Genres of Literature

Literary Genres and Subgenres (Fiction, Nonfiction, Drama, and Poetry) - Video and Worksheet

Begin our unit on genres and subgenres of literature by viewing this informative video. This video teaches the literary genres of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry and their subgenres. This video was created by a US public school teacher for use with ESOL students learning mainstream English curriculum.

To view the video transcript, click HERE.

What Is Literature?

Literature is an art form that uses language to create imaginative experiences. It includes poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.

Literature communicates ideas and emotions. It entertains, educates, and inspires readers. Literature explores complex themes and is an integral part of human culture.

From its original Latin derivative, "writing formed with letters," to its current definition, a "body of written works," our understanding of literature has evolved.

Literature explains society and culture. It both criticizes and affirms cultural values based on the writer’s perceptions. It expresses and explores the human condition. It looks back to the past and onward toward the future.

As literature represents the culture and history of a language or people, studying literature has excellent value. To study literature means looking deeply into a large body of written work and examining it as an art form.

Of course, there are many different literary genres or types of literature. At a liberal arts school, a literature program, students would study these genres extensively and understand the historical and cultural context they represent.

Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction

Students in a college literature program examine many forms of literature, including:

• Poetry

• Fiction

• Nonfiction

• Drama

• Prose

Some definitions of literature separate fiction into two categories: literary fiction and genre fiction. Genre fiction consists of more popular literature read for entertainment. Some examples of genre fiction include crime, fantasy, and science fiction stories.

Literary fiction explores themes of the human condition. These stories cannot be further categorized and are read primarily for a philosophical search for the meaning of life. Examples of literary fiction include The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Beloved by Toni Morrison.

You can discover more distinctions by studying literature in depth.

The Benefits of Studying Literature

1. Literature Develops Communication Skills

The foundation of literature is the English Language. By reading literature, you can improve your language knowledge: vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, content creation, and more. When you immerse yourself in William Shakespeare, Celeste Ng, or Chinua Achebe, you absorb new words, expressions, and ideas—without even realizing it.

You can use everything you learn to improve your writing and communication skills. You will use these skills beyond high school and college. In our everyday lives, we navigate personal relationships, craft emails, present projects, collaborate with teammates, analyze data, and more.

Yuval Noah Harari has written much of his literature on the history and success of the human race. His book Sapiens emphasizes our ability to craft stories as one of our most valuable skills: "Fiction has enabled us not merely to imagine things, but to do so collectively.” Through these collective stories, we learn about the human experience in minor interpersonal ways and on a larger, more global scale.

2. Literature Teaches Us About the Human Condition

Literature helps us reflect on the human experience, teaching us about who we are and our world. It presents a range of emotions, from love to anger We can dive into the past to understand British society at the turn of the 19th century in Austen's Pride and Prejudice or jump into potential futures through Harari's Homo Deus. We can consider alternative futures like that in George Orwell's 1984 or conduct experiments in Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

We don't encounter monsters or humanoid robots in our everyday lives (at least, we hope not!). But when we explore them through literature, we’re equipped to consider, challenge, and analyze concepts we don't yet know or understand. This practice opens our minds and allows us to be more flexible when we face the new and unknown. These critical thinking skills enable us to process information more easily.

5. Literature Changes the Way We Think

With everything we learn from literature and the skills it helps us develop, literature changes how we think, work, and act.

When we can think more critically, we arrive at different conclusions. When we open our minds and empathize with others, we better accept and tolerate differences. When we can articulate and communicate effectively, we work better together to achieve and succeed.

Whether English literature Russian literature or French literature, literature is the key to understanding ourselves and society.