LITERARY GENRES MASTER LIST

FICTION- There are a lot of different genres in the fiction category. Fiction: stories that tell about imaginary or partly imaginary characters and events: Stuart Little by E.B. White. Science fiction: stories based on actual or imaginary happenings or discoveries in science, often dealing with space travel and life in the future: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle; The Best New Thing, and I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Historical fiction: fictional stories set among actual events or a specific period of history: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan Myth: traditional stories expressing the belief of a particular people usually involving gods and heroes: Greek Mythology such as the story of Cerberus the three-headed dog soothed by Orpheus’s harp music. Mystery: stories involving a puzzling crime or event: Nancy Drew series; The Hardy Boys series; Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling’ Action/adventure: stories that are told mainly through physical action instead of dialogue, usually involving the efforts of a hero in dangerous situations: movies like Rush Hour, Indiana Jones, and National Treasure Graphic novel: stories in the form of a comic strip: Superman or Wonder Woman, The World as You Know It Drama: stories written to be performed, a play: Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

POETRY- There are several genres in the poetry category. Poetry: compositions expressing emotion or imaginative thought, usually written in a rhythmic pattern, usually more condensed and vivid than prose: Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems by Jack Prelutsky Lyrical poetry: poetry originally meant to be sung: Popular songs of the day such as songs by Bill Harley Narrative poetry: poetry that tells a story: “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Free verse poetry: poetry that does not follow a rhyme or rhythm pattern: poems by Walt Whitman

NONFICTION- There are several genres in the nonfiction category. Nonfiction: prose that deals with real situations, people, and events: newspapers, textbooks Essay: short writings on a particular subject: news commentary in print or digital form Biography: accounts of a person’s life: Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille by Russell Freedman Speech: words spoken before an audience: “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” Martin Luther King Speech - I Have a Dream, given on the Steps of the Lincoln Memorial Washington D.C. August 28, 1963 Memoir: accounts of one’s personal life, autobiography: The Diary of Anne Frank

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