What is a genre in literature: definition, what genres are? Works of different genres: examples

Types of genres in the literature: a detailed description with examples of works.

The genre in the literature is a free generalization of works in form, content and childbirth. In this article, we will analyze the genres in detail, and give examples of helping to help determine a particular genre. It is worth noting that the works are very diverse and sometimes can relate to several genres immediately.

What is a genre in literature?

In ancient times, there were very few books and basically they were religious, or these were works describing historical events. Over time, the books gained mass distribution, and accordingly covered all spheres of life and many interests.

Even Aristotle began to introduce the first formulations regarding the genre in the literature, but since then there have been many genres that are regularly updated and added. To date, there are many literary works in the world, and in order to find my reader to find the work of interest to it, there is a clear definition of genres according to three criteria, but the same work can be attributed to both comedy and fantasy, etc. D.

It is worth noting that both poetry and prose falls into the incision of literary genres. The work can be qualified according to one of the genres, regardless of whether it occupies a page or several volumes. But at the same time, works will relate to different forms of literary genres. It is also worth remembering that one work may include several genres.

For example, a striking example of stories is the collection of Anton Chekhov of the same name, while the collection is also classified by a work in a humorous genre. But over the genre of the work “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy, disputes are underway today. This is definitely a novel, but in it both family-living, and love threads, and philosophy, history and socio-psychological topics are woven in it. It is impossible to dwell on one, but critics periodically try to justify that one of the directions is still a leader.

Often, young writers have a question - is it worth it to adhere to one line of the genre direction at the beginning of the work? Indeed, only professionals can cover several burning genres at once and tighten them into the plot in such a way that the reader will wait for events for every next line. But according to famous writers, they wrote their best works, focusing on the plot, the desire to point out an important problem and trying to inspire the reader. And only lastly they focused on the genre, since it can be determined for sure when the work will be sent to print.

Genre in literature: forms

The literature genre consists of three directions, and they, like three whales, complement each other, but do not replace each other, therefore, it is advisable to highlight each criterion in a separate section. Let's start the division of the genre in the literature in form.

Forms of genres in the literature:

• Visions - The genre, which was actively used in the Middle Ages, but is currently practically not used. This genre describes both the oracle (clairvoyant) and his visions, which were often interpreted as predictions. It is believed that the most common variations of visions were in Christianity, but they were also used in Muslimism and in pagan cultures, as well as this genre used public non -religious personalities, such as Nostradamus;
• Novels - The genre in literature, which is stylistically similar to the story and in many cultures, the story and short stories are called one word. But in the short story there is a thin thread of the narrative, which necessarily leads to a certain life wisdom. Therefore, in Russian sources, novels are often characterized as instructive works performed in prose. The best example is probably the novels of Guy de Maupassant, which are distinguished by a unique ending and denouement of the plot in a very unexpected way;

• Oh yeah - Another literary genre forgotten by contemporaries, but especially beloved in the days of the Middle Ages and earlier. This is a laudatory, praising song or poems laid to music. The laudatory lyrics were actively used in antiquity, when writing was the privilege of the aristocracy, and ordinary people could remember and honor the heroes, passing the work from the mouth. Therefore, the court poets composed the delightful lyrics about events and heroes, imposed music and received the magnificent odes, which are read out today. One of the striking examples is Lomonosov’s ode, written by him in honor of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna;
• Opus - Genre in the literature that characterize musical works. The opuses include all types of musical operas and performances, all kinds of plays and even folk songs. Today, opuses are written less often. But this is most likely due to the fact that demand has significantly decreased on opus, and editors of publishers choose exclusively diamonds of modern opus, discarding all other options. One example is the opus of Brahms;
• Feature article - The genre in the literature, which has a distinctive feature in the fact that its prose is half documentary, and is only slightly “powdered” by artistic speech. In the essays at the head there is a problem, and in the process of dynamically developing events, this problem is solved or reaches its peak insoluble. Since essays - short works are most often published in cycles, but there is a feature from the short story . Essay cycle - This is a collection of essays with a single problem, while the plots, the main characters and even the times of the described events are completely different;
• The story - The genre in the literature, which is designated abroad as a “short story”. This is a prose that goes in chronology and most often describes a segment of life or a certain event. The story has a certain meaning-the narrative of something. But for a long time this genre was considered as a binder between a novel and a story. At this time, almost every prose with the number of pages that did not reach the novel was called the story. Today, the story is a small prose in which there is the main character, and a segment of his life, it is he who becomes a turning point or key in the hero’s life. At the same time, the story, as in ancient times, tells about the life of the hero from a third person, without going into deep details, thoughts and nature. One of the brightest examples of the story is the “Notes of the Madman” Gogol;
• Play - The genre of literature, which was separated from the opus in the last century and is characterized as a work with the presence of heroes and their dialogues with monologues. Short remarks with scenery, description of emotions, etc. are allowed. In contrast to the opus, the play can be both poetry and prose. An example of a Russian play can indicate the work “Thunderstorm” of Ostrovsky;

