What is the type of work in literature? Major epic genres


DRAMA is one of the four types of literature. In the narrow sense of the word - a genre of work depicting a conflict between characters, in a broad sense - all works without author's speech. Types (genres) dramatic works: tragedy, drama, comedy, vaudeville.

LYRICS is one of the four types of literature that reflects life through a person’s personal experiences, feelings and thoughts. Types of lyrics: song, elegy, ode, thought, epistle, madrigal, stanzas, eclogue, epigram, epitaph.

EPOS is one of the four types of literature, reflecting life through a story about a person and the events that happen to him. The main types (genres) of epic literature: epic, novel, story, short story, short story, artistic essay.

Types of literature- these are large associations of verbal works of art according to the type of relationship of the speaker (the “speaker”) to the artistic whole. There are three types: drama, epic, lyrics. All types of literature, and there are three of them - epic, lyricism and drama - have much in common. First of all, they have a common subject of depiction - a person. Literature - all its genera - differs from other genera and types of art in that it has a single means of depiction - the word. The mutual proximity of all three types of literature lies in the fact that each of them as if it penetrates into another. Drama has a number of features of epic and lyricism, lyric poetry often has a number of features of drama, and epic also has a number of features of drama and lyricism. Epic is an ancient Greek word. It means "song". The epic dates back to ancient times, when there was no writing and when historical narratives about the past, most often associated with military exploits, were preserved in the memory of the people in myths and recalled in songs. Epic songs antiquities, however, also know love, work and even sports themes. The subject of the depiction of the epic is one or another period of social development, rich in significant events. As in all other cases - in art in general and in literature in particular - time is not depicted abstractly, but through heroes, through humans.

So, the epic embodies the image of the era in its heroes. Let us recall the most famous epic works of our time. For example, Sholokhov's Quiet Don" The term "lyrics" also comes from ancient Greek word, from the name string instrument"lyre". Lyrics, unlike epic, create primarily an image internal state a person, depicts an experience, usually momentary, that a person experiences at the moment. Let us recall the poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “I go out alone on the road.” It depicts a certain state of mind that we recognize because each of us has probably experienced a similar philosophical mood. Drama has much in common with both epic and lyric poetry. Drama, like epic, depicts a person in a particular era, creates an image of time. But at the same time, drama has significant differences from epic and its own specific features. Firstly, the drama is, in principle, devoid of the narrator’s speech, author’s characteristics, author’s comments, and author’s portraits. This rule has known exceptions. For example, in modern dramaturgy Increasingly, a person from the author appears - the presenter, who takes upon himself the author's commentary on events, characterization of the characters, where the presenter determines the compositional structure.

Ticket 3

B. Action is the main one means of expression theater and performing arts. Action elements.

Action is a psycho-physical act aimed at achieving a goal in the fight against proposed circumstances. The difference between stage action and action in life: - time is dynamic, - action can move in both time and space, - stage action is an impulse of feelings. The purpose of action on stage.

1. Make changes to the environment.

2. Change your inner world.

Physical action is an action that aims to make one or another change in surrounding a person material environment, in one or another object. Psychological action is an action that is aimed at the human psyche by influencing feelings, consciousness and will. It can be directed both at a partner and at oneself. There is a facial action - this is a glance, a hand movement, aimed at the psyche. A verbal action - according to the principle, I cannot remain silent. Stage attention - focusing on an object. He can be educated. There is voluntary on stage, involuntary in life. Receiving information - I evaluate - I make a decision - adaptation - we begin to act. Our attention is subject to rotation and imagination. There is external to an external object, and internal to oneself. Objects of attention: partner, viewer, myself. Circles of attention: small - on yourself, medium - on your partner, scenery and stage area, and large - auditorium and backstage. Action-conflict in its development. Unity of action. Action is the main expressive means of entertainment art. The stage action is embodied in the actor. The source of our actions are the circumstances in which we find ourselves. In poetic material, all action must be conditional, no everyday decisions! Clear mise-en-scène. Conventional method of organizing action --Concentration of thoughts, feelings, moods; -Conciseness and conciseness of the plot and presentation of thoughts. In the compositional effect, the inversion technique is effective, when the outcome of the situation in the final changes by 180 degrees.

