Types of Literary Genres: What are They?

Are you curious about the different types of literary genres that exist? Don't miss this article.

Literature is a vast universe of artistic expression that has developed over the centuries. To better understand it, scholars have classified literary texts into different genres. These genres are divided mainly into three categories which we will discuss below.

1. Narrative Genre

The narrative genre focuses on telling a story. Here, writers use words to develop characters, settings, and plots. Narrative works can be novels, short stories, chronicles, or epics, among others.

Narrative encompasses a wide range of styles and structures. From traditional linear narrative to the most avant-garde experimental techniques, this genre offers unlimited space for the exploration of ideas and emotions.

2. Lyric Genre

Unlike the narrative genre, the lyric genre focuses on the expression of feelings and emotions. Lyrical texts are usually written in verse and explore the subjectivity of the authors through poetry. Examples include sonnets, odes, elegies, and lyric poems.

Lyric poetry can be intimate, reflective, passionate, or melancholic. Through the use of figurative language and the musicality of words, poets convey their experiences and insights to readers, creating a unique emotional connection.

3. Dramatic Genre

The dramatic genre manifests itself in the form of plays. Here, the action unfolds through dialogues between characters and is presented on a stage. Playwrights use language, acting, and staging to tell a story and convey ideas to the audience.

Dramatic works can be tragedies, comedies, historical dramas, or experimental theater pieces. This genre provides a space to explore human conflicts, moral dilemmas, and social issues through theatrical performance.

4. Didactic Genre

The didactic genre refers to texts whose main purpose is to instruct, educate, or transmit knowledge on a specific subject. These texts may include essays, manuals, treatises, and popular science books, among others. The main characteristic of the didactic genre is its pedagogical approach, seeking to inform the reader in a clear and accessible manner.

Didactic writings usually present structured information, supported arguments, and illustrative examples to facilitate the reader's understanding and promote learning in the subject area addressed.

Literary experts divide each genre into different subgenres, depending on the characteristics of each text.

The narrative genre is divided into novel, story, fable, legend, epic and epic poem. The lyric genre, on the other hand, includes the eclogue, elegy, ode, satire, sonnet, and madrigal. Within the dramatic genre we find the tragedy, the comedy, the drama, the entremés (farce), and the sainete. Finally, in the didactic genre there are essays, biographies, letters, dialogues, speeches, oratory, and scientific articles.

In short, literary genres are categories that help us understand and classify different types of texts. Whether you prefer the epic stories of narrative, the lyrical beauty of poetry, the emotional intensity of drama, or the wisdom of essays, there is a literary genre to suit your tastes and preferences.

So keep exploring and discovering new horizons in the fascinating world of literature. Here are some links that can help you with that:

- Our Writing Courses
- Writing Styles Examples
- Poetry: Definition and Characteristics