Genres of Literature And Its Functions

Assignment No 1

Submitted By: Nabeel Riasat

Submitted To: Hafiz Nazim

Roll No: S2F18BSEN0029

Subject: Short Stories

Topic: Genres of Literature And Function of Literature

University Of Central Punjab Sheikhupura.

Contents
What Is Literatue,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 3

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 Genres of Literature And Its Functions

Why Literature Has Many Definitions?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,3--4

Importance Of Literature,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,5

What Is The Oldest Known Piece Of Literature?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,5

Why We Study Literature,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,6

Generes Of Literature,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,6--8

The Importance Of Using Genere,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,8

Genres in Literature,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,8

Non-Fiction and Types,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,9

Fiction and Its Types,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,10--11

Characteristics of Fiction,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,11

Major Forms of Literary And Non-Literary Fiction,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,12--14

Narrative Techniques Of Genres,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,14

Function of Literature,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,14--15

Conclusion,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,15

What is Literature?

Literature has different definitions that are given as below:

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 Genres of Literature And Its Functions

1. Literature is a group of works of art made up of words. Most are written, but some are
passed on by word of mouth. Literature usually means works of poetry and prose that are
especially well written.There are many different kinds of literature, such as poetry, plays,
or novels. They can also be put into groups through their language, historical period,
origin, genre, and subject. The word literature comes from the Latin word "learning,
writing, grammar". (Wikipedia)
2. Writings in prose or verse especially : writings having excellence of form or expression
and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest literature stands related to man as
science stands to nature. (Meriam Webstar)
3. Written written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit;
i.e; books and writings published on a particular subject. (Oxford Dictionary)
4. Literature is defined as books and other written works, especially those considered to
have creative or artistic merit or lasting value, i.e; “Books written by Charles Dickens are
an example of literature” and “Books written on a scientific subject are examples of
scientific literature”. (According to Authors)
5. Comes from Latin word “Litera” which literally means an “acquaintance with letters”.
6. It is a body of works, either written, oral, or visual, containing imaginative language that
realistically portrays thoughtd, emotions and experiences of the human condition.
7. Literature is an art that reflects the works of imagination, aesthetics and creative writing
which are distinguished for the beauty of style or expression.
8. Literature raises life to a new level of meaning and understanding, and in the process
restores sanity and justice in an insaneand unjust world. (Cirilo F. Bautisa)

Why Literature has many definitions?

 This essay attempts to define literature and bring out the inadequacies attached to these
various definitions. It will also be established that the word literature is a very difficulty
concept to define from one perspective. This is because the current understanding of
literature has departed from the etymological understanding of the term literature. In
order to achieve this purpose, this essay will give several definitions of literature and
argue for both its strengths and weaknesses thereby showing how one definition is not
enough to describe the scope of literature.
 Literature is literally “an aquaitance with letters” as in the first sense given in the oxford
English Dictionary (from the latin litera meaning ‘an individual character (letter). The
term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. The word ‘literature’ as a
common noun can refer to any form of writing, such as essays or poetry. ‘Literature as a
proper noun refers to a whole body of literally work, world wide or relating to a specific
culture (Wikipedia, 2008).

