INTRODUCTION

TO ENGLISH
LITERATURE
Ms. Misbah Tariq

Fatima Jinnah Women University

 LITERARY GENRES IN
ENGLISH LITERATURE
▪ Prose

▪ Poetry

▪ Drama

▪ Other Literary Forms

 PROSE
▪ Written in ordinary language, focusing on storytelling or factual narration.

Fiction:

▪ Novels

▪ Short Stories

▪ Novellas

Non-Fiction:

▪ Essays

▪ Biographies and Autobiographies

▪ Memoirs

▪ Travel Writing
▪ Novel: Extended fictional narratives (e.g., Austen’s Pride and Prejudice).

▪ Short Story: Brief fictional works (e.g., Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart).

▪ Novella: Shorter than a novel but longer than a short story (e.g., Kafka’s The Metamorphosis).

▪ Realistic Fiction: Depicts real-life scenarios (e.g., Dickens’ Great Expectations).

▪ Science Fiction: Explores futuristic or speculative ideas (e.g., Orwell’s 1984).

▪ Fantasy: Focuses on magical and imaginary worlds (e.g., Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings).
▪ Biography/Autobiography: Life stories of individuals (e.g., Mandela’s Long Walk to

Freedom).

▪ Historical Fiction: Set in a historical period with fictionalized elements (e.g., Hilary Mantel’s

Wolf Hall).

▪ Essays: Analytical or argumentative prose (e.g., Orwell’s Politics and the English Language).

▪ Memoirs: Personal recollections of events (e.g., Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird

Sings).
 POETRY
▪ Written in verse, often with meter and rhyme, focused on aesthetic and emotive expression.

• Sub genres:

• Lyric (e.g., sonnets, odes, elegies)

• Narrative (e.g., epics, ballads)

• Dramatic (e.g., verse drama)

• Free Verse
▪ Lyric Poetry: Expresses personal emotions (e.g., Wordsworth’s I Wandered Lonely as a

Cloud).

▪ Epic Poetry: Long narrative poems about heroic deeds (e.g., Homer’s Iliad, Milton’s Paradise

Lost).

▪ Sonnet: 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme (e.g., Shakespearean and Petrarchan

sonnets).

▪ Elegy: Mournful poetry often lamenting death (e.g., Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a

Country Churchyard).
 DRAMA
▪ Written for performance, emphasizing dialogue and action.

▪ Subgenres:

▪ Tragedy

▪ Comedy

▪ Tragicomedy

▪ Historical Drama
▪ Tragedy: Serious themes, often with a downfall (e.g., Shakespeare’s Hamlet).

▪ Comedy: Focuses on humor and happy endings (e.g., Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being

Earnest).

▪ Historical Drama: Plays based on historical events (e.g., Shakespeare’s Henry V).

▪ Tragicomedy: Blends tragic and comedic elements (e.g., Beckett’s Waiting for Godot).
 OTHER LITERARY FORMS
▪ Allegory

▪ Satire

▪ Fable

▪ Parable

▪ Epistolary (letters or diary form)

▪ Gothic Literature

▪ Dystopian Fiction
 ALLEGORY
▪ An allegory is a narrative in which characters, events, and details symbolically represent

abstract ideas, moral concepts, or political ideologies. Allegories often convey deeper
meanings beneath their surface story, offering commentary on societal, religious, or
philosophical issues.

▪ Symbolism: Every element (characters, events, or settings) has a symbolic meaning.

▪ Moral or Political Message: Allegories often teach lessons or critique societal norms.

▪ Universality: The themes and messages are often broad and universal.
 SATIRE
▪ Satire is a literary genre or technique that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize and

expose the flaws, vices, or follies of individuals, society, institutions, or politics. The goal of satire is
often to provoke thought, entertain, or inspire change.

▪ Humor: Often relies on wit and clever wordplay.

▪ Irony: Highlights the gap between expectation and reality.

▪ Exaggeration: Overstates flaws or issues to make them more apparent.

▪ Moral Critique: Satire often has an underlying moral or social purpose.

▪ Targets: Includes individuals, institutions, ideologies, or societal norms.

 FABLE
▪ A fable is a short story, typically featuring animals as characters, that conveys a moral or

lesson. Fables are among the oldest forms of storytelling and are used to teach values, ethics,
or practical wisdom in an engaging and accessible way.

1. Setting: Often generalized and symbolic, e.g., forests or farms.

2. Characters: Typically animals with human characteristics (e.g., a cunning fox or a wise owl).

3. Conflict: A simple problem or situation that highlights the intended lesson.

4. Resolution: The moral is revealed through the outcome of the story.

 PARABLE
▪ A parable is a short, simple story that conveys a moral or spiritual lesson, often using human
characters and realistic situations. Parables are common in religious and philosophical texts but
also appear in secular literature.

▪ Situation: A realistic scenario or event familiar to the audience.

▪ Conflict: A moral or ethical dilemma faced by the characters.

▪ Resolution: The story concludes with an implied or explicit lesson.

▪ Forgiveness and Redemption

▪ Justice and Fairness

▪ Faith and Spiritual Growth

 EPISTOLARY (LETTERS OR
DIARY FORM)
▪ Epistolary Literature (Letters or Diary Form)Epistolary literature refers to a genre of writing in which
the narrative is conveyed through letters, diary entries, or other forms of correspondence. This style
allows for intimate, personal expression and is often used to explore characters' thoughts, emotions,
and relationships in a direct and immediate way.

▪ Letters or Correspondence: Written between two or more characters, each letter providing new
details about the plot, character development, or conflicts.

▪ Diary or Journal Entries: A single character’s personal reflections on events, often revealing their
inner thoughts and struggles.

▪ Mixed Forms: Some works blend letters and diary entries, with multiple characters contributing their
perspectives.
 GOTHIC LITERATURE
▪ Gothic literature is a genre of fiction that combines elements of horror, mystery, and the

supernatural with a dark, eerie atmosphere. It emerged in the late 18th century and was popular

throughout the 19th century, often exploring themes of death, decay, madness, and the

unknown. The genre is marked by its haunting settings, complex characters, and exploration of

human emotions, particularly fear and dread.

 DYSTOPIAN FICTION
▪ Dystopian fiction is a genre of speculative literature that imagines a society characterized by

widespread suffering, oppression, and inequality. Often set in a future world, dystopian novels

explore the consequences of political, environmental, social, or technological control,

highlighting the dark side of humanity’s potential path. The genre is frequently used as a tool

for social critique, warning readers about the dangers of unchecked power, authoritarianism,

and the erosion of individual rights.