Understanding Literature: Definition and Genres

What is Literature?

Literature is the art expressed through the written or oral word, seeking to arouse aesthetic emotion in humanity. The word originates from the Latin litterae, referring to the necessary skills to write and read well. This concept is closely related to the arts of grammar, rhetoric, and poetics.

Reading Comprehension Techniques

Before beginning reading, consider these preparatory steps:

• Pre-questions: Questions formulated before reading.
• Inserted Questions: Questions designed to be answered based directly on the text.
• Extraction of Specific Information.

Vocabulary and Textual Analysis

Understanding vocabulary is crucial:

• Synonyms: Words that have different forms but the same or similar meanings.
• Antonyms: Words with opposite meanings.

Other analytical elements include:

• Relevant Words: Terms that are repeated three or four times within the text.
• Metalinguistic Sentences: Statements from which we can deduce meaning.
• Removing Information (Specify): A summary of the most important points.
• Transcoding the Topic: Expressing what you understood about the topic in your own terms.
• Paraphrase: Copying the author's information and then explaining it (e.g., "This means that...").

Literary Subgenres

Different forms of literary expression include:

• Fable: A short story, written in prose or verse, that conveys a moral lesson.
• Caption (Legend): An oral demonstration of literary tradition, often relying on historical facts to tell extraordinary events.
• Myth: A traditional story featuring prodigious events, often involving supernatural elements such as gods, demigods, heroes, and monsters.
• Epic: A long narrative poem, written in verse or extended prose.

Literary Genres

Literary genres are different groups or categories used to classify literature based on its content. Classical rhetoric divides them into three major groups: lyric, epic, and dramatic.

The Three Major Genres

• Lyric Genre: Expresses feelings and thoughts; subjectivity predominates in its writing, usually written in verse.
• Epic Genre: Tells real or imaginary events that happened to the poet or another person. It is highly objective in nature, traditionally expressed in verse.
• Dramatic Genre: Used in theater, the author presents various conflicts through dialogue and characters. It can be written in verse or prose. Its essential purpose is to be represented to the public.