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 The purpose of literature is to entertain and instruct (or to delight and enlighten) the
reader through the use of the imagination. Literature can also shock, amaze, or provide
readers with an escape from reality for a while. This definition is broad although it does
not encompass everything. The first point to note is that this definition is slightly
divergent from the tradition notion which holds that literature is anything that is written.
It holds that for a piece of work to be called literature, it should not just use words
anyhow. This is so because according to the proponents of this view point, literature has
its own writing style and words are carefully selected and used in order to fulfill its
purpose.
 The above definition also means that literature serves many purposes some of which are
to entertain and to instruct. In addition, this view holds that people or characters or
writers use literature in order to express emotions. While this is true, it does not apply to
every piece of literature. This is because there are several texts that are written purely for
education or to inform. The other point is that, there is no piece of writing where words
are used anyhow, every piece of writing selects words carefully but does not mean that
any piece of writing in which the author uses words carefully qualifies to be called
literature.
 In addition to the above, the definition also says that literature has characters. This
contradicts with the original meaning of the word literature. For the sake of emphasis, the
word literature refers to writtng. Originally, this means that any written piece whether it
has characters or not, it will still be called literature and there are several pieces of
writing that do not have characters.
 Hancock (2006) also defines literature as being written works of fiction and non fiction in
which compositional excellence and advancement in the art of writing are higher
priorities than are considerations of profit or commercial appeal. Similar to this definition
is the one by Davids (1983) whilch says that literature is a creative writing of artistic
value. These two definitions seem to suggest that literature does not follow the ordinary
conventions of writing. Therefore, literature is that which follows a creative writing and
has the element of compositional excellence. This leads to the the notions of bad and
good literature. It appears that good literature is one that uses or has all or many of the
creative aspects while bad literature is one that lacks or has few creative aspects.
 The existence of the different types of literature have made it difficult for scholars to
come up with one working definitions for literature. Each of the definitions that exist now
all have deficiencies. This is so because the body of literature is wide, has many forms.
Literature exists both in written and oral form. Any definition that may be deemed
wholistic is one that will embrace all the genres, forms in their varying degrees.

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Importance of Literature:
Literature is important because it teaches you what life is all about, how it had been in earlier
times. In today's world when everyone is running behind this “computerised world", the students
of humanities hold a great significance. Literature is not just reading about writers or novels. It
broadens one's mind, gives the ability to think from all the perspectives, the analytical skills are
enhanced. It's not just the classical literature by Shakespeare, Milton or Pope that's useful...
Rather the theories of critics like Foucault, Marx, Lacan, Bukowski, and Derrida etc. will help
you build yourself as a person. Try reading about these critics, you'll have a better idea.

What is the oldest known piece of Literature?

As with the wheel, cities and law codes, the earliest examples of written literature
appear to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerian civilization first
developed writing around 3400 B.C., when they began making markings on clay
tablets in a script known as cuneiform. Their texts usually consisted of economic and
administrative documents, but by the third millennium B.C., Sumerian scribes were
also copying down essays, hymns, poetry and myths. Two of their oldest known
literary works are the “Kesh Temple Hymn” and the “Instructions of Shuruppak,” both
of which exist in written versions dating to around 2500 B.C. The former is an ancient
ode to the Kesh temple and the deities that inhabited it, while the latter is a piece of
“wisdom literature” that takes the form of sagely advice supposedly handed down
from the Sumerian king Shuruppak to his son, Ziusudra. One of Shuruppak’s proverbs
warns the boy not to “pass judgment when you drink beer.” Another counsels that “a
loving heart maintains a family; a hateful heart destroys a family.”

While Shuruppak’s fatherly wisdom is one of the most ancient examples of written literature,
history’s oldest known fictional story is probably the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” a mythic poem that
first appeared as early as the third millennium B.C. The adventure-filled tale centers on a
Sumerian king named Gilgamesh who is described as being one-third man and two-thirds god.
Over the course of twelve clay tablets’ worth of text, he goes on a classic hero’s journey that sees
him slay monsters, rub elbows with the gods and search for the key to immortality—all with
predictably tragic results. The Epic of Gilgamesh started out as a series of Sumerian poems and
tales dating back to 2100 B.C., but the most complete version was written around the 12th
century B.C. by the Babylonians. The story was later lost to history after 600 B.C., and it wasn’t
until the mid-19th century that archaeologists finally unearthed a copy near the Iraqi city of
Mosul. Since then, scholars have hailed the 4,000-year-old epic as a foundational text in world
literature.

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Why We Study Literature?

 To benefit from the insight of others.

