What terms refer to literary genre. Types of literature and their purpose

Historically, three types of literature have developed in literature: epic, dramatic and lyrical. These are groups of genres that have similar structural features. If the epic in the story fixes the external reality (events, facts, etc.), then the drama does the same in the format of a conversation, not on behalf of the author, and the lyrics describe the inner reality of a person. Of course, the division is conditional and to a certain extent artificial, but, nevertheless, our acquaintance with the book begins with the fact that we see the genre, genus or combination of them on the cover and draw the first conclusions. For example, a person only likes to watch plays in the theater, which means that he does not need a volume of Molière and he will pass by him without wasting time. Knowledge of the basic foundations of literary criticism also helps while reading, when you want to understand the author, penetrate into his creative laboratory, unravel why his plan was embodied this way and not otherwise.

Each genre was given an example and theoretical justification, the most concise and simple.

The novel is a large form of the epic genre, a work with extended issues and many themes. As a rule, the classic novel depicts people involved in various life processes that give rise to external and internal conflicts. Events in the novel are not always described sequentially, for example, Lermontov in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" intentionally violates the sequence.

Thematically novels are divided into autobiographical (Chudakov "Darkness Falls on the Old Steps"), philosophical (Dostoevsky's "Demons"), adventure (Defoe "Robinson Crusoe"), fantastic (Glukhovsky "Metro 2033"), satirical (Rotterdam's "Praise of Stupidity"), historical (Pikul "I have the honor"), adventurous (Merezhko "Sonka the Golden Hand"), etc.

Structurally, novels are divided into a novel in verse (Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin"), a pamphlet novel (Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"), a parable novel (Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea"), a feuilleton novel ("The Countess of Salisbury" by Dumas), an epistolary novel ( Rousseau "Julia or the new Eloise") and others.

The epic novel is a novel with a panoramic depiction of the life of the people at turning points in history (Tolstoy's "War and Peace").

The story is an epic work of medium size (between a short story and a novel), in which the narrative of a particular event is presented in a natural sequence (Kuprin "The Pit"). How is a story different from a novel? At least by the fact that the material of the story is chronicled, and not for the sake of the action-packed composition of the novel. In addition, the story does not set tasks of a global historical nature. In the story, the author is more constrained, all his fabrications are subordinated to the main action, and in the novel the writer is fond of memories, digressions and analysis of the characters.

The story is small epic prose form. The work has a limited number of characters, one problem and one event (Turgenev "Mumu"). How is a novella different from a short story? The boundaries between these two genres are very arbitrary, but in the short story the finale most often develops unpredictably (O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi").

The essay is small epic prose form (many refer to it as a kind of story). The essay usually touches on social issues and tends to be descriptive.

The parable is moral teaching in allegorical form. How is a parable different from a fable? The parable draws its material mainly from life, and the fable is based on fictional, sometimes fantastic stories (evangelical parables).

Lyric genres are...

The lyric poem is a small genre form of lyrics written on behalf of the author (Pushkin "I loved you") or on behalf of the lyrical hero (Tvardovsky "I was killed near Rzhev").

elegy is a small lyrical form, a poem that is imbued with a mood of sadness and melancholy. Sad thoughts, grief, sad reflections make up the repertoire of elegies (Pushkin's elegy "On the rocks, on the hills").

The message is poetic letter. According to the content of the message, it can be divided into friendly, satirical, lyrical, etc. They can be dedicated both to one person and to a group of people (Voltaire's "Message to Friedrich").

The epigram is a poem that makes fun of a specific person (from friendly mockery to sarcasm) (Gaft "Epigram on Oleg Dal"). Features: wit and brevity.

Oda is a poem distinguished by solemnity of tone and loftiness of content (Lomonosov "Ode on the day of the accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna 1747").

