Literary Forms: Lyric, Narrative, and Drama Structures

The Lyric

These are literary texts whose primary purpose is to convey the receptor's emotion or feeling. They are usually in verse, but narrative poetical works (epics, romances) and didactic works are also found.

• Love Song: Usually takes the perspective of a young woman, and learned poetry often gives voice to a lover. Love manifests itself in all its nuances: compliment, a celebration of passion, criticism, hate, jealousy... Courtly love elevates the woman to the status of a queen or princess.
• Elegy or Lament: It is a sorrowful poem, linked to the loss of relatives or loved ones, used to say goodbye solemnly in death, expressing affection for the deceased.
• Ode: It is a solemn poem in which the poet conveys his admiration for a person or an abstract idea.
• Eclogue: A composition featuring shepherds, often a poetic form for expressing their love complaints.
• Satire: A humorous composition in which the vices and weaknesses of an individual or social group are ridiculed.
• The Hymn is a solemn religious or patriotic exaltation song. It is written in the second person, exalting the subject.

Narrative Forms

Traditional Forms

• Epic: An extended narrative in verse exploiting the deeds of a hero. Examples include medieval epic poems.
• Romance: A narrative song, narrower than the Epic and with more varied content.
• Myth: A sacred history, set in a far different world, featuring superhuman characters.
• Legend: A story set in historical time and place, containing fictitious or supernatural elements.
• Folktale: A fictional story, told as such, set in a fabulous time and space. Includes fairy tales, animal tales, and tales of customs.

Religious Forms

• Narrative or Worship Story: The story is popular and is further divided into sub-genres. Example: a story with a moral cultivated by Don Juan Manuel.
• Novel: A long story that, by its size and complexity, rivals the epic. Examples include chivalry novels and pastoral novels (in Spain).

The Drama

Plays are made to be represented, where actors embody the characters of a story, giving them their body and voice. Dramaturgy involves linguistic activities such as body language, set design, costumes, stagecraft, image, and sound. Some communication occurs without words (mime).

Elements:

• Scenery (Dimensions): Descriptions of the space in which the actors move, as expressed in the text.
• Dialogue: The exchange between the characters.

Genres:

• Tragedy: Features noble characters, solemn language, and painful conflict situations, resulting in a tragic ending.
• Comedy: Features despicable or pathetic characters and uses colloquial language. The characters' problems often appear ridiculous.
• Tragicomedy: A mixture of noble and humble characters, combining tragic situations with comic exchanges.