Literary Genres and Narrative Structures Explained

Literary Genres

Epic (Narrative)

• Format: Written, told, or read.
• Special Feature: Facts are narrated.
• Expressive Resources: Description and narrative prose.
• Structure: Chapters, paragraphs, and episodes.
• Purpose: To convince the reader of the reality of the facts.
• Common Forms: Epic, novel, legend, and story.

Dramatic

• Format: Written for dramatic performance.
• Element: Action and existing conflict.
• Expressive Resources: Prose, verse, monologues, and dialogue.
• Structure: Acts and scenes.
• Purpose: To provoke discussion of the conflict.
• Common Forms: Tragedy, farce, comedy, and drama.

Lyric (Poetry)

• Format: Written to be read or sung.
• Element: Expression of emotions and feelings.
• Expressive Resources: Verse and poetic figures.
• Structure: Verse and stanzas.
• Purpose: To move the reader or evoke emotional situations.
• Forms: Sonnets, odes, poems, romances, and tenths.

Epic Characteristics

• The text corresponds to the narrative.
• The story concerns actions taken by men or gods regarding national origins.
• Refers to actions carried out between forces of good and evil.
• Develops the setting where actions correspond to their place of origin.
• The source of the epic is the mythology of its place of origin.

Epic Language

• The presence of conjugated verbs is a priority.
• Uses textual prototypes: narration, description, dialogue, and occasionally argumentation.
• Transmitted orally and later in the language of the country of origin.
• Literary devices: epithets, similes, metaphors, allegories, and others.

Fable

• Usually short stories with few characters.
• Presentation can be in prose or verse.
• Moralizing and/or educational content.
• Punishes vanity, abuse of power, laziness, and general human vices.
• Vices and virtues are presented in a satirical manner.

Fable Language

• Narrative form of representation.
• Literary resources represented by linguistic rigor.
• Uses descriptive and representative linguistic prototypes.
• Dialogues directly represent characters or are mediated by the narrator.