kill the monkey
or flip flop, but it's no use to them, because when they're already around and
they think having her cornered, they're vanished like charm.They also told our
ancestors that these women could turn into large, black, mud-filled pigs. They
barely saw the appointed person, lightened his trot and began to growl,
furiously ramming the person and biting and biting him in the legs until he
knocked it down and made him lose consciousness, the next day, the victim was
ground and bitten, and with empty pockets.
- TALL TALES: A fanciful or greatly exaggerated story, as in some youngsters
love tall tales about creatures from outer space coming to
earth.
Example:
The two snakes
Once upon a time there were two snakes who lived calmly and happily in the stagnant waters of a swamp. In this place they had everything they needed: insects and small fish to eat, plenty of room to move and enough moisture to keep their scales shiny and in good condition. Everything was perfect, but it happened that a hoter-than-normal season arrived and the swamp began to dry out. The two snakes tried to stay there even though every day the earth cracked and the water was running out to drink. It was very sad for them to see that their huge and beloved warm-water swamp was becoming a meste pond, but it was the only home they knew and didn't want to leave it. They waited and waited for the desired rains, but these did not arrive. With a lot of hearta pain, they had to make the hard decision to find another place to live. One of them, the dark-spotted snake, told the snake of light spots:
– Only stones and mud are left here. I think, my
friend, we have to go now or we'll die dehydrated.
– You're absolutely right, let's go right now. You go
ahead, to the north, that I follow you.Then the dark-spotted snake, which was
very intelligent and cautious, warned him:
– No, that's dangerous!His partner gave a sn answer.
– Dangerous? Why do you say that?The wise snake
explained it to him in a very simple way:
– If we go in an Indian line, humans will see us and
hunt us down without compassion
– We have to
prove that we are more ready than them!
– More lists than humans? That's impossible!
– Well, we'll see about that. Listen to me carefully:
you'll get on my back but with your body upside down so I can stick my tail in
your mouth and you'll stick your tail in mine. Instead of two snakes we will
look like a strange being, and because human beings are always afraid of the
unknown, they will do nothing to us.
– Good idea, let's try it!The snake of light spots
perched on the dark-spotted snake and each held the tail of the other with his
mouth.
United in such a rare way, they began to repute. As
they moved their bodies they wobbled each by one side forming a kind of eight
that moved on the grass. As they had suspected, on the way they crossed paths
with several peasants and hunters, but all, seeing such an enigmatic,
mysterious animal, ran scared to death, thinking it was a demon or a being from
another planet.The clever plan worked, and after several hours, the snakes
achieved their goal: very tight, without letting go of a single moment, they
reached rainy and fertile lands where there was water and food galore. Very
happy, they continued to be calm with their lives in this new and cozy place.
Moraleja: If any of you have a problem, the best thing
you can do is analyze all the advantages and disadvantages of the situation. If
you think things over with peace of mind and wisdom, you're sure to find a good
solution.
- Fairy tale: a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands.
Example: The Frog Prince
Once upon a time there was a king who had four daughters. The smallest was the most beautiful and mischievous. Every afternoon I'd go out into the palace garden and run non-stop back and forth, hunt butterflies and climb the trees, hardly ever sit still!One day she had played so much that she felt very tired. He sat in the shade by the well of water at the end of the trail and started fiddling with a golden ball he always carried everywhere. She was so distracted thinking about her things that the ball slipped out of her hands and fell into the water. The well was so deep that no way he tried, he couldn't get it back.She felt very unhappy and began to cry. Inside the well was a frog that, hearing the girl's groans, poked her head above the water and said:
– What's the matter, sweetheart? You look like a
princess and princesses as pretty as you shouldn't be sad."I was playing
with my golden ball but I dropped it into the well," the girl sobbed
without comfort.– Don't worry! I have the solution to your sorrows," said
the frog smiling – If you agree to be my friend, I will dive to the bottom and
get your ball back, what do you think?– Great, frog! "The girl said,
"I think it's a fair deal and you'd make me very happy.The frog, neither
short nor lazy, took momentum and dived to the depths of the well. After a
while, he appeared on the surface with the gleaming ball.