 To open our minds to ambiguities of meaning.
 To explore other cultures and beliefs.
 To expand our grasp of the machinations of history.
 To encourage us to question “accepted” knowledge.
 To appreciate the contributions literature has made to history.
 To see the Tragedy.
 To further our mastery of language.
 To recognize language devices and appreciate their emotional power.
 To explore ethical complexities.
 To learn better ways to behave.
 To know we are not alone.
 To refine our judgment.
 To develop empathy for those.
 To expand our vocabularies.
 To improve our writing skills.
 To learn to use our language well.
 To improve our reading comprehension.

Genres of Literature:
What is Genre?

A genre is a broad term that translates from the French to mean 'kind' or 'type.' In entertainment,
this can translate to horror, romance, science fiction, etc. In general, these types differ for all
sorts of reasons, from the actions in their plots to the feelings they elicit from the audience.
However, in literature, there are some more defined genres. It is important to know which genre
a piece of work falls into because the reader will already have certain expectations before he
even begins to read.
Genre, in broad terms, refers to any works that share certain characteristics. If enough
characteristics are in common, then the pieces are said to be in the same genre. In literature, there
are four main genres to help the reader focus their expectations for the piece, though these genres
can be broken down even further.

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Types and Examples of Genres:

Literature could be divided into countless genres and subgenres, but there are three main genres
which preside over most subgenres. Here are the main genres in literature:

 Poetry :
As poetry has evolved, it has taken on numerous forms, but in general poetry is the genre of
literature which has some form of meter or rhyme with focus based on syllable counts,
musicality, and division of lines (lineation). Unlike prose which runs from one end of the page to
the other, poetry is typically written in lines and blocks of lines known as stanzas.

Example
Here is an excerpt from Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”:

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I’ll rise.

 Prose:

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Prose encompasses any literary text which is not arranged in a poetic form. Put simply, prose is
whatever is not poetry. Prose includes novels, short stories, journals, letters, fiction and
nonfiction, among others. This article is an example of prose.

 Drama:
Drama is a text which has been written with the intention of being performed for an audience.
Dramas range from plays to improvisations on stage. Popular dramas include
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, and Tennessee
Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire.

The Importance Of Using Generes:

Genres give writers a specific type of literature to work within. They allow writers to specialize
in one genre or to dabble in others. Students in creative writing may focus in a variety of genres
from poetry to prose to nonfiction to playwriting. Genres allow us to classify literature, to deem
what is appropriate for a certain type of literature, and to judge the merit of literature based on its
genre. In general, genre is a classifying tool which allows us to compare and contrast works
within the same genre and to study how works broaden or challenge certain genre-based
constraints. New genres like media (writing for television, film, websites, radios, billboards, etc.)
and the graphic novel (comic books) are expanding what we consider literature today.

Genres in Literature:

The three main genres in literature are prose, poetry, and drama, but there are many
more subgenres, or genres within genres.You will find dozens of conflicting reports that claim
any number of main genres that exist. There is often debate over what constitutes genre, but in
most cases, there is a misunderstanding of the difference between genre and subject matter. It’s
common for subject matter to be considered a genre in not only literature, but also in movies and
even games, both of which are often based on or inspired by books. These subjects can include
biography, business, fiction, history, mystery, comedy, romance and thrillers. Subjects may also
include cooking, self help, diet and fitness, religion and many many more.  

Subjects and subgenres, however, can often be intermixed. Though, it can be a challenge to
determine how many subgenres or subjects actually exist, as there are differing opinions on each,
and new ones are created regularly. For example, young adult writing has become increasingly
popular, and some would classify it as a subgenre of prose.

The difference between genre and subject is often blurred by the world around us. Think of a
time when you last visited a bookstore or library. Most likely, the books were divided into
sections - fiction and non-fiction for sure - and further categorized based on the type of books,
such as self-help, historic, science fiction and others. Many people assume that these

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categorizations of subject matter are genre, and as a result, common language today has adopted
a casual use of genre to mean subject.

Genres of Literature:
1. Non-Fiction
2. Fiction

1.What is Non-Fiction:
The branch of literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering opinions or
conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history, and the essay (opposed
to fiction and distinguished from poetry and drama).