The sonnet is a poem of 14 verses ("Twenty sonnets to Sasha Zapoeva" by Timur Kibirov). The sonnet is one of the strict forms. A sonnet usually consists of 14 lines, forming 2 quatrains-quatrains (for 2 rhymes) and 2 three-line tercetes (for 2 or 3 rhymes).

The poem is the average lyric-epic form, in which there is a detailed plot, and several experiences are embodied, that is, attention to the inner world of the lyrical hero (Lermontov's "Mtsyri").

The ballad is middle lyric-epic form, story in verse. Often the ballad has a tense storyline (Zhukovsky "Lyudmila").

Dramatic genres are...

Comedy is a type of drama in which the content is presented in a comical way, and the characters and circumstances are comical. What are comedies? Lyrical ("The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov), lofty ("Woe from Wit" by Griboyedov), satirical ("Inspector General" by Gogol).

Tragedy is a type of drama based on an acute life conflict, which entails the suffering and death of heroes (Shakespeare's "Hamlet").

Drama is a play with a sharp conflict, which is common, not so lofty and resolvable (for example, Gorky's "At the bottom"). How is it different from tragedy or comedy? Firstly, the material used is modern, not from antiquity, and secondly, a new hero appears in the drama, rebelling against circumstances.

Tragifars - a dramatic work that combines tragic and comic elements (Ionesco, "The Bald Singer"). This is a postmodern genre that has appeared relatively recently.

literary genre This is the model by which the text of any literary work is built. A genre is a set of certain features that make it possible to classify a literary work as an epic, lyric or drama.

The main types of literary genres

Literary genres are divided into: epic, lyrical and dramatic. Epic genres: fairy tale, epic, epic, epic novel, story, novel, essay, short story, anecdote. Lyrical genres: ode, ballad, elegy, epigram, message, madrigal. Dramatic genres: tragedy, drama, comedy, melodrama, farce and vaudeville.

Genres in literature have a number of specific features, divided into: genre-forming and additional. Genre-forming features serve to determine the specifics of a particular genre. For example, the genre-forming feature of a fairy tale is an orientation towards fiction. The listener perceives the events that take place in a fairy tale as magical, fictional, not directly related to reality. The genre-forming feature of the novel is its connection with objective reality, the coverage of events that took place in reality or those that could happen, a large number of acting characters, and special attention is paid to the inner world of the characters.

Development of literary genres

Literary genres do not tend to stand still. They are constantly evolving and never stop changing. When forming or changing literary genres, attention is paid to real historical reality, in the aura of which the creation of literary works takes place.

What is a literary genre?

We figured out what a genre in literature is, but it would not be superfluous to consider why a literary genre is needed - what function does it perform?

The genre is able to give the reader a fairly holistic view of the work. That is, if the word “novel” is present in the title of the work, then the reader immediately begins to tune in to a significant amount of text, in contrast, for example, to a small “story”, which causes a corresponding association with the approximate number of pages in the book.

Also, the genre can give the reader an idea about the content of the work. For example, if it is defined as “drama”, then we can imagine in advance that the person in the work will be shown in dramatic relations with society and, most likely, we will observe tragic events at the end of the book.

Together with the article "What is a genre in literature?" read:

Literary genres are groups of works collected according to formal and substantive features. Literary works are divided into separate categories according to the form of the narration, according to the content and according to the type of belonging to a particular style. Literary genres make it possible to systematize everything that has been written since the time of Aristotle and his Poetics, first on "birch bark", dressed skins, stone walls, then on parchment paper and scrolls.

Literary genres and their definitions

Definition of genres by form:

A novel is an extensive narrative in prose, reflecting the events of a certain period of time, with a detailed description of the life of the main characters and all other characters who, to one degree or another, participate in the indicated events.

A story is a form of narration that does not have a definite volume. The work usually describes episodes from real life, and the characters are presented to the reader as an integral part of the ongoing events.

A short story (short story) is a widespread genre of short fiction, which is defined as "short stories". Since the short story format is limited in scope, the writer usually manages to unfold the narrative within a single event involving two or three characters. An exception to this rule was the great Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, who could describe the events of an entire era with many characters on several pages.

The essay is a literary quintessence that combines the artistic style of narration and elements of journalism. Always presented in a concise manner with a high content of specifics. The subject of the essay, as a rule, is connected with social and social problems and is of an abstract nature, i.e. does not affect specific individuals.

A play is a special literary genre designed for a wide audience. Plays are written for the theatrical stage, television and radio performances. In their structural pattern, the plays are more like a story, since the duration of theatrical performances correlates perfectly with a story of average length. The genre of the play differs from other literary genres in that the narration is conducted on behalf of each character. Dialogues and monologues are marked in the text.

Ode is a lyrical literary genre, in all cases of positive or laudatory content. Dedicated to something or someone, it is often a verbal monument to heroic events or the exploits of patriotic citizens.

An epic is a narrative of an extensive nature, including several stages of state development that are of historical significance. The main features of this literary genre are global events of an epic nature. The epic can be written both in prose and in verse, an example of this is Homer's poems "Odyssey" and "Iliad".

An essay is a short essay in prose in which the author expresses his own thoughts and views in an absolutely free form. An essay is to some extent an abstract work that does not claim to be completely authentic. In some cases, essays are written with a share of philosophy, sometimes the work has a scientific connotation. But in any case, this literary genre deserves attention.

Detectives and fantasy

Detectives are a literary genre based on the eternal confrontation between policemen and criminals, the novels and stories of this genre are action-packed, murders occur in almost every detective work, after which experienced detectives begin an investigation.

Fantasy is a special literary genre with fictional characters, events and an unpredictable ending. In most cases, the action takes place either in space or in the underwater depths. But at the same time, the heroes of the work are equipped with ultra-modern machines and devices of fantastic power and efficiency.

Is it possible to combine genres in literature

All of these types of literary genres have unique features of difference. However, often there is a mixture of several genres in one work. If this is done professionally, a rather interesting, unusual creation is born. Thus, the genres of literary creativity contain a significant potential for updating literature. But these opportunities should be used carefully and thoughtfully, since literature does not tolerate profanity.

Genres of literary works by content

Each literary work is classified according to its belonging to a certain type: drama, tragedy, comedy.

What are comedies

Comedies come in many types and styles:

1. Farce is a light comedy built on elementary comic tricks. It is found both in literature and on the theater stage. Farce as a special comedy style is used in circus clowning.
2. Vaudeville is a comedy play with many dance numbers and songs. In the USA, vaudeville became the prototype of the musical; in Russia, small comic operas were called vaudeville.
3. An interlude is a small comic scene that was played between the actions of the main performance, performance or opera.
4. Parody is a comedy technique based on the repetition of recognizable features of famous literary characters, texts or music in a deliberately altered form.

Modern genres in literature

Types of literary genres:

1. Epic - fable, myth, ballad, epic, fairy tale.
2. Lyrical - stanzas, elegy, epigram, message, poem.

Modern literary genres are periodically updated, and over the past decades, several new branches of literature have appeared, such as political detective story, the psychology of war, as well as paperback literature, which includes all literary genres.

Genre concept. Principles of genre classification

Literary genres (French genre - genus, type) are the types of works that have developed in the process of development of fiction. Obviously, the problem of the genre in its most general form can be formulated as the problem of classifying works, identifying common - genre - features in them. The main difficulties of classification are associated with the historical change in literature, with the evolution of genres.

The number and nature of genre features (the volume of a genre) is a variable in the history of literature, which is reflected in the variety of genre theories that replace each other, as well as ideas about the Jeans that dominate writers' and readers' practice. So, for the tragedy in the realistic drama of the XIX-XX centuries. many signs of a classic tragedy are not obligatory. In the era of realism, any dramatic work that reveals a tragic conflict and expresses the corresponding pathos is considered a tragedy. Thus, we can talk about a decrease in the genre volume of the tragedy from classicism to realism.