The characters' personalities should be sharpened. Both external and internal Both in the plastic and in the speech version of the characters we go for exaggeration.

The tempo of the action should be rapid. The rhythm should be tense.

The most expressive are sharp contrasts in the development of action, contrasts in emotional state actors. Masqueness, gracefulness.

Action elements.

Function of the senses

Memory for sensation

Creating imaginative visions

Activity of the imagination

Logic and sequence of thoughts and feelings

Physical and verbal interaction with an object.

Genera and genres

Epic - (from Greek epos - word, narration, story) - one of the three main types of literature, in contrast to the lyricism of drama, highlighting objective image of reality, the author's description of events unfolding in space and time, a narration about various life phenomena, people, their destinies, characters, actions, etc. A special role in works of epic genres is played by the bearer of the narrative (author-narrator or storyteller), reporting on events, their development, characters, their lives, while separating himself from the depicted. Depending on the time span of events, they are distinguished major genres epic - epic, novel, epic poem, or epic poem; medium - a story and small - a story, short story, essay. Some oral genres also belong to the epic genus. folk art: fairy tale, epic, fable.

Novel - ( from French roman - originally: a work written in one of the Romance (i.e. modern, living) languages, as opposed to written in Latin) - epic genre: a large epic work that comprehensively depicts the life of people in a certain period of time or during a whole human life. Characteristic properties of the novel: multi-linear plot, covering the fate of a number of characters; the presence of a system of equivalent characters; coverage great circle life phenomena, staging social significant problems; significant duration of action.

A short story is a small epic genre: a short prose work, which, as a rule, depicts one or more events in the hero’s life. Circle characters in the story is limited, the described action is short in time. Sometimes a work of this genre may have a narrator. The masters of storytelling were A.P. Chekhov, V.V. Nabokov, A.P. Platonov, K.G. Paustovsky, O.P. Kazakov, V.M. Shukshin.

A story is a middle (between short story and novel) epic genre, which presents a number of episodes from the life of the hero (heroes). By volume of the story more story and depicts reality more broadly, drawing a chain of episodes that make up a certain period in the life of the main character; it contains more events and characters, however, unlike a novel, as a rule, there is one storyline.

Epic is the largest genre form of epic. The epic is characterized by:

1. Wide coverage of the phenomena of reality, depiction of the life of the people at a historically significant, turning point

2. Global problems of universal significance are raised

3. National content

4. Multiple storylines

5. Very often - relying on history and folklore

Journey - literary genre, which is based on a description of the hero’s wanderings. This can be information about the countries and peoples the traveler has seen in the form of travel diaries, notes, essays, and so on.

Epistolary genre- this is a genre literary work, which is characterized by the form of personal letters.

Confession is a literary genre that can be epic or lyrical. One of the seven Christian sacraments, which also include baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage, etc. Confession required complete sincerity from a person, the desire to get rid of sins, and repentance. Having penetrated into the artist. In literature, confession acquired a didactic connotation, becoming a kind of act of public repentance (for example, in J. J. Rousseau, N. V. Gogol, L. N. Tolstoy). But at the same time, confession was also a means of moral self-affirmation of the individual. As a genre of lyric poetry, poetry was developed by the romantics. Confession is akin to a diary, but unlike it, it is not attached to the k.-l. place and time.

Lyrics - one of the three main types of literature, highlighting the subjective image of reality: individual states, thoughts, feelings, impressions of the author, caused by certain circumstances, impressions. In the lyrics, life is reflected in the experiences of the poet (or lyrical hero): it is not narrated, but an image-experience is created. The most important property lyricism is the ability to convey the individual (feeling, state) as universal. Characteristic features of the lyrics: poetic form, rhythm, lack of plot, small size.