Types of Non-fiction:

Narrative Nonfiction is information based on fact that is presented in a format which

tells a story.

Essays are a short literary composition that reflects the author’s outlook or point. A
short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally
analytic, speculative, or interpretative.

A Biography is a written account of another person’s life.

An Autobiography gives the history of a person’s life, written or told by that person.

Often written in Narrative form of their person’s life.

Speech is the faculty or power of speaking; oral communication; ability to express one’s
thoughts and emotions by speech, sounds, and gesture. Generally delivered in the form of
an address or discourse.

Finally there is the general genre of Nonfiction. This is Informational text dealing with
an actual, real-life subject. This genre of literature offers opinions or conjectures on facts
and reality. This includes biographies, history, essays, speech, and narrative non fiction.
Nonfiction opposes fiction and is distinguished from those fiction genres of literature like
poetry and drama which is the next section we will discuss.

Characteristics of Non-Fiction:
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There are several important traits of all nonfiction works. Most importantly, nonfiction writing
must involve real people, places, and events. The stories told in nonfiction works must be true. If
something in the story is made-up, then it falls under fiction. Nonfiction must also contain facts,
which are information that can be proved to be true. With this in mind, a writer can select and
organize the facts in a number of ways in order to accomplish his purpose. Some facts can be
omitted, and others can be shown in a specific light, but overall, facts must be present in the
written work.
Most nonfiction works also have a similar author's purpose, which is the reason the author
writes. Most nonfiction is written to express or to inform. If the author's purpose is to express,
the concepts expressed are always based on true, real-life situations. Because of this, one could
argue all nonfiction serves to inform the reader, as well.

What is Fiction:
 Literary fiction is universally understood as symbolic or thematic fiction that critics consider to
have 'literary merit.' In other words, it is a story that tries to be bigger than the story itself. To do
this, literary fiction must comment on something that is considered significant, such as social or
political issues, or the human condition.

Types of Fiction:

 Drama is the genre of literature that’s subject for compositions is dramatic art in
the way it is represented. This genre is stories composed in verse or prose, usually
for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through
dialogue and action.
 Poetry is verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that evokes an emotional
response from the reader. The art of poetry is rhythmical in composition, written
or spoken. This genre of literature is for exciting pleasure by beautiful,
imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
 Fantasy is the forming of mental images with strange or other worldly settings or
characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality.
 Humor is the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical. Fiction full of
fun, fancy, and excitement which meant to entertain. This genre of literature can
actually be seen and contained within all genres.
 A Fable is a story about supernatural or extraordinary people Usually in the form
of narration that demonstrates a useful truth. In Fables, animals often speak as
humans that are legendary and supernatural tales.
 Fairy Tales or wonder tales are a kind of folktale or fable. Sometimes the stories
are about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children.
 Science Fiction is a story based on impact of potential science, either actual or
imagined. Science fiction is one of the genres of literature that is set in the future
or on other planets.

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 Short Story is fiction of such briefness that is not able to support any subplots.
 Realistic Fiction is a story that can actually happen and is true to real life.
 Folklore are songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a person of “folk” that was
handed down by word of mouth. Folklore is a genre of literature that is widely
held, but false and based on unsubstantiated beliefs.
 Historical Fiction is a story with fictional characters and events in a historical
setting.
 Horror is an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by literature that is
frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting. Fiction in which events evoke a
feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.
 A Tall Tale is a humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes
who do the impossible with an here of nonchalance.
 Legend is a story that sometimes of a national or folk hero. Legend is based on
fact but also includes imaginative material.
 Mystery is a genre of fiction that deals with the solution of a crime or the
unraveling of secrets. Anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or
unknown.
 Mythology is a type of legend or traditional narrative. This is often based in part
on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its
symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. A body of myths, as that of
a particular people or that relating to a particular person.
 Fiction in Verse is full-length novels with plot, subplots, themes, with major and
minor characters. Fiction of verse is one of the genres of literature in which the narrative
is usually presented in blank verse form.

