literature infographics

Literary Genres

By Alejandra Ayala Lemus

Fiction

Non Fiction

Bibliography here

Fable

It is a short story. The characters are usually animals that talk and act like humans. Its main characteristic is that it includes a moral lesson, which is explicitly stated at the end.

Examples:

• The fox and the grapes, by Aesop.
• The Grasshopper and the Ant..

News

It is information that is published about recent events. They can be regional or worldwide. They contain relevant information that has an impact on real life or is informative.

Examples:

• Newspapers.
• News Websites

Representative authors

Aesop's fables.

Aesop was an ancient Greek author, he is the creator of the most famous fables, for example the tortoise and the hare, the ant and the cicada, the fox and the grapes. All his fables were characterized by having animals as protagonists and leaving a strong moral teaching. All his fables are compiled in a book called Aesop's fables.

Edgar Allan Poe

He was an American poet and writer, his most famous works are characterized by horror and mystery and crime. Poe is known for his storytelling, and the atmosphere he creates. some of his most famous works are The Black Cat, The Gold Bubg The Raven, The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Novel

It is a fiction genre narrated in prose, its main characteristic is its length (between 50,000 and 110,000 words). They have a complex plot and character development. Novels can have various subgenres, for example, horror, romance, adventure, drama, historical fantasy, etc.

Examples:

• To Kill a Mockingbird, by harper lee.
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Parable

Is a short story similar to a fable, with the difference that it is performed by humans and focuses more on creating analogies about human behavior. Like the fable it leaves a moral lesson, with the difference that in the parable it is not explicit..

Examples:

• The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Aesop.
• The sower

Legend

They are traditional stories that are passed down from generation to generation, usually associated with a specific place or person. Legends may include mythological or natural elements or try to explain natural phenomena.

Examples:

• The Kraken
• The legend of King Arthur.

Essay

It is a short literary composition. It focuses on analyzing, criticizing, interpreting or describing a specific topic. They are used to express ideas from a personal point of view. Essays have an organized structure. There are several types of essays, academic, descriptive, argumentative, narrative, etc.

Examples:

• A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
• Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell.

Biography

Narrative whose subject is the life of a person, this can be told in a historical or personal way. It detail the person's life, their childhood, studies, personal life, etc. and help preserve their memory. Usually the most famous biographies are those of famous individuals.

Examples:

• Long Walk to Freedom is Nelson Mandela's. autobiography.
• I Am Malala:

Representative authors:

Anne Frank

She was a Jewish girl who lived through the German invasion of The Netherlands. For two years she kept a diary in which she recounted her daily life. After she died, Otto, her father, collected Anne's writings and the historian Jan Romein made their publication possible. Today it is considered a classic of war literature.

Malala Yousafzai

She is a Pakistani activist, Malala fought for equal education for women.. Together with journalist Christina Lamb she published her autobiography in 2013. In her biography we can learn more about her fight and activism, which can inspire us.

Diary

It is a type of autobiographical writing. A diary is a record of personal experiences and anecdotes. Usually diaries are not written with the intention of being published, people write diaries to express themselves or as a hobby.

Examples:

• The creevey papers.
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank,

Short Story

It is a fictional narrative written in prose with a length shorter than that of a novel. The plot is usually not very complex and focuses on a single conflict and few characters, but still can address complex themes.

Examples:

• The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka.
• The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte.

Anecdote

They are short stories about a real event in a person's life. These are usually interesting, shocking or funny. Anecdotes can be shared to entertain or even to prove a point.

Examples:

• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

Novella

It is a fictional narrative with a length longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel (it is on average 100 to 150 pages long). It has plot development and explores various conflicts, but is not as complex as a novel. Novellas can have different subgenres, such as horror, romance, mystery, children's stories, etc.

Important works and authors:

• Animal farm by George Orwell. history.
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

History

It is a genre that collects and studies events of the past, especially those that have had an impact on society. History seeks to explain events and examine them critically. History is divided into different branches, for example, history of art, history of fashion, world history, national history, etc.

Examples:

• History of French Revolution.
• History of civil war.