Most genres originated in ancient times. Evolving into Lit. process, they nevertheless retain some stable content and formal features that make it possible to speak of a genre tradition. The genre designations themselves, often included in the text of a work, in its title (“Eugene Onegin. A novel in verse”), are signs of lit. traditions; they evoke a certain genre expectation in the reader.

When studying genres, one should distinguish between their most stable and transient features. As part of the theoretical and literary course, the main attention is paid to the characterization of the most stable genre features. However, it is important to remember that lit. In the process, the genre always appears as an element of the genre system, the principles of which depend on the specific historical features of artistic thinking. Thus, in ancient literatures, the development of the author's self-awareness was slow, determined by the stability of traditions and the general pace of national life. Therefore, the genre systems of ancient literatures, differing in complexity and branching, are characterized by greater stability in comparison with the literatures of modern times.

Genuine liberation from the cruel genre regulations became possible only with the development of realism, it was associated with overcoming subjective one-sidedness in creativity itself. And in realistic literature, which correlates the development of characters with circumstances in their historical concreteness, following the tradition of genres could be carried out much more freely, which generally led to a decrease in their volume. In all European literatures of the XIX century. there is a sharp restructuring of the genre system. Genres began to be perceived as aesthetically equivalent and open to creative search types of works. This approach to genres is also characteristic of our time.

Basic principles of genre classification of literary works. Genre characteristics, which have the most stable, historically repeatable character, form the basis of the literary classification of works. As literary terms, traditional genre designations are mainly used - a fable, a ballad, a poem, etc. - which spontaneously arose in literature and acquired a wide range of associations in the process of genre evolution.

The most important genre feature of works is their belonging to one or another literary genus: epic, dramatic, lyrical, lyrical-epic genres stand out. Within the genera, types are distinguished - stable formal, compositional and stylistic structures, which it is advisable to call generic forms. They are differentiated depending on the organization of speech in a work - poetic or prose, on the volume of the text. In addition, the basis for identifying generic forms in the epic may be the principles of plot formation, in poetic lyrics - solid strophic forms (sonnet, rondo, triolet), in drama - one or another attitude to the theater (drama for reading, for puppet theater), etc. . P.

epic genres. Due to the breadth and versatility of the depiction of characters in epic works, in comparison with drama and lyrics, their genre problems stand out especially clearly and vividly. It is revealed in a variety of generic forms. So, a song, a fairy tale, and a story can be national-historical in their problems.

In the classification of generic forms, differences in the volume of texts of works are important. Along with small (story) and medium (story) prose forms, a large epic form is distinguished, which is often called novels. The volume of the text of the work in the epic is determined by the completeness of the reconstruction of characters and relationships, and hence the scale of the plot. Unlike the story, the story is not characterized by a detailed system of characters, there is no complex evolution of characters and detailed individualization.

Heroic folk song.

Novels, short stories (novels, essays)

Satirical, household tales, fables

dramatic genres. With their characteristic brevity of the time of performance on the stage and the resulting unity and concentration of the conflict, they create fertile ground for expressing certain types of pathos in the actions and experiences of the characters. Therefore, the division of drama into genres is connected with the pathos of the play. But pathos stems from conflict.

An additional substantive criterion for division in drama is the features of genre problems.

1) Tragedy - the conflict between personal aspirations and superpersonal "laws" of life occurs in the minds of the protagonist (heroes) and the entire plot of the play is created to develop and resolve this conflict. The hero of the tragedy is in a state of conflict not only with other characters, he fights primarily with himself. The tragedy ends with the usual death of the hero, although, as Belinsky wrote, "The essence of the tragic is not in the bloody denouement."

A) moral descriptive - in the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles, the characters act as carriers of certain moral and civil norms, reflect the clashes of old and new, more human, moral norms.