Elegy - lyric genre: a poem of meditative content (from the Latin meditatio - in-depth reflection) or emotional content, conveying deeply personal, intimate experiences of a person, as a rule, imbued with moods of sadness and light sadness. Most often written in the first person. The most common themes of elegy are contemplation of nature, accompanied by philosophical thoughts, love, usually unrequited, life and death, etc. This genre, which arose in the ancient era, enjoyed the greatest popularity in the poetry of sentimentalism and romanticism, the elegies of V.A. Zhukovsky, K.N. Batyushkova, A.A. Pushkina, E.A. Baratynsky, N.M. Yazykova.

Message - poetic genre: a poetic letter, a work written in the form of an appeal to someone and containing appeals, requests, wishes, etc. (“To Chaadaev”, “Message to the Censor” by A.S. Pushkin; “Message to the Proletarian Poets” by V.V. Mayakovsky). There are lyrical, friendly, satirical, journalistic, etc.

Eat lyric-epic genres at the intersection of lyric and epic. From the lyrics they have a subjective beginning, a clearly expressed author’s emotion, from the epic they have a plot, a narration of events. Liro epic genres gravitate toward poetic form. The larger lyric epic genre is the poem, the smaller one is the ballad.

Poem is a lyric-epic genre: a large or medium-sized poetic work (a poetic story, a novel in verse), the main features of which are the presence of a plot (as in an epic) and an image of a lyrical hero (as in lyric poetry)

Ballad is a genre of lyric-epic poetry: a narrative song or poem of a relatively small volume, with a dynamic development of the plot, the basis of which is an extraordinary incident. Often in a ballad there is an element of the mysterious, fantastic, inexplicable, unspoken, even tragically insoluble. By origin, ballads are associated with legends, folk legends, combine the features of a story and a song. Ballads are one of the main genres in the poetry of sentimentalism and romanticism. For example: ballads by V.A. Zhukovsky, M.Yu. Lermontov.

Drama - one of the three main types of literature, reflecting life in actions taking place in the present. These are works intended to be staged. The dramatic genre includes tragedies, comedies, dramas proper, melodramas and vaudeville.

Tragedy - ( from Greek tragodia - goat song< греч. tragos - козел и ode - песнь ) is one of the main genres of drama: a play that depicts extremely acute, often insoluble contradictions in life. The plot of the tragedy is based on the irreconcilable conflict of the Hero, strong personality, with supra-personal forces (fate, state, elements, etc.) or with oneself. In this struggle, the hero, as a rule, dies, but wins a moral victory. The purpose of the tragedy is to cause shock in the viewer by what they see, which, in turn, gives rise to sorrow and compassion in their hearts: this state of mind leads to catharsis - cleansing through shock.

Comedy - ( from Greek from komos - cheerful crowd, procession at Dionysian festivals and odie - song) is one of the leading genres of drama: a work based on ridicule of social and human imperfection.

Drama is (in the narrow sense) one of the leading genres of drama; a literary work written in the form of a dialogue between characters. Intended for performance on stage. Focused on spectacular expressiveness. The relationships between people and the conflicts that arise between them are revealed through the actions of the heroes and are embodied in a monologue-dialogue form. Unlike tragedy, drama does not end in catharsis.

Artist Whendell Souza L.

Literary genus is a category of systematics of literary criticism that unites and distinguishes works according to the subjects of the cognizable or depicted object presented in them, as well as according to the speech organization of the former. Based on this definition, researchers see three main types in literature: epic, lyric and drama, the main difference of which is the functional purpose of the work’s speech (how the object is depicted). Before I dwell on each of these genera in more detail, I will tell you about the history of the formation of literary genera, which will help to understand their essence.

There were two main reasons for dividing literature into genders. Firstly, the complication of culture as a whole, and man as a single part of it, a consciously independent individual, has also highlighted his differences from other representatives. Thus, the characters of various literary works differed: one carries out his existence and dispassionately looks at the surrounding reality, the second, on the contrary, sees unevenness in this reality, comprehends them, worries about it, and the third enters into active confrontation with what the second saw or missed in order to align with to the contemplated image of the first. These three are no longer similar not only in content, but also in form, which requires the authors, when trying to verbally depict them, to show the corresponding polymorphism, which is expressed in literary kind. Secondly, division according to compatibility with other types of art in their demonstration, for example, drama is combined with theatrical action, lyrics with music and singing, and epic scenes (epics) are beautifully illustrated graphic image; and if you look at the culture of the past, and the present too, then there are a great many acts of such combination, which is not only proof of what has been said, but also an argument in favor of the proper grounds for distinguishing literary genera. And now I’ll tell you about each of them in more detail.

