Definition:
Genre is a term that categorizes and classifies the type of writings, art pieces, music and other forms of literature by its style, content or forms.
Significance:
A literature’s genre remains important because it provides the writer with general organizations that help them to arrange what they want to say. The genre helps the writers to best locate their audience who had the expectation for the kinds of story that fits in. The genre of literature also helps readers to easily understand what they are about to read. By exploring different genres, readers can gain insight into the different ways writers use language and storytelling to express their ideas. Under different genres, there’re also branches of genres that also gives great opportunities for both writers and readers to select that they preferred, like detective, fiction romance, historical, science fiction, children’s literature and so on.
Example 1: Classic Literature
Works that are considered timeless and have had a significant impact on literature and culture. Examples include the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.
Example of Romeo and Juliet is a classic literature but also a tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare’s most popular plays during his lifetime.
Example 2: Novel
A brief work of fiction that often focuses on a single character or incident. Example of the Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin is also a type of romance and historical texts. Romance is texts that focus on romantic relationships and often have a central love story as their main plot.
Example 3 : Short Story A story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel. The example of Robot and The Last Question are short story but also type of science fiction and fantasy that that explores speculative and imaginative themes, often set in futuristic or fantastical worlds. Authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and Isaac Asimov are notable in this genre.
Example 4: Biography and Autobiography
Both autobiography and a biography tell the story of someone’s life, but the difference is that a biography is the life history of an individual, written by someone else. An autobiography is the story of a person’s life, written by that person. It could be about a person who is still alive, someone who lived centuries ago, someone who is globally famous, an unsung hero forgotten by history, or even a unique group of people.