Literary Texts: Features, Language, and Genres Explained

Characteristics of Literary Texts

1. Originality in Literary Language

   Literary language is a conscious act of creation, driven by a desire for originality. It strives to be unique, novel, and always original.

2. Artistic Intent and Aesthetic Purpose

   Language is employed with an artistic will, aiming to create a work of art. Its primary purpose is aesthetic.

3. Special Communicative Intent

   This language serves an aesthetic, rather than a practical, communicative purpose.

4. Deviation and Foregrounding

   Often termed "deviation" or "foregrounding," this refers to the recurrence or repetition of linguistic units at any level within a text. It signifies a statistically higher occurrence of a given unit compared to its frequency in 'normal' language.

5. The Connotative Nature of Language

   Literary language is essentially connotative. It uses language open to evocation and suggestion through the secondary meanings of words, which can also generate new connotations for each reader, author, or each time it is re-read. In this sense, we speak of multiple meanings.

6. Creating Fictional Worlds

   The literary message creates its own worlds of fiction, whose referents do not necessarily correspond with external reality. The reader discovers these worlds through the text's context.

7. Importance of the Signifier and Form

   In a literary message, the signifier can be motivated through elements like musicality, alliteration, and sound symbolism. Generally, this highlights the importance of form.

8. The Poetic Function of Language

   The poetic function of language is active when it draws attention to itself, to how things are said. The literary text is characterized by the special attention given to the message's form and structure.

Literary Language Defined

Literary language represents a specialized use of language with an aesthetic purpose: the creation of literary texts. Its main features include:

• It is essentially polysemic, as many words and expressions allow for multiple interpretations.
• Literary language is also connotative, with words carrying meanings often imbued by the author.
• Due to its polysemic and connotative nature, literary language is always subjective.
• It can take two primary forms: prose and verse. Verse often deviates further from everyday language than prose, characterized by a musical rhythm (e.g., accents, rhyme, syllable count).
• Literary language deviates from normal usage, allowing authors greater self-expression and employing code changes not found in ordinary language, such as altering the logical order of words within an utterance.
• In literary language, how the message is conveyed is often as important as the message itself. For this reason, authors utilize many varied expressive resources, including literary or rhetorical devices.

Key Characteristics of Literary Language

In summary, the characteristics of literary language can be outlined as:

• A specific, cultivated use of language.
• The poetic function.
• Connotative values.
• Originality.
• Creation of fictional worlds.
• Figurative language.
• Enduring quality.

Literary Genres and Classifications

Literary works are broadly classified into distinct groups, known as genres. While genres can appear in their pure form, hybrid genres are also common.

Lyric Poetry

This genre allows authors to express their feelings, subjectivity, and personal inner self. Its primary medium is verse, though it can also appear in prose. Examples include: eclogue, elegy, hymn, ode, satire, epigram, and madrigal.

Narrative Fiction

The narrative genre encompasses stories primarily presented in prose. Key forms include: novel, short story, novella, and legend.

Epic Poetry

Traditionally, the term 'epic' is reserved for long verse poems that recount the historical deeds of heroes. While epic narratives can also appear in prose, classic epic forms include: epic poems (such as the Iliad or Odyssey), and romances.

Drama

Dramatic works are staged through the dialogue and actions of characters. Major dramatic genres include: comedy, tragedy, and drama (in its broader sense). Other notable forms include the auto sacramental (sacramental play) and the farce interlude.

Didactic Literature

Another significant genre is didactic literature, which includes works designed to teach or indoctrinate. Examples are: essay, fable, epistle, and dialogues.