Epic

Epic is a literary genre that describes objective events in a detached manner, that is, from the outside, presenting all their completeness and richness, while maintaining the spatio-temporal involvement and consistency of the former. The events described by the epic bear the epithet epic, and they also correspond to the designation “plot” as a description of the course of events. But, despite the objective description of what is happening, the author-narrator (called the narrator) can express his personal attitude. And in a large form, where the formal sign is the volume of a work, such as a novel, the scope of restrictions becomes much wider. And in general, the novel is perhaps the freest type of literary work, despite its generic affiliation with the epic. It is not for nothing that an epic or an epic work is called narrative, since the author-storyteller narrates current or past events, describes the area where they took place, verbally illustrates the situation with everyday objects and the like, and can also resort to reasoning about what is described, its cause-and-effect connections, results and draw conclusions based on this, not necessarily of a didactic (instructive) nature; that is, it organizes a harmonious presentation of information, albeit artistic.

Lyrics

Lyrics are a type of literature that concentrates on the perception and understanding of events by a certain subject, without due attention to the objectivity of what is happening. That is, the lyrics depict the thoughts of an intelligent being, not necessarily a human character, based on what he perceived, either from the surrounding objective reality, or remembered. As Georg Hegel correctly noted: in a work belonging to lyrical kind literature, object and subject are united in one character or person. If the epic tells about events and their consequences that are understandable to almost everyone, then the lyrics depict mental anguish, anxiety and comprehension of the complex or seemingly so, which are also understandable to the reader, and this type of literature also conveys emotional coloring who gets acquainted with him, which can be called the main property of lyrics: to convey a mood, to captivate with the same emotions. Thanks to this, in the lyrical works of the past, problems, aspirations, thoughts that existed, relevant and understandable in the present were carried through centuries and even millennia. However, it should be understood that the lyrics are not limited to depicting only their main subject - subjective comprehension; on the contrary, other things that are not clearly related to it, for example, obviously unreasonable objects of everyday life, complement, reveal, and further illustrate the main subject - these mental torments. What is described above is typical for any kind of literature in general and is a well-known and widely used technique.

Drama

To better understand the content of the drama, you should know that it originally appeared as an improvement theatrical production, where the actors went from miming to delivering lines, which itself is a combination of action and subjective assessment or descriptions of the first. Thus, drama is a combination of objectively occurring events and their perception by the subjects, with the comprehension and response of the latter, that is, one can say “epic lyrics”. Drama as a type of literature, in a clear example, is both a dialogue depiction of events, which simultaneously narrates about the event itself, and can also reflect the speaker’s attitude to the first, as well as a direct objective action as an event, situation. The most obvious example of drama known to the average person is the so-called “action film”; at the same time, tragedy is drama, and comedy is also drama; Any work can be both simple and very complex, regardless of its generic, specific or genre affiliation(excluding proverbs and other miniatures). Moreover, in addition to drama as a literary genre, there is drama as literary form, but more about this in the corresponding article at the link.

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EPIC, LYRIC, DRAMA

Literary gender- a group of genres that have similar structural features.

Works of art differ greatly in the choice of depicted phenomena of reality, in the methods of its depiction, in the predominance of objective or subjective principles, in composition, in forms of verbal expression, in figurative and expressive means. But at the same time, all these various literary works can be divided into three types - epic, lyricism and drama. The division into genders is due to different approaches to depicting the world and man: epic objectively depicts man, lyricism is characterized by subjectivity, and drama depicts man in action, with the author’s speech having an auxiliary role.

