Imaginative Literature
Language Arts 4.3.1
Describe the various imaginative forms
of literature including fantasies, myths,
legends, and fairy tales.
What do fantasies, fairy tales,
fables, myths, and legends all have
in common?
• Fiction
• All have a part that could not happen in
real life
– Magic
– Imaginary creatures
– Talking animals
Fantasy: fiction with imaginary or
supernatural parts
Fantasy
Fairy Tales
Fables
Legend
Myths
Cinderella
Snow White
Tortoise and
the Hare
King Arthur
Johnny Appleseed
Greek Gods and
Godesses
Fairy Tales
• A fictional tale with
imaginary creatures
and heroic deeds,
usually written for
children
• “Once Upon a
Time…”
• “They Lived Happily
Ever After”
Fables
• A short story with a moral or lesson
– Usually use animal characters who act human
(Remember the word “Personification” )
Aesop’s Fables
Legends
• An unproven story
handed down from
earlier times,
sometimes believed
to be historical by
many.
• Usually have a basis
in the truth.
Myths
• A traditional story dealing
with supernatural beings,
ancestors, or heroes. It
should explain how a
culture thinks, explain
nature, tell customs, or
show the ideals of a
society
• Old stories that were
handed down for years