– Here you go, my friend!
– gasped the exhausted frog.The princess took the
valuable golden ball into her hands and without even thanking her, she ran out
to her palace. The frog, perplexed, yelled at him:
– Hey! ... don't run so fast! Hold on!But the princess
had already been lost in the distance leaving the frog sad and confused.The
next day, the princess woke up in the morning when a ray of sunshine sneaked
out of her window. He put on some flirtatious feathered slippers and picked his
hair down with his family for breakfast. When they were all gathered, someone
knocked on the door.
– Who will it be? The king asked as he devoured a rich
toast of bread with honey.
– I will open! "The youngest of her daughters
said.The girl went to the huge door of the palace and saw no one, but heard a
voice saying:
– It's me, your friend the frog! Don't you remember me
anymore?Looking down at the ground, the girl saw the little animal staring at
her with bulging eyes and a mud-splattered body.
– What are you doing here, you filthy bug? I'm not
your friend!
– the princess yelled at him, closing the door in his
nose and returning to the table.Her father the king, who understood nothing,
asked the girl what was going on and she told her how she had met the frog the
day before.
– My child, you are ungrateful! That little animal
helped you when you needed it, and now you're behaving badly with it. If you
told her you'd be her friend, you'll have to keep your word. Go to the door
right now and invite him in.
– But Daddy... it's a dirty, stinking frog!
– complained
– I told you to invite him in and thank him for
helping you!
– bellowed the monarch. The princess obeyed her father
and proposed to the frog to sit with them. The animal greeted everyone very
kindly and wanted to get on the table to reach the food, but it was so high
that it was not able to do so.
– Princess, please help me up, which I alone can't. The
princess, covering her nose because the frog seemed disgusting to her, grabbed
her with two fingers by one leg and placed it on the table. Once upstairs, the
frog said:
– Now, bring me your porcelain dish to try that cake,
it's sure to be delicious! The girl reluctantly shared her food with her. When
it was over, the batracio began to yawn and said to the little girl:
– Friend, I beg you to take me to your bed because I
am so tired and I feel like sleeping. The princess was horrified by having to
leave her bed to a dirty, sticky frog, but dared not lie down and took her to
her room. When she was already covered and warm among the duvets, she looked at
the girl and asked for a kiss.
– You'll give me a good night kiss, won't you?
– But what do you say! Just thinking about it makes me
want to throw up!
– The little
girl speculated, fed up with the situation. The frog, heartbroken by these
cruel words, began to cry. Tears slipped through his green jowl and soaked the
sheets. The princess, for the first time all night, felt much pity and
exclaimed:
–Oh, please don't cry! I'm sorry I hurt your
feelings. I've behaved like a whimsical child and I beg your pardon. Without
hesitation, he approached the frog and gave him a affectionate kiss. It was
such a tender and sincere gesture that suddenly the frog became a beautiful
young prince, with blond hairs and bluer eyes than the sky. The girl was
paralyzed and could not articulate a word. The prince, smiling, said to him:
–An evil witch bewitched me and only a kiss could
break the curse. I owe it to you. From now on, we'll be true friends forever. And
so it was... The prince and princess became inseparable and when they were
older, they married and their happiness was eternal.
- Fable: a short story,
typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral.
Example: Greedy and gold
A greedy man sold everything he had too much and bought a piece of gold, which he buried on the ground on the edge of an old wall and every day he would look at the site. One of his neighbors watched his frequent visits to the place and decided to find out what was going on. He soon discovered the hidden treasure, and digging, took the piece of gold, stealing it. The greedy, on his next visit, found the gap empty and pulling his hair lamented bitterly. Then another neighbor, learning of the reason for his complaint, comforted him by telling him: - Thank you that the matter is not so serious. Go and get a stone and place it in the hole. Imagine then that the gold is still there. It will be the same for you whether or not it is gold, for in itself you would never make any use of it.
