1. The Development of the Genres
Fiction, Nonfiction, Epic, Poetry & Drama

2. Fiction
Definition: general term for an imaginative work, usually in prose
forefathers of the genre: myth, legend, parable, fairy tale, fable, et al

3. Fiction: Short Story
inset stories, or briefly developed story lines, are found in the oldest of Classical literature (e.g. the Bible)
became more defined as a literary form in the 1600’s in continental Europe (e.g. Spain and France) and the mid-1700’s in Great Britain
Gothic stories (dark tales usually of the supernatural) popularized the form in Britain and, ultimately, America where Edgar Allan Poe is most strongly associated with the modern short story
today, short stories usually center around realistic or naturalistic settings or themes and have become more focused on characters’ psychological development

4. Fiction: Novel
forefathers of the genre: collections of short stories that dealt with “every-day” characters and settings, rather than the royal and fantastic romances
example: Don Quixote

5. Fiction: novel
the novel Robinson Crusoe (1719) really marks the beginning of the novel as a noteworthy literary form in English
in the 1800’s, there was an outpouring of novelists writing novels that became Classics, and novels became popular
like the short story, novels have changed with time to deemphasize the plot and emphasize the characters’ psychological development

6. Definition: literature based on real places, people and events
nonfiction
Definition: literature based on real places, people and events
Though not so limited, nonfiction is often associated with journalism, which really saw an increase in its development during the 1800’s

7. Definition: long narrative poem, on a grand scale, about the deeds of warriors/heroes
The epic

8. PRIMARY: ORAL, or Primitive
The epic:
PRIMARY: ORAL, or Primitive
composed and delivered orally, maybe written down later; Gilgamesh (3000 B.C.), The Odyssey (1000 B.C.); etc.

9. THE EPIC:
LITERARY
composed in writing from its start
Aeneid by Virgil (c B.C. in Latin)
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser (c C.E. in English)
To a large extent, the literary epic has been replaced by the novel and the cinema.

10. poetry
Definition: writing that is defined by its rhythmic, compressed language and verse form
It’s earliest beginnings were usually oral and epic in nature (used along with music).
It developed into a very formal, precise discipline especially during the 17th century with the development of the sonnet.
In modern times, it has lost its emphasis on form and promotes experimentation with rhythm and figurative language.

11. Drama Definition: any work meant to be performed on stage by actors
began as a specific form in Greece (6th centuray B.C.), exploring the relationship between humans, the world around them, and the gods that controlled them.

12. drama
experienced a revival during medieval times in Europe for the purpose of performing religiously-related scenes around major holidays
became more secularized during Shakespeare’s time and down through the centuries, during which it has undergone many changes—from serving as a vehicle for satire (social criticism), to realism, to psychological exploration, and back again