• Story - a generalizing genre of literature, which was highlighted as a designation of a short work, with a variety of directions. The story may be some reasoning on a specific topic, a description of certain events and thoughts on this subject, as well as the narrative, both from the first and third -person. Chekhov wrote amazing stories, and today they are collected in a single collection that everyone should read;
• Sketch - This genre of literature appeared in the 16th century and is an artistic comedy short film with a limited number of characters. Sketches often turned into mini performances in market squares. Today is one of the most popular sketches "What is Love" which was shot with the famous comedian Jim Kerie;
• Epic - The literary genre, which has gained great recognition in antiquity and is currently no less popular. The epic can be both in verses and in prose, while the main distinguishing feature of the epic is the duration of the narrative. This is a series of works that go in chronological sequence and describe the life of an entire generation. Today everyone knows the epic laid on the film - “Game of Thrones” by George Raimond Richard Martin;
• Epic - The literary genre that talks about historical events, and in particular about the heroes of the past. It is from epics that we can learn in the smallest details, as we lived in a certain incision of time, as well as details about the events of the millennia ago. The epic about Gilgamesh is an oldest work that reveals to us the curtain of the past;
• Essay - The genre of literature, which is widely used in school education. Namely, the prose, in which the author from the first person describes the impression of a certain event. This may be the time of the year, the read book, a socially significant event, etc. The famous model of an interesting essay F.M. Dostoevsky and his “Writer Diary”.

On this, the main forms are exhausted and move on to the next category.

Genre in the literature: content

Currently, in bookstores and libraries, it is according to this criterion that literature is divided, since readers most often choose not the volume of literature, but directly the content in a comedic, dramatic or other genre.

The content of genres in the literature:

• Comedy - The genre in the literature, which remains in leading positions for many years. The work can have both an open satire and humor, or veiled to certain life events. Also, the comedy is divided into farce (ease of content, comic scenes and laid -back heroes), vaudeville (The favorite genre of the aristocracy, in which a slight content was accompanied by songs with dancing and cheerful verses). Intermedia - A short comedy genre, in which a comic dialogue is held among several heroes. Often the genre was presented in theaters during intermission. Parody - The comic genre of literature, which was widespread in Russia thanks to Zhvanetsky, Zadornov and other media persons. There is still a unit for The comedy of the provisions and comedy of characters. A wonderful example of a comedic literary genre is the work “Radio Murakami” from the golden pen of Haruki Murakami;
• Tragedy - The genre in literature, in the plot of which tragic events unfold. Or the plot in which events lead to a tragic end. The tragedy is distinguished by severe realism and many eccentric scenes. A very popular genre for plays. One of the most magnificent novels in this genre, the inimitable “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy;
• Drama - The genre in the literature, which has become the greatest distribution in the middle of the last century and today has practically replaced his fellow - tragedy. The content of drama has many conflicts, descriptions of life, everyday life and some vitality. In these works, the topic of the uniformity of life, the achievement of some goals and omission of others is raised. In general, all the imperfection of our world is collected on the pages of the drama. An example of the drama is the novel “Master and Margarita” by Bulgakov, but do not forget that this novel has collected many concepts, and the dramatic plot is only one component of the work unique in the plot;

• Horrors - The genre in literature capable of raising hair on end on end, and even take a dream for a long time. It is this genre that is the best -selling currently. The main content of the works is a plot that envelops terrifying events in which both unreal events and heroes, and a description of real life situations can be present. A luxurious example of this genre is Stephen King's novels;
• Fantastic and fantasy - Modern literature genres that have had a huge response of the audience. In these works there are both good wizards and elves, as well as witch clans, werewolf packs and family struggle of vampires. Many works are very realistic and, it seems that real events are described, but fantastic heroes and events are intertwined among them. The maximum celebrity was acquired by a series of books by Joan Rowling »Harry Potter”;
• Love story - The genre of literature, which appeared in the eighteenth century and gained great distribution and recognition almost immediately. The content of the works always boil passions on the basis of love, but the plot is not obliged to end happily, sometimes it is narrated in love novels and about unhappy love. The romantic spirit is filled with the novel “Rented by the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell, but it is worth noting that both drama and historical details are found in it;
• Detectives - The genre of literature, whose roots go into antiquity, but he received his recognition thanks to Arthur Conan Doyla and his Sherlock Holmes. The plot is always based on an investigation, but not always a crime. That is why the works of this genre were attributed to one or the other genre, without highlighting a separate subspecies. In the plot of the detective, the author leads the reader on the investigation path, describing the images and life of the heroes in parallel. Most often, such works are dynamic and read out.

On this, the main criteria for the literature genre in content are exhausted and can be proceeded to the last criterion - the genre of genres.

Genre in literature: by childbirth

In the genres of literature, three main genus and one hybrid, incorporated two kinds at the same time. For convenience, consider them in the table.

The based classification of literature genres is exhausted, but do not forget that this is only the tip of the iceberg and in the literary world there are many more additional areas that strive to complement the main classification.

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