Epic(in Greek means narration, story) - a narration about events in the past, focused on an object, on an image outside world. The main features of the epic as a literary genre are events, actions as the subject of the image (eventfulness) and narration as a typical, but not the only form of verbal expression in the epic, because in large epic works there are descriptions, reasoning, lyrical digressions (which connects the epic with the lyrics), and dialogues (which connects the epic with the drama). An epic work is not limited by any spatial or temporal boundaries. It can cover many events and a large number of characters. In the epic big role played by an impartial, objective narrator (works by Goncharov, Chekhov) or narrator (Pushkin's Belkin Tales). Sometimes the narrator tells the story from the words of the narrator (“The Man in a Case” by Chekhov, “The Old Woman Izergil” by Gorky).

Lyrics(from Greek Lyra- musical instrument, to the sounds of which poems and songs were sung), in contrast to epic and drama, which depict complete characters acting in various circumstances, draws individual states of the hero in individual moments his life. The lyrics depict the inner world of the individual in its formation and change of impressions, moods, and associations. Lyrics, unlike epic, are subjective; the feelings and experiences of the lyrical hero occupy the main place in it, relegating life situations, actions, and actions to the background. As a rule, there is no event plot in the lyrics. A lyrical work may contain a description of an event, an object, pictures of nature, but it is not valuable in itself, but serves the purpose of self-expression.

Drama depicts a person in action, in conflict situation, but there is no detailed narrative-descriptive image in the drama. Its main text is a chain of statements by characters, their remarks and monologues. Most dramas are built on external action, which is associated with confrontation, the confrontation of heroes. But internal action can also predominate (the characters do not so much act as they experience and reflect, as in the plays of Chekhov, Gorky, Maeterlinck, Shaw). Dramatic works, like epic works, depict events, the actions of people and their relationships, but drama lacks a narrator and descriptive depiction. The author's speech is auxiliary and forms a side text of the work, which includes a list of characters, sometimes their brief characteristics; designation of the time and place of action, description of the stage setting at the beginning of pictures, phenomena, acts, actions; stage directions that indicate the intonation, movements, and facial expressions of the characters. The main text of a dramatic work consists of monologues and dialogues of characters that create the illusion of the present time.

Thus, the epic tells, consolidates external reality, events and facts in words, drama does the same, but not on behalf of the author, but in direct conversation, dialogue between the characters themselves, while lyricism focuses its attention not on the external, but on the internal world.

However, it must be borne in mind that the division of literature into genera is to some extent artificial, because in fact, often there is a connection, a combination of all these three types, their merging into one artistic whole, or a combination of lyrics and epic (prose poems), epic and drama (epic drama), drama and lyric (lyrical drama). In addition, the division of literature into genera does not coincide with its division into poetry and prose. Each of the literary genres includes both poetic (poetic) and prosaic (non-poetic) works. For example, in their generic basis, the novel in verse by Pushkin “Eugene Onegin” and Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” are epic. Many dramatic works are written in verse: Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit", Pushkin's tragedy "Boris Godunov" and others.

The division into genera is the first division in the classification of literary works. The next step is to divide each type into genres. Genre- a historically established type of literary work. There are genres:

  • epic(novel, story, story, essay, parable),
  • lyrical(lyric poem, elegy, message, epigram, ode, sonnet) and
  • dramatic(comedy, tragedy, drama).
Finally, genres usually get further divisions(for example, an everyday novel, an adventure novel, psychological novel and so on.). In addition, all genres are usually divided into
  • large(novel, epic novel),
  • average(story, poem) and
  • small(story, novella, essay).
EPIC GENRES

Novel(from French roman or conte roman- story in Romance) - large shape epic genre, a multi-issue work depicting a person in the process of his formation and development. The action in a novel is always full of external or internal conflicts or both together. Events in the novel are not always described sequentially; sometimes the author breaks the chronological sequence (“Hero of Our Time” by Lermontov).

