Literary Genres Explained: Poetry, Narrative, Drama, and Didactic Forms

Literary Genres: Forms of Poetry, Narrative, Drama, and Didactic Works

Ode: A poem of elevated tone and metrical variety, addressing varied issues.
Anthem: A solemn tone poem focusing on a person’s praise.
Song: A poem that expresses feelings such as sadness or love.
Eclogue: A poem expressing feelings through the voices of shepherds.
Epistle: A poem offering confidences, in letter form, often on doctrinal issues.

Elegy: A poem that reflects sentiments before the death of a loved one.
Epigram: A poem that expresses an ingenious thought.
Letrilla: A poem of love or festive type, organized into stanzas and a chorus.
Romance: A strophic poem of a lyrical, loving character.
Carol: A composition, popular or cultured, on various subjects, mainly love.
Madrigal: A poem in which the last verse reinforces the central theme of love.

Epic: A long poem, intended to be sung, recounting the heroic actions of a people.
Epic Poem: A long poem for singing, exalting the deeds of national heroes.
Chanson de Geste: A medieval epic poem, for singing or recitation, chronicling the exploits of local heroes.

Romance: A brief collective poem, transmitted orally, typical of Hispanic tradition.
Novel: An extensive prose narrative, usually fictional, recounting facts about characters.
Story: A short, imaginary narrative, traditionally transmitted orally. If it aims to moralize, it is a fable.
Legend: Short stories in which fantastic events are recounted.

Tragedy: A drama involving characters facing invincible forces, aiming for catharsis in the viewer.
Drama: A text with a softer dramatic conflict than tragedy; in the 17th century, it was called tragicomedy, combining tragic and comic elements.
Comedy: A dramatic text that represents the lighter side of reality, with actions from daily life, a happy ending, and often featuring everyday characters.

Auto Sacramental: A dramatic text, allegorical and religious in theme, with characters for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Interlude: A small comic drama featuring popular characters, performed during the intermissions of major comedies.
Sainete: A comic work depicting popular environments and characters, often performed as a separate short play.
Farce: A comic work that exaggerates actions or characters, often featuring grotesque characters to satirize reality.
Vaudeville: A light comedy with amorous intrigue, usually based on misunderstandings and humor.

Opera: A play composed for singing and musical accompaniment, typically with a serious or ‘cultivated’ theme.
Zarzuela: A popular drama alternating recitation, music, and singing.
Operetta: A type of opera, frivolous and cheerful in nature, with some spoken parts.
Revue: A frivolous theatrical show alternating dialogue and musical elements.

Fable: A brief composition from which a moral teaching emerges, often featuring animal characters with human behavior.
Epistle: A text, in poetry or prose, in letter form, where the author seeks to instruct, moralize, or comfort.
Essay: A written work of varying length and thematic variety, presenting a personal and subjective view of a subject.