Literary Texts: Characteristics & Genres

• Literary texts are written compositions by one or more authors that use the language to transmit a specific message or story
• These texts focus on the poetic function of language rather than its utilitarian purpose and employ resources and structures to convey real or make-believe universes through the use of words
• Literary texts offer the reader subjective, reflective, experiential or contemplative approaches, giving emphasis to the language to relate situations and convey emotions and sensations
• Authors of literary texts use expressive resources called tropes, rhetorical figures or literary figures and potent, moving and rhythmic language to enrich the text
• In ancient Greece, the cradle of Western literature, the first literary analysis was conducted, and literary texts were classified into three genres: dramatic, epic, and lyrical
• Presently there is a great number of literary text types, while reading is considered a favorite pastime

Characteristics of Literary Texts

• Literary texts transmit messages, stories, teachings, or sentiments and emotions through language
• Their purpose is to entertain readers or to serve an aesthetic purpose as a way of contemplating language use and resources

Language

• Literary texts employ language in various ways and use resources such as metaphors, similes, personifications, and ellipses to impact or describe a reality subjectively and innovatively
• Language within a literary text varies depending on the author, the language, and the type of text
• Literary texts use language to express themselves, and the author can create from it

Content

• Literary texts recount events both real and imagined through fictional, impossible, or innovative perspectives
• They express in-depth subjective or philosophical content, and authors can create worlds and fictionalize as much as they desire
• Literary texts are plausible; that is, they immerse readers in the reality they propose

Length, Format, and Dissemination

• Literary texts vary in length based on genre, for instance, short stories are shorter than novels
• They are usually transmitted in written form through digital or physical media, such as magazines and books, and may be conveyed orally to the public
• Literary texts endure through time and form part of literary tradition, which compiles all known texts in human history
• Some texts become milestones and are recognized for their form, content, or structure

Types of Literary Texts

• Literary texts are classified based on their structure or characteristics into three main literary genres

Narrative Genre

• Focuses on its characters, plot, and narrator who recounts history
• Short stories, novels, short stories, chronicles, legends, myths, and fables are examples of this genre

Lyric Genre

• Describes an individual's subjective state, feelings, perspectives of life, and thoughts through different formats and structures
• Poems, sonnets, odes, and ballads are examples of this genre
• Emphasizes the aesthetic aspect of words and uses rhetorical resources or figures to convey its message

Dramatic Genre

• Is designed to be performed in the theater, movies, or on television, relying on the dialogue between the characters and often dispensed with a narrator
• Tragedy, comedy, and tragicomedy are examples of this genre

Literary Genre

Narrative Texts

• Short stories, tales, novels, myths, and fables are some types of narrative texts

Short Story

• A very short written piece characterized by its brevity and a narrative storytelling style

Tale

• A short story written in prose by a narrator involving characters in a specific time and space

Novel

• A more extensive prose text that recounts events that differs from a story and has a more complex storyline with a narrator, several characters, and a variety of settings

Myth

• A fictional story or narrative that features gods, demigods, or humans who have divine characteristics

Fable

• A story starring animals that seeks to teach a lesson or moral

Lyrical Texts

• The poem is a composition generally written in verse and employs poetic resources to convey a feeling or experience
• Examples: sonnet, an ode, and an elegy are poems that have a particular structure

Sonnet

• This poetic composition usually consists of four stanzas, the first two with four verses and the last two with three, employing poetic resources and consonant rhyme

Ode

• This poetic composition includes reflection and, originally, would typically be sung

Elegy

• This poetic composition mourns a demise or a setback

Dramatic Texts

• Tragedy and comedy are the main dramatic texts

Tragedy

• A dramatic piece starring characters exposed to an unexpected tragic situation or misfortune

Comedy

• A literary work that seeks to be entertaining, make the audience laugh and has a happy ending

Tragicomedy

• A kind of composition found inside the dramatic genre that combines components from tragedy and comedy

Literary vs. Non-Literary Text

• Literary texts are recognized by the aesthetic purpose behind them versus non-literary
• Literary texts are created by authors with no specific practical use; rather, they seek to employ language to convey thoughts, feelings, or stories
• Readers consume literary texts to admire the language as a form of entertainment or to gain a subjective experience
• In contrast, non-literary texts are created with a clear and evident purpose, with their specific utilitary objective to simply convey information to the reader, for instance, instructions on how to use a washing machine, a recipe, advertisement, or a news story