Novels can be divided

  • by thematic basis(historical, autobiographical, adventure, satirical, fantastic, philosophical, etc.);
  • by structure(novel in verse, novel-pamphlet, novel-parable, novel-feuilleton, epistolary novel and others).
Epic novel(from Greek epopia- a collection of tales) a novel with a wide image folk life at turning points historical eras. For example, “War and Peace” by Tolstoy, “Quiet Don” by Sholokhov.

Tale- an epic work of average or large shape, constructed in the form of a narrative about events in their natural sequence. Sometimes a story is defined as an epic work, a cross between a novel and a short story - it is more than a story, but less romance in terms of volume and number of actors. But the boundary between a story and a novel should be sought not in their volume, but in the features of composition. Unlike a novel, which tends toward an action-packed composition, the story presents the material chronically. In it, the artist does not get carried away with reflections, memories, details of the analysis of the feelings of the characters, unless they are strictly subordinated to the main action of the work. The story does not pose problems of a global historical nature.

Story- small epic prose form, small piece with a limited number of characters (most often the story is about one or two heroes). A story usually poses one problem and describes one event. For example, in Turgenev’s story “Mumu” ​​the main event is the story of Gerasim’s acquisition and loss of a dog. Novella differs from a short story only in that it always has an unexpected ending (O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"), although in general the boundaries between these two genres are very arbitrary.

Feature article- small epic prose form, one of the types of short stories. The essay is more descriptive and touches mainly on social problems.

Parable- small epic prose form, moral teaching in allegorical form. A parable differs from a fable in that its art material draws from human life (gospel parables, Solomon's parables).

LYRIC GENRES

Lyric poem- a small genre form of lyrics, written either on behalf of the author (“I loved you” by Pushkin) or on behalf of a fictional lyrical hero (“I was killed near Rzhev...” by Tvardovsky).

Elegy(from Greek eleos- plaintive song) - a small lyrical form, a poem imbued with a mood of sadness and sadness. As a rule, the content of elegies consists of philosophical reflections, sad thoughts, and grief.

Message(from Greek epistole- letter) - a small lyrical form, a poetic letter addressed to a person. According to the content of the message, there are friendly, lyrical, satirical, etc. The message can be addressed to one specific person or group of people.

Epigram(from Greek epigramma- inscription) - a small lyrical form, a poem ridiculing specific person. The emotional range of the epigram is very wide - from friendly ridicule to angry denunciation. Characteristic features are wit and brevity.

Oh yeah(from Greek ode- song) is a small lyrical form, a poem, distinguished by the solemnity of style and sublimity of content.

Sonnet(from Italian soneto- song) - a small lyrical form, a poem, usually consisting of fourteen verses.

Poem(from Greek poiema- creation) is a medium lyric-epic form, a work with a plot-narrative organization, in which not one, but a whole series of experiences are embodied. The poem combines the features of two literary genres - lyricism and epic. The main features of this genre are the presence of a detailed plot and at the same time close attention to the inner world of the lyrical hero.

Ballad(from Italian ballada- dance) - a medium lyric-epic form, a work with a tense, unusual plot, a story in verse.

DRAMATIC GENRES

Comedy (from Greek komos- a cheerful procession and ode- song) is a type of drama in which characters, situations and actions are presented in funny forms or imbued with the comic. In terms of genre, there are satirical comedies (“The Minor” by Fovizin, “The Inspector General” by Gogol), high comedy (“Woe from Wit” by Griboedov), and lyrical (“Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov). The Cherry Orchard"Chekhov).

Tragedy(from Greek tragedy- goat song) is a type of drama, a work based on an irreconcilable conflict in life, leading to the suffering and death of the heroes. For example, Shakespeare's play Hamlet belongs to the tragedy genre.

Drama- a play with an acute conflict, which, unlike the tragic one, is not so sublime, more mundane, ordinary and can be resolved one way or another. The specificity of the drama lies, firstly, in the fact that it is based on modern, not ancient material, and secondly, the drama establishes a new hero who rebels against circumstances.

Literary genera and literary genres are a powerful means of ensuring unity and continuity literary process. They touch characteristic features narrative management, plot, author's position and the relationship of the narrator with the reader.

