Textual Cohesