THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GENRES Fiction, Nonfiction, Epic, Poetry & Drama.

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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, and fable

3  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 FICTION: SHORT STORY  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 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 THE EPIC Definition: long narrative poem, on a grand scale, about the deeds of warriors/heroes

8 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. 30-19 B.C. in Latin) The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser (c. 1590-1609 C.E. in English) To a large extent, the literary epic has been replaced by the novel and the cinema.

10 DDefinition: writing that is defined by its rhythmic, compressed language and verse form IIt’s earliest beginnings were usually oral and epic in nature (used along with music). POETRY  It developed into a very formal, precise discipline especially during the 17 th 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 DDefinition: any work meant to be performed on stage by actors bbegan as a specific form in Greece (6 th centuray B.C.), exploring the relationship between humans, the world around them, and the gods that controlled them.

12  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 DRAMA