V. G. Belinsky is considered the founder of Russian literary criticism, but even in antiquity Aristotle made a serious contribution to the concept literary kind, which was later scientifically substantiated by Belinsky.

So, types of literature are called numerous sets of artistic works (texts), which differ in the type of relationship of the speaker to the artistic whole. There are 3 types:

  • Epic;
  • Lyrics;
  • Drama.

Epic as a type of literature aims to tell in as much detail as possible about an object, phenomenon or event, the circumstances associated with them, and the conditions of existence. The author seems to be detached from what is happening and acts as a storyteller. The main thing in the text is the narrative itself.

The lyrics have the goal of telling not so much about events, but about the impressions and feelings that the author has experienced and is experiencing. The main thing will be the image inner world and the human soul. Impressions and experiences are the main events of the lyrics. Poetry dominates this type of literature.

Drama tries to depict the subject in action and show it in theater stage, imagine what is being described surrounded by other phenomena. The author's text is visible here only in stage directions - brief explanations of the characters' actions and remarks. Sometimes the author’s position is reflected by a special character-reasoner.

Epic (from Greek - “narration”) Lyrics (derived from “lyre,” a musical instrument whose sound accompanied the reading of poetry) Drama (from Greek - “action”)
A story about events, phenomena, the fate of heroes, adventures, actions. The external side of what is happening is depicted. Feelings are also shown from their external manifestation. The author can be either a detached narrator or directly express his position (in lyrical digressions). Experience of phenomena and events, reflection of internal emotions and feelings, detailed image of the inner world. The main event is the feeling and how it affected the hero. Shows the event and the relationships of the characters on stage. Implies special kind writing text. The author's point of view is contained in the remarks or remarks of the hero-reasoner.

Each type of literature includes several genres.

Literary genres

A genre is a group of works united by historically characteristic common features form and content. Genres include novel, poem, short story, epigram and many others.

However, between the concepts of “genre” and “genus” there is an intermediate one - type. It's less broad concept, than genus, but broader than genre. Although sometimes the term “type” is identified with the term “genre”. If we distinguish between these concepts, then the novel will be considered a type fiction, and its varieties (dystopian novel, adventure novel, fantasy novel) - genres.

Example: genus - epic, type - story, genre - Christmas story.

Types of literature and their genres, table.

Epic Lyrics Drama
People's Author's People's Author's People's Author's
Epic poem:
  • Heroic;
  • Military;
  • Fabulous and legendary;
  • Historical.

Fairy tale, epic, thought, tradition, legend, song. Small genres:

  • proverbs;
  • sayings;
  • riddles and nursery rhymes.
Epic Romance:
  • historical;
  • fantastic;
  • adventurous;
  • parable novel;
  • Utopian;
  • social, etc.

Small genres:

  • story;
  • story;
  • short story;
  • fable;
  • parable;
  • ballad;
  • literary fairy tale.
Song. Ode, hymn, elegy, sonnet, madrigal, epistle, romance, epigram. Game, ritual, nativity scene, paradise. Tragedy and Comedy:
  • provisions;
  • characters;
  • masks;
  • philosophical;
  • social;
  • historical.

Vaudeville Farce

Modern literary scholars distinguish 4 types of literature - lyroepic (lyroepos). The poem belongs to it. On the one hand, the poem talks about the feelings and experiences of the main character, and on the other hand, it describes the history, events, and circumstances in which the hero finds himself.

The poem has a plot-narrative organization; it describes many experiences of the main character. The main feature is the presence, along with a clearly structured storyline, of multiple lyrical digressions or drawing attention to the character’s inner world.

TO lyric-epic genres referred to as a ballad. It has an unusual, dynamic and extremely tense plot. It is characterized by a poetic form, a story in verse. May be historical, heroic or mythical in nature. The plot is often borrowed from folklore.

The text of an epic work is strictly plot-based, focused on events, characters and circumstances. It is built on storytelling, not experience. The events described by the author are separated from him, as a rule, by a large period of time, which allows him to be impartial and objective. The author's position can be manifested in lyrical digressions. However, in purely epic works they are absent.