B) national-historical ("Persians" by Aeschylus, "Boris Godunov" by Pushkin)

2) Drama is the most diverse in terms of subject matter, characterized by a large breadth of depicted life conflicts. The pathos of drama is generated by the clashes of the characters with the forces of life that oppose them from the outside. However, the conflict in the drama can also be very serious and sharp and can lead to suffering, and sometimes to the death of the hero.

A) national-historical conflict ("Voevoda" by Ostrovsky, "Enemies" by Gorky)

B) socially everyday (romantic) (“The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare, “Vassa Zheleznova” by Gorky).

3) Comedy - a play filled with humorous or satirical pathos. Such pathos is generated by the comic contradictions of the recreated characters. The comic nature of the characters is revealed through plot conflicts, often based on chance. At the same time, the characters of comedy characters themselves do not change in connection with the course of events. There is no character development in comedy. The image of the internal failure, absurdity, inferiority of comic characters, their satirical or humorous denial - this is the main ideological orientation of the comedy.

lyrical genres. The originality of the lyrics is that it brings to the fore the inner world of the lyrical hero, his experiences. This is clearly seen not only in works that lack any visual images of the outside world, but also in descriptive, narrative lyrics, here the experience is conveyed through the emotional expression of speech, the nature of the tropes, etc. Therefore, the basis of the meaningful genre division in the lyrics is the character itself. experiences. But the experience in lyrics can be subjects of typology in another respect. As in epic and drama, in lyrics one can trace differences in genre issues - national-historical, moralistic, romantic, which are manifested here through the typification of the very experience of the lyrical hero.

The genres of literary lyrics were formed on the basis of the folk lyric song, in its various varieties.

1) Ode - a poem expressing enthusiastic feelings that some significant object excites in the poet. In the ode, the poet joins, first of all, collective feelings - patriotic, civil. Genre issues in an ode can be national-historical or moralistic.

2) Satire - a poem expressing indignation, indignation of the poet with the negative aspects of society. Satire is moralistic in terms of genre issues, the poet in it is, as it were, the mouthpiece of the advanced part of society, preoccupied with its negative state.

3) Elegy - a poem full of sadness, dissatisfaction with life. Sadness can be caused by some reason ("Sorrowful Elegies" by Ovid). But an elegy is possible in which the recreated experience does not have a specific motivation (“I experienced my desires ...” by Pushkin).

4) Epigram, epitaph, madrigal - small forms of lyrics. In the history of literature, the broad (ancient Greek) and narrow (later) meanings of the epigram are known. The ancient Greek epigram (literally "inscription") originates from inscriptions on cult objects. The type of epigram was an epitaph - an inscription on a tombstone. The content and emotional tone of ancient Greek epigrams were different. The originality of thought and the laconism of its expression - that's what has always been appreciated in the epigram. The second, narrow meaning of the epigram, which has been attached to it since the 1st century AD, is a short humorous or satirical poem, most often ridiculing a certain person. The antipode of the epigram (higher meaning of the word) is the madrigal - a short half-joking poem of a complimentary nature (usually addressed to a lady).

Lyric-epic genres. The combination of lyrical meditation and epic narration is often found in works of different genres (for example, in a romantic poem). But there are genres whose nature is always lyrical-epic.

1) A fable is a moral descriptive genre that contains a brief allegorical narrative and a lesson (“morality”) arising from it. Even if the teaching is not "Formulated" in the text of the fable, it is implied; the relationship of teaching with the plot of the fable is its lyrical-epic basis.

2) Ballad - a small poetic plot work in which the narration itself is permeated with lyricism. Unlike a fable, where it is possible to single out the lyrical (“moral”) and epic (plot) parts, the ballad represents an indissoluble fusion of the lyrical and epic beginnings. Genre issues in a ballad can be national-historical and romantic.

4. As you know, all literary works, depending on the nature of the depicted, belong to one of the three KINDS: epic, lyric or drama. A literary genre is a generalized name for a group of works, depending on the nature of the reflection of reality.

