GENRES OF
LITERATURE
GENRE
a
5
type or class of literature
Main Genres:
Fiction
Nonfiction
Poetry
Drama
Folk
Literature
FICTION VS. NONFICTION
 Fiction:
writing that tells about
imaginary characters and events
(includes characters, setting, plot, and
theme)
 Nonfiction: [not fake- real] deals
only with real people, events, and
ideas
(purpose of nonfiction: explain,
persuade, inform, or entertain)
SUBGENRES

OF
FICTION
Historical Fiction: real events, places, or
people incorporated into a fictional, or madeup story
Example: The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Science Fiction: combines elements of
fiction and fantasy with scientific fact; many
sci-fi stories are set in the future
Example: Star Wars

Realistic Fiction: fiction that could
happen; deals with real life events and
problems
Example: The Outsiders
TYPES
OF
FICTION
Novels
[historical fiction,
realistic fiction, science
fiction, etc.]
Novellas [shorter than a
novel, but longer than a
short story]
Short Stories
TYPES
OF
NONFICTION
 Biographies
 Autobiographies
 Letters
 Journals
and Diaries
 Essays
 Speeches
 Informational
Texts (newspaper
articles or instructions)
FICTION
OR
NONFICTION?
A writer’s account of his or her life
 A speech given at a graduation ceremony
 A story about a talking elephant
 An account of an alien from Mars

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE
FOR
NONFICTION:
 To
Entertain: written for the audience to
 To
Explain or Inform: present facts and
 To
Persuade: written to convince an audience
enjoy and be entertained
Examples: Fiction, Narratives, etc.
information to a targeted audience
Example: Articles, Reference Books, Historical
Essays
of a certain idea or opinion
Example: Speeches and Editorials
ORGANIZATION
OF
NONFICTION
 Chronological/Sequential: things
happen in order of time from first to last,
beginning to end
 Compare-Contrast: shows how things
are the same and different
 Cause-and-Effect: shows how one thing
affects another; shows relationshps between
things
 Problem-Solution: Identifies a problem
and then provides a solution
FICTION VS. NONFICTION
Fiction
Nonfiction
POETRY
 Poetry:
“song of the soul”
Features of Poetry:
o Rhythm
o Rhyme
o Imagery
o Repetition
o Stanzas
o Figurative Language
EXAMPLE
OF
POETRY:
“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
FICTION
AND
 Both
NONFICTION
Fiction and Nonfiction are
written in
Prose
Prose- paragraph style,
meaning sentences are used.
 Poetry is written in __________
DRAMA
A
story written to be performed
by actors.
 Features:
-Script
-Dialogue
-Stage Directions
-Acts and Scenes
Example: Romeo and Juliet
FOLK LITERATURE
Began as oral tradition
 Usually has a universal theme
 Elements of Fantasy
 4 Kinds of Folk Literature:
-Folk Tales
-Fables
-Myths
-Legends

IDENTIFY THE GENRE:

1. For sophomores John and Lorraine, the world feels meaningless;
nothing is important. They certainly can never please their parents,
and school is a chore. To pass the time, they play pranks on
unsuspecting people. It's during one of these pranks that they meet
the "Pigman"--a fat, balding old man with a zany smile plastered on
his face. In spite of themselves, John and Lorraine soon find that
they're caught up in Mr. Pignati's zest for life. In fact, they become so
involved that they begin to destroy the only corner of the world that's
ever mattered to them. Originally published in 1968, this novel by
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Zindel still sings with sharp
emotion as John and Lorraine come to realize that "Our life would be
what we made of it--nothing more, nothing less.“- Amazon.com
WHAT GENRE IS THE FOLLOWING:
 2.
Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take
action. He will seek answers, question the
unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the
walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of
anarchists from the rest of the civilized
universe. To do this dangerous task will mean
giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek
must make the unprecedented journey to the
utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge
the complex structures of life and living, and
ignite the fires of change.
3. WHAT GENRE IS THE FOLLOWING:
“We Never Know How High We Are”
We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan,
Our statures touch the skies.
The heroism we recite
Would be a daily thing,
Did not ourselves the cubits warp
For fear to be a king.
WHAT GENRE IS…
4. High School Musical
 5. Aesop’s Fables
 6. Paul Bunyan and The Whistling River
 7. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
 8. Romeo and Juliet