Events are described in the past tense. The narration is unhurried, unhurried, measured. The world seems complete and fully known. Lots of detailed details, great thoroughness.

Major epic genres

An epic novel can be a work that covers a long period in history, describes many characters, with intertwining storylines. Has a large volume. The novel is the most popular genre these days. Most of the books on the shelves in bookstores belong to the novel genre.

The story is classified as either a small or medium genre, focusing on one storyline, on the fate of a specific hero.

Minor genres of epic

The story embodies small literary genres. This is the so-called intensive prose, in which, due to its small volume, there are no detailed descriptions, listing and abundance of details. The author is trying to convey a specific idea to the reader, and the entire text is aimed at revealing this idea.

The stories are characterized by the following features:

  • Small volume.
  • The plot centers on a specific event.
  • A small number of heroes - 1, maximum 2-3 central characters.
  • It has a specific topic to which the entire text is devoted.
  • It has the goal of answering a specific question; the rest are secondary and, as a rule, are not disclosed.

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to determine what is a story and what is a novella, even though these genres have completely different origins. At the dawn of its appearance, the novella was a short, dynamic work with an entertaining plot, accompanied by anecdotal situations. There was no psychologism in it.

Essay is a genre of non-fiction literature based on real facts. However, very often an essay can be called a story and vice versa. There won't be much mistake here.

IN literary fairy tale a fairy-tale narrative is stylized, it often reflects the mood of the entire society, and some political ideas are heard.

Lyrics are subjective. Addressed to the inner world of the hero or the author himself. This type of literature is characterized by emotional interest and psychologism. The plot fades into the background. What is important is not the events and phenomena themselves, but the hero’s relationship to them, how they influence him. Often events reflect the state of the character's inner world. The lyrics have a completely different attitude towards time, it seems as if it doesn’t exist, and all events take place exclusively in the present.

Lyrical genres

The main genres of poems, the list of which goes on:

  • Ode is a solemn poem that aims to praise and exalt
  • hero (historical figure).
  • Elegy is a poetic work with sadness as the dominant mood, representing a reflection on the meaning of life against the backdrop of a landscape.
  • Satire is a caustic and accusatory work, to poetic satirical genres referred to as an epigram.
  • An epitaph is a short work of poetry written on the occasion of the death of someone. Often becomes an inscription on a tombstone.
  • Madrigal is a short message to a friend, usually containing a hymn.
  • The epithalamus is a wedding hymn.
  • An epistle is a verse written in the form of a letter, implying openness.
  • A sonnet is a strict poetic genre that requires strict adherence to form. Consists of 14 lines: 2 quatrains and 2 tercets.

To understand drama, it is important to understand the source and nature of its conflict. Drama always aims at direct representation, dramatic works written for stage production. The only means of revealing the character of a hero in a drama is his speech. The hero seems to live in the spoken word, which reflects his entire inner world.

The action in a drama (play) develops from the present to the future. Although events occur in the present time, they are not completed, they are directed towards the future. Since dramatic works are aimed at staging them on stage, each of them involves entertainment.

Dramatic works

Tragedy, comedy and farce are genres of drama.

In the center classical tragedy irreconcilable eternal conflict which is inevitable. Often a tragedy ends with the death of heroes who were unable to resolve this conflict, but death is not a genre-defining factor, since it can be present in both comedy and drama.

Comedy is characterized by humorous or satirical image reality. The conflict is specific and, as a rule, can be resolved. There is a comedy of characters and a comedy of situations. They differ in the source of comedy: in the first case, the situations in which the heroes find themselves are funny, and in the second, the heroes themselves are funny. Often these 2 types of comedy overlap with each other.

Modern dramaturgy gravitates towards genre modifications. A farce is a deliberately comic work in which attention is focused on comic elements. Vaudeville is a light comedy with simple plot and a clearly visible author's style.

There is no way to define drama as a kind of literature and drama as a literary genre. In the second case, drama is characterized by an acute conflict, which is less global, irreconcilable and insoluble than tragic conflict. The work centers on the relationship between man and society. The drama is realistic and close to life.