literary genres

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Literary Genres

Genre is the division of texts on the basis of formal , thematic , or stylistic criteria . The Oxford English Dictionary specialized definition delineates genre as "A particular style or category of works of art especially a type of literary work characterized by a particular form style , or purpose (OED

A genre is contrastingly an instrument of restriction and a mode of liberation . A literary genre is like a tool that may be employed conceptually within and outside of an individual text and conveyed

with equal flair by the author , the reader , and /or the critic . Once a piece of literature falls under a specified genre , it is expected to contain the norms and elements of its particular category

The three most general and encompassing classifications of genre are prose , drama , and poetry . Some critics refer to the big three as modes and reserve the term genre for the sub-categories of the modes . For instance , the genre sonnet is under poetry , novel is under prose , and tragedy is under drama ( Genre - Classical Origins

Generally , the construction of genre is aimed for a systematic division of literary works , although there is still much room for ambiguity in its definition . Literary works are commonly classified into genres for easier access and understanding . But if the definition of genre itself is vague , the task of classifying a piece of literature in accordance to its appropriate category would be tedious yet meaningless

Most of the time , a genre is defined...