What is a literary What is a literary genre?genre?

A genre is a A genre is a particular style or particular style or

type of writing.type of writing.

Major GenresMajor Genres•FictionFiction

– Writing that tells about Writing that tells about imaginary people and eventsimaginary people and events

•Non-FictionNon-Fiction– Writing that tells about Writing that tells about

real people and eventsreal people and events

•uses carefully selected words and phrases to create vivid pictures in the

reader’s mind

•lines of poetry (verses) are written in stanzas

•may include patterns of rhyme to capture the reader’s interest

DramaDrama•a cast of characters•a narrator who gives

important information•parts called acts or scenes•props to help support action•dialogue that tells what the actors say•stage directions in italics

Realistic Fiction

Realistic Fiction

•The setting is realistic

•The characters speak and act like real people

•The story describes real-life problems and events

•The setting is realistic

•The characters speak and act like real people

•The story describes real-life problems and events

•Actions are repeated over and over

•Some fables teach a lesson about what is important in life, such as fairness, kindness, or cleverness

•Characters are simpler than real people - they may be completely greedy, completely wicked , or very gentle

Fable

Folk TaleFolk Tale• Told in many different versions by Told in many different versions by

many different peoplemany different people

• Original storyteller is unknownOriginal storyteller is unknown

• Characters are animals that act and Characters are animals that act and speak like peoplespeak like people

• RepetitionRepetition

• Use of the number threeUse of the number three

Tall TaleTall Tale

•EExtraordinary personxtraordinary person - the main character is - the main character is better at things than an ordinary personbetter at things than an ordinary person

•EExaggeration xaggeration – makes something greater or – makes something greater or bigger than it really could bebigger than it really could be

•EExplanationxplanation – explains how something came to – explains how something came to bebe

MythMyth / / LegendLegend MythMyth / / LegendLegend• A kind of fantasyA kind of fantasy

• A very old story A very old story handed down by handed down by word of mouthword of mouth

• Explains something Explains something about nature or about nature or answers questions answers questions about the meaning about the meaning of life or what is of life or what is good or evilgood or evil

Fairy TalesFairy Tales• Often begin with Once upon a time or Long, Often begin with Once upon a time or Long,

long agolong ago

Include a good character and a bad (evil) character

Include magic or something enchanted

Involves a problem that is solved and the good people live happily ever after

Setting is a forest or a castle

BiographyBiography BiographyBiography• NonfictionNonfiction• Story about a real Story about a real

person’s life that is person’s life that is written by another written by another personperson

• Can cover a person’s Can cover a person’s whole life, part of a whole life, part of a person’s life, or a person’s life, or a single incidentsingle incident

• A true account of a A true account of a person’s life based on person’s life based on facts collected by the facts collected by the authorauthor

• Written from the third Written from the third person point of view person point of view (he or she)(he or she)