The genre of Fiction can be defined as narrative literary works whose content is produced by the
imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. In fiction something is feigned, invented, or
imagined; a made-up story.

Characteristics of Fiction:
Literary fiction can be described as layered with inner stories and subtext. Its characters tend to
be complex, because the literary fiction examines character motivations and thoughts in order to
get the readers emotionally invested. For this reason, the pacing tends to be slow as to make
room for such character development.
The writing style of literary fiction is typically elegant, with language that is elevated or poetic,
as it focuses more on discovery and truth rather than entertaining readers or solving problems.
And its tone is usually serious, because the truths literary fiction grapples with try to get readers
thinking about universal issues like faith, human tragedy, and purpose.

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Major Forms Of Literary And Semi-Literary Fictions:

 Drama
 Graphic novel
 Myth
 Novel
 Novella
 Short story
Drama With Examples:

Drama is the specific mode of narrative, typically fictional, represented in performance.The

term comes from the Greek word δρᾶμα, drama, meaning action, which is derived from the
verb δράω, draō, meaning to do or to act. The enactment of drama in theatre, performed
by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and
a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms
of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective
reception The early modern tragedy Hamlet(1601) by Shakespeare and the classical
Athenian tragedy Oedipus the King (c. 429 BC) by Sophocles are among the masterpieces of
the art of drama. A modern example is Long Day's Journey into Night (1956) by Eugene
O’Neill.

Types of Drama:
Let us consider a few popular types of drama:

 Comedy – Comedies are lighter in tone than ordinary works, and provide a

happy conclusion. The intention of dramatists in comedies is to make their audience
laugh. Hence, they use quaint circumstances, unusual characters, and witty remarks.
 Tragedy – Tragic dramas use darker themes, such as disaster, pain, and death.
Protagonists often have a tragic flaw — a characteristic that leads them to their downfall.
 Farce – Generally, a farce is a nonsensical genre of drama, which often overacts or
engages slapstick humor.

 Melodrama – Melodrama is an exaggerated drama, which is sensational and appeals

directly to the senses of the audience. Just like the farce, the characters are of a single
dimension and simple, or may be stereotyped.
 Musical Drama – In musical dramas, dramatists not only tell their stories through acting
and dialogue, but through dance as well as music. Often the story may be comedic,
though it may also involve serious subjects.

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Examples:

1. Much Ado About Nothing (By William Shakespeare)

2. Oedipus Rex (By Sophocles)
3. The Importance of Being Earnest (By Oscar Wilde)

Graphic Novel:

A graphic novel is a book made up of comics content. Although the word "novel" normally
refers to long fictional works, the term "graphic novel" is applied broadly and includes fiction,
non-fiction, and anthologized work. It is distinguished from the term "comic book", which is
used for comics periodicals.

Mythology:
It is a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition
of a group of people–their collection of stories they tell to explain nature,history, and customs
or the study of such myths.

Novel and Examples

A novel is a long narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional characters and events,
usually in the form of a sequential story.
While Ian Watt in The Rise of the Novel (1957) suggests that the novel came into being in the
early 18th century, the genre has also been described as possessing "a continuous and
comprehensive history of about two thousand years". This view sees the novel's origins
in Classical Greece and Rome, medieval, early modern romance, and the tradition of the novella.
The latter, an Italian word used to describe short stories, supplied the present generic English
term in the 18th century. Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, is frequently cited as the
first significant European novelist of the modern era; the first part of Don Quixote was published
in 1605.
Novella:
A novella is a work of written, fictional, narrative prose normally longer than a short
story but shorter than a novel. The English word "novella" derives from the Italian
"novella", feminine of "novello", which means "new".The novella is a common literary
genre in several European languages.
Short Story:
A short story is a brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose. Emerging
from earlier oral storytelling traditions in the 17th century, the short story has grown to
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encompass a body of work so diverse as to defy easy characterization. At its most