Moraleja: Value things for what they serve, not what
they look like.
3. DRAMA
Drama is known as a play or script.
What is Drama? It’s an event or situation, especially
an unexpected one, in which there is worry or excitement and usually a lot of
action. Example: We had a little drama last night when the oil in the pan
caught fire.
Drama is a mode
of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. It is one of
the literary genres, which is an imitation of some action. Drama is also a type
of a play written for theater, television, radio, and film. In simple words, a
drama is a composition in verse or prose presenting a story in pantomime or
dialogue. It contains conflict of characters, particularly the ones who perform
in front of audience on the stage. Drama is used in expressions that refer to
the type of play or film.
Drama are stories
written in a script form. But, what is script? It’s a set of letters used for
writing a particular language. Example: The invitation was written in beautiful
roman script
Subgenres:
· Play is divided in acts and scenes with actors, sets, and costumes. A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between characters and intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. The writer of a play is a playwright (script).
- Comedy
has a happy ending.
Comedy is entertainment consisting of jokes intended to make an audience laugh. For ancient Greeks and Romans a comedy was a stage-play with a happy ending. In the Middle Ages, the term expanded to include narrative poems with happy endings and a lighter tone. In this sense Dante used the term in the title of his poem, the Divine Comedy (Italian: Divina Commedia).
- Tragedy ends in death and sadness.
Tragedy is
a form of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful
events of a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to
invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain [that] awakens
pleasure", for the audience.
- A play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character. "Shakespeare's tragedies"
4. POETRY
Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm.
It often employs rhyme and meter (a
set of rules governing the number and arrangement of syllables in each line).
In poetry, words are strung together to form sounds, images, and ideas that
might be too complex or abstract to describe directly.
Poetry has been around for almost
four thousand years. Like other forms of literature, poetry is written to share
ideas, express emotions, and create imagery. Poets choose words for their
meaning and acoustics, arranging them to create a tempo known as the meter.
Subgenres;
Free verse
Free verse has also existed for
centuries, but it rose in prominence during the nineteenth century and remains
so to this day. It is not bound by rules of rhyme and meter, although lines of
free verse may be interspersed with more formally structured lines.
Living poets who are writing poetry
today are generally unburdened with rules of rhyme or meter. This effectively
makes free verse more popular than ever, but if you look carefully, many of
these supposedly “free” poems may have more structure than meets the eye.
Limerick
It is a five-line poem that consists of a single stanza, an AABBA rhyme scheme, and whose subject is a short, pithy tale or description. Most limericks are comedic, some are downright crude, and nearly all are trivial in nature.
Limericks follow a very strict
composition structure. All traditional limericks:
- Consist of a single stanza
- Consist of exactly five lines
- Employ one rhyme on the first, second, and fifth lines
- Employ a second rhyme on the third and fourth lines
The AABBA rhyme scheme of this poem
is evident—to the point that Lear uses the same word to conclude Line 1 and Line
5, which was a favored technique.
Haiku
Defining haiku in terms of syllables
and sentences becomes complicated once you translate the poetry across
languages. Some translators argue that 12 English syllables would correlate
more closely to the 17 sounds called on used by Japanese haiku poets.
Another structural difference borne
out by translation is that Japanese haiku are written straight across in one
line, while English-speaking poets use two line breaks to separate their poem
into three lines.
Concrete
Concrete poems are objects composed
of words, letters, colors, and typefaces, in which graphic space plays a
central role in both design and meaning. Concrete poets experimented boldly
with language, incorporating visual, verbal, kinetic, and sonic elements.
This type is written so that the
shape of the words on the page matches the subject of the poem. Sometimes, concrete poetry is called "shape"
poetry.
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