Genres/Branches Of Literature SS1 Nigerian History Lesson Note

The word “genre” is of French origin and it means “kind or sort”. It is the organisation of literature into categories based on the type of writing the piece exemplifies through its content, form, or style. In literature, there are three types of genre namely:

1. Poetry
2. Prose: which can be fiction or non-fiction and
3. Drama

i. Poetry

According to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth in their seminal work titled The Lyrical Ballad (1798), poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions recollected in tranquillity. Poetry is a major literary genre that can take many forms.

Some common characteristics that poetry shares are that it is written in lines that have meter and rhythm. These lines are put together to form stanzas in contrast to other writings that utilize sentences that are divided into paragraphs. Poetry often relies heavily on figurative language such as metaphors and similes to convey meanings and create images for the reader.

Types of poetry include: Sonnet, Ode, Dirge, Epic, Ballard, Pastoral poem, Panegyric, Limerick, Lyric, etc

ii. Prose

Prose is used to describe all discourses written or spoken, which are not patterned into metric forms. Some regard prose as the language of everyday speech and writing. Fictional writing is generally described as prose because it deals with narrative experiences that are invented or contrived.

Characteristics of Prose

The following are the features of prose:

1. Straightforward ordinary language
2. Usually in complete sentences
3. Usually divided into paragraphs
4. A prose does not usually have a regular rhythmic pattern 
5. The use of narrative technique

The Elements of Prose Fiction

1. Theme:The theme is the general idea of a story. The theme is the Central message.
2. Setting: The information of where the story occurs and the time of the story. The setting also includes content (especially society) beyond the surroundings of the story, like culture, historical period (date), geography and occupation 
3. Plot:Is the sequence of events.

Point of view: Is the different angle to see the subject

4. Character and Characterization: A character is an individual (usually a person) who plays in a story. 5. Characterization is the method used by the writer to develop a character.
5. Symbols: This is the language style used by the author.
6. Atmosphere: The condition and emotion in a story

Types of prose include: Picaresque Novels (Pik-ã-resx), Epistolary Novels, Historical Novel, Gothic Novel and Campus novel

iii. Drama

This literary genre is often also referred to as a play and is performed in front of an audience. It is a literary work meant to be performed on stage by casts/actors or actresses. Dramas are written through dialogue and include stage directions for the actors to follow. 

The characteristics of drama are:

i. It is written in acts and scenes;

ii. It is acted or performed on stage by actors and actresses;

iii. It has a prologue and an epilogue;

iv. The dialogue between characters is made up of sentences;

v. It makes use of dialogue among characters to convey its message to the audience;

vi. It makes use of costumes and props.

“The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde would be considered a drama because it is written through dialogue in the form of a script that gives stage directions to aid the actors in the mance of the play.

In literature, there are three forms/kinds of drama and they are:

Comedy, tragedy and tragi-comedy