prototypical the short story features a small cast of named characters, and focuses on a
self-contained incident with the intent of evoking a "single effect" or mood. In doing so,
short stories make use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a far greater
degree than is typical of an anecdote, yet to a far lesser degree than a novel. While the
short story is largely distinct from the novel, authors of both generally draw from a
common pool of literary techniques.
Narrative technique:
Narrative technique (also known, more narrowly for literary fictional narratives, as
a literary technique, literary device, or fictional device) is any of several specific methods
the creator of a narrative uses to convey what they want—in other words, a strategy used
in the making of a narrative to relay information to the audience and, particularly, to
"develop" the narrative, usually in order to make it more complete, complicated, or
interesting. Literary techniques are distinguished from literary elements, which exist
inherently in works of writing.
1. Setting
2. Plot
3. Perspective
4. Style
5. Theme
6. Character
7. Reference
Functions Of Literature:
1. Knowledge Sharing:
This is the most basic and important function of literature. We can learn many new things about
the world with its help; we can fill ourselves with knowledge and become smarter.
2. Upbringing:
Literature affects the feelings and outlook of a person. Why do we read fairy tales in childhood?
Well, mostly because they clearly distinguish between good and evil, which helps children to
understand what is good and what is bad from early age. Thanks to artistic images, authors
convey basic educational principles to the child.
3. Communication:
First of all, it is the communication between the reader and the author. Very often, we are
impressed by some characters and do not like others. We can agree with a point of view of the
author and we can disagree with it altogether. Also, a book can be a topic for discussion with
your friends and acquaintances.
4. Entertainment:

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Even though we live in the digital age with all forms of entertainment at our fingertips, a lot of
people still enjoy reading books to entertain themselves. After all, books can take you anywhere
without you even leaving your couch and they can provide you with hours of fun. They don't
even have to be fiction, some folks get a kick out of reading construction manuals.

5. Shaping The Aesthetic Taste:

Literature helps us to form our own vision of beauty, it pleasantly influences us, changing our
behavior in society and attitude towards people in general. Literature helps us to notice
everything beautiful around us.
6. Self Development:
Literature helps us to develop ourselves. Thanks to books, articles, magazines, we have the
opportunity to fill ourselves with new knowledge, cultivate good qualities and strive for
something more.
7. Development Of Thought Process:
The more we know, the more we have the desire to tell others about it and find out what they
think about it. As the saying goes: "Truth is born in dispute," and so it is. People very often
reflect on processes, events, knowledge, which they read and discuss various issues with others.
8. Pleasure:
We get pleasure every time from reading good verses or beautiful work, or a book with a great
plot, or other interesting facts and scientific literature. People spend a lot of time looking for
something that really brings them pleasure, and literature is something that gives joy.
9. Shaping The Speech:
The more a person reads, the more words they learn, as well as different designs and options for
constructing sentences. People can enrich their vocabulary thanks to literature.
10.Transformation:
Our world is full of information and not all of it is good and beautiful, but with the help of
literature, we can transform bad memories into something beautiful. Thanks to literature, banal
things can be turned into something artistic, poetic and beautiful.
11. Heighten the Awareness of the Reader:
Besides giving pleasure or entertaining or moving the readers, literature is supposed to have
other functions as well. One important function is to heighten the awareness of the reader to
certain aspects of life.
Conclusion:
All of the arts consist of genres. To name some of the outstanding types: in painting, there are the
landscape, the still life, the portrait; in music there are the sonata, the symphony, the song; in
film we have the domestic comedy, the horror/thriller, the Western. If students think of the forms
with which they are most familiar (perhaps the film genres), they will understand that for
sophisticated appreciation, they need always to be acquainted with the specific conventions of
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 Genres of Literature And Its Functions

the type. The study of genres essentially is the study of conventions. And in literature as in the
other arts, an acquaintance with generic conventions is critical to enriching our responses to
particular texts. It is true that since we are reading "landmarks," there will always be something
marvelously unique about each great work studied. But in each case there will also be a set of
expectations connected to its type, to its generic tradition, as well as to the Zeitgeist (the "spirit
of the time") in which the work was written.

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