WHAT GENRE OF LITERATURE…
9. What is swine flu?
Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses
aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often
infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in
the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact
with pigs. But the current "swine flu" outbreak is different. It's
caused by a new swine flu virus that has changed in ways that
allow it to spread from person to person -- and it's happening
among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.
That makes it a human flu virus. To distinguish it both from flu
viruses that infect mainly pigs and from the seasonal influenza
A H1N1 viruses that have been in circulation for many years,
the CDC calls the virus "novel influenza A (H1N1) virus" and the
World Health Organization calls it "pandemic (H1N1) 2009." The
CDC calls swine flu illness "H1N1 flu" and the World Health
Organization calls it "pandemic influenza A (H1N1)."
10. WHAT GENRE

OF
LITERATURE…
March 22 is World Water Day. It is a chance for people to stop and think
about a natural resource that is often taken for granted. The world's water
needs protecting. Nearly 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean, safe
drinking water. That's about one out of every five people on the planet.

World Water Day has been celebrated worldwide for 15 years. It was
first observed in 1993, the year after the United Nations passed a
resolution to make March 22 World Water Day. Every year, events across
the globe take place to draw attention to the critical water situation and to
raise awareness about the world's water woes.
 adapted from "World Water Day" by Andrea Delbanco
This information on World Water Day is an example of
 A. a poem.
 B. nonfiction.
 C. a play.
 D. fiction.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. WHAT GENRE
OF
LITERATURE…
The story of a young Greek boy who fell in love with his own reflection.

Narcissus was a beautiful looking boy. He had long, flowing, blond hair, beautiful, bright, blue
eyes and even, white teeth. Many young ladies fell in love with him including the nymph named
Echo.

Nymphs were lively spirits who lived near streams and lakes and protected trees in the forest.
Echo had upset the Queen of the Gods, Hera. As a punishment Hera made Echo unable to speak
except to repeat the last three words of the person she was talking to.

Poor Echo fell in love with Narcissus but could never tell him how she felt. Narcissus teased
her and she ran away with tears pouring down her face. Aphrodite, the goddess of love saw what
happened and decided to punish Narcissus. As he came to a pool of water Narcissus saw his
reflection and fell in love with the vision he saw . . . it was of course his own reflection.

Poor Narcissus watched his own reflection, every time he tried to touch the face of the vision
he loved it broke up on the shimmering surface of the water. Narcissus stopped eating, lost his
beautiful looks and pined for his love. Eventually he faded away and died.

Aphrodite took pity on him and made a flower grow in his place on the bank of the lake.
Narcissus flowers can be found to this day growing wherever you can find water and trees.
In which book would this type of passage most likely be found?

A. Great American Poetry

B. Fun Mysteries to Solve

C. Great Myths and Legends

D. My Life: A Memoir

12. WHAT GENRE OF LITERATURE…
Rich people's umbrellas
look different from my umbrellas.
They have fancier umbrellas.
They have cats and other things on their umbrellas.
Like sometimes I see umbrellas
with little cats holding little umbrellas
on them. This makes me want to take all the umbrellas
and stick them under the rich people’s
umbrellas.
 The passage above is an example of
 A. a poem.
 B. nonfiction.
 C. a journal.
 D. a biography.
13. WHAT
THIS?







GENRE OF LITERATURE IS
This morning I went to the attic to hang up my apron
when Daddy asked whether I'd like to stay and talk
some French. I agreed. First we talked French, and I
explained something to Peter; then we did some
English. Daddy read out loud to us from Dickens and
I was in the seventh heaven, because I sat on Daddy's
chair very close to Peter.
from The Diary of Anne Frank
The passage above is most likely taken from
A. a myth.
B. a biography.
C. a journal.
D. an essay.