Literary Genres are a category or certain kind of literature or writing. These categories are identified by examining the characteristics of each piece of literature.

Stories about made-up events and characters. FICTION = FALSE

Short Stories focus on a single event or incident. Most are short enough enough to be read without taking a break!

Novels are a longer work of fiction that weave together many different events, storylines, and characters.

Novellas are longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Novellas feature a limited number of characters.

Character – a person involved in the action (WHO?) Plot - the ACTION of the story! (WHAT?) Setting – location and time the action takes place (WHEN?) (WHERE?) Conflict – a struggle between opposing forces (WHY?)

Theme – message or lesson brought out by the action of the story and the characters Narrator – character or voice that tells the story Point of View – perspective from which a story is told

Poetry is a type of Literature in which words are chosen and arranged in a precise way to create certain sounds and meanings.

Odes Sonnets Narrative Poems Lyric Poems

Form – the arrangement of words and lines on a page Line – core unit of a poem; like a sentence in prose Stanza – group of lines in a poem; like a paragraph in prose Speaker – “voice” that talks to the reader

Rhyme – occurrence of similar sounds at the end of two or more words Rhythm – pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry Sound devices – uses of words for their connection to the sense of hearing that convey meaning or mood Imagery – descriptive words or phrases that recreate sensory experiences

Any work written to be performed! Divided into scenes and acts Primarily written as dialogue

Character – a person involved in the action Plot - the ACTION of the story! Act – division within a play; like a chapter from a book Scene – presents an episode of the play that occurs at a single place and time Stage Direction – the actor’s instructions that appear in italics throughout the play Dialogue – written conversation between characters; brings characters to life

Non-fiction is literature where the events actually happen and the characters are real. Informational Text does not tell a story; it is a source for knowledge or information for practical purposes.

Autobiography – true story of a person’s life told by that person AUTO = SELF Biography – true story of a person’s life told by another person

Essay – short work that focuses on a single subject and can be Reflective, Persuasive, Descriptive, or Narrative Speech – oral presentation of ideas, beliefs, or proposals

News/Feature Articles – informative writing in newspapers and magazines Functional Documents – writing that serves a practical purpose including manuals, documents, and resumes

the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and computers that reach or influence people

Feature Films – Motion pictures that use narrative elements to tell stories rely on music, cinematography, sets, and actors are at least one hour in length

News Media – accounts of current events in newspapers and magazines, as well as TV, the radio, and the web BE CAREFUL: News media often include bias or inaccuracies

TV Shows – Programs on TV Sitcoms Dramas Talk Shows Documentaries Reality Shows

Advertising – Paid promotion of products (commercials), services, candidates, or public service announcements TARGETS one specific audience

Web Sites – Collection of pages on the World Wide Web Web sites are not checked for credibility Text, Graphics, Audio, Video, Animation, and Interactive features

Medium – a format in which ideas are conveyed; the plural of medium is media Message – the main idea Purpose – reason for the creation of a media message Target Audience – the group for whom a message is intended