EPOS (from the Greek "narrative";-) is a generalized name for works depicting events external to the author.

LYRICS (from the Greek. "performed to the lyre";-) is a generalized name for works in which there is no plot, but the feelings, thoughts, experiences of the author or his lyrical hero are depicted.

DRAMA (from the Greek. "action";-) - a generalized name for works intended for staging on stage; the drama is dominated by the dialogue of the characters, the author's beginning is minimized.

Varieties of epic, lyrical and dramatic works are called types of literary works.

Type and genre are very close concepts in literary criticism.

Genres are variations in the type of literary work. For example, the genre of a story may be a fantasy or historical story, and the genre of a comedy may be a vaudeville, and so on. Strictly speaking, a literary genre is a historically established type of work of art containing certain structural features and aesthetic quality characteristic of this group of works.

TYPES (GENRES) OF EPIC WORKS:

Epic, novel, story, short story, fairy tale, fable, legend.

EPIC is a major work of art that tells about significant historical events. In ancient times - a narrative poem of heroic content. In the literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, the epic novel genre appears - this is a work in which the formation of the characters of the main characters occurs in the course of their participation in historical events.
ROMAN is a large narrative work of art with a complex plot, in the center of which is the fate of the individual.
A STORY is a work of art that occupies a middle position between a novel and a short story in terms of the volume and complexity of the plot. In ancient times, any narrative work was called a story.
STORY - a work of art of a small size, based on an episode, an incident from the life of a hero.
FAIRY TALE - a work about fictional events and heroes, usually with the participation of magical, fantastic forces.
FABLE (from “bayat” - to tell) is a narrative work in poetic form, small in size, moralizing or satirical in nature.

TYPES (GENRES) OF LYRICAL WORKS:

Ode, hymn, song, elegy, sonnet, epigram, message.

ODA (from the Greek “song”) is a choral, solemn song.
HYMN (from Greek “praise”) is a solemn song based on programmatic verses.
EPIGRAM (from Greek "inscription") - a short satirical poem of a mocking nature, which arose in the 3rd century BC. e.
ELEGY - a genre of lyrics dedicated to sad thoughts or a lyrical poem imbued with sadness. Belinsky called an elegy "a song of sad content." The word "elegy" is translated as "reed flute" or "mournful song". The elegy originated in ancient Greece in the 7th century BC. e.
MESSAGE - a poetic letter, an appeal to a specific person, a request, a wish, a confession.
SONNET (from the Provencal sonette - "song") - a poem of 14 lines, which has a certain rhyming system and strict stylistic laws. The sonnet originated in Italy in the 13th century (the creator is the poet Jacopo da Lentini), appeared in England in the first half of the 16th century (G. Sarri), and in Russia in the 18th century. The main types of sonnets are Italian (from 2 quatrains and 2 tercets) and English (from 3 quatrains and the final couplet).

LYROEPIC TYPES (GENRES):

Poem, ballad.

POEM (from the Greek poieio - “I do, I create”) - a large poetic work with a narrative or lyrical plot, usually on a historical or legendary topic.
BALLAD - a story song of dramatic content, a story in verse.

TYPES (GENRES) OF DRAMA WORKS:

Tragedy, comedy, drama (in the narrow sense).

TRAGEDY (from the Greek tragos ode - “goat song”) is a dramatic work depicting a tense struggle of strong characters and passions, which usually ends with the death of the hero.
COMEDY (from the Greek komos ode - "fun song") - a dramatic work with a cheerful, funny plot, usually ridiculing social or domestic vices.
DRAMA (“action”) is a literary work in the form of a dialogue with a serious plot, depicting a person in her dramatic relationship with society. Drama may be tragicomedy or melodrama.
VAUDEVILLE - a genre variety of comedy, it is a light comedy with singing couplets and dancing.
Farce is a genre variety of comedy, it is a theatrical play of a light, playful nature with external comic effects, designed for a rude taste.