Literary Analysis: Genres, Elements, and Techniques
Literary Work
Literary elements are integral to communication, involving encoding and decoding messages. Key elements include:
Elements of a Literary Work
- Issuer: The source of the message isn’t singular. In a novel, for example, the issuer can be the author, the narrator, or the characters. Similarly, in theater or film, an actor’s voice conveys words written by a playwright. Understanding a literary work hinges on identifying the speaker at any given moment.
- Receiver: The person reading or hearing the work. It’s important to distinguish the actual receiver from the ideal reader the author envisions while writing.
- Code: The language used in literary works. This can be verbal, as in a novel, or non-verbal, where body language plays a significant role.
- Message: Literary messages are characterized by being:
- Open: Subject to new interpretations over time.
- Fictional: Presenting imaginary characters and events, yet maintaining plausibility.
- Polyphonic: Resonating with other texts through resemblance, imitation, or parody (transtextuality). Polyphony also arises from multiple layers of interpretation, including superficial and deeper meanings.
- Discourse Situation: In literature, communication is often delayed, separated from the time of writing.
- Encoding and Decoding:
- Encoding: A deliberate process where the writer crafts and refines their work before publishing. Lexicon, syntax, and narrative structure are carefully considered.
- Decoding: The reader’s interpretation. Works from the past may require mediation by philologists, critics, or teachers for effective decoding.
Literary Genres
Literary genres categorize literary works into distinct groups. Three primary genres exist:
1. Epic/Narrative
- Epic (Verse): Narrates historical or legendary heroic deeds. Subgenres include:
- Epic: A long poem recounting heroic deeds.
- Mock-epic: Satirizes heroic conventions.
- Romance: Verse narratives with diverse themes, often originating from popular epics.
- Narrative (Prose): Tells stories about characters over time. Subgenres include:
- Novel: An extended prose narrative.
- Short Story: A concise narrative.
- Novella: A narrative of intermediate length, between a short story and a novel.
- Legend: A story about a historical or pseudo-historical character, often incorporating fantastical elements.
2. Lyric
Expresses the author’s feelings, often using traditional forms.
Formal Lyric Elements:
- Poem: A self-contained textual unit.
- Verse: A unit of rhythm and rhyme.
- Meter: The number of syllables in a verse.
- Rhyme: The correspondence of sounds at the end of verses.
- Rhythm: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
- Stanza: A group of verses.
Lyrical Subgenres:
- Eclogue: Expresses love through shepherds in an idealized natural setting.
- Elegy: Expresses grief over a death or misfortune.
- Ode: Expresses feelings or celebrates everyday things.
- Satire: Criticizes faults or defects, often humorously.
3. Drama
Dramatic texts are written for performance.
Elements of a Dramatic Text:
- Acts: Major divisions of a play, often representing thematic units.
- Scenes: Subdivisions of acts, often marked by changes in setting or characters.
- Dialogue: Conversation between characters.
- Monologue: A speech by a single character.
- Characters: Drive the dramatic action.
- Stage Directions: Author’s instructions for performance.
- Asides: Remarks addressed to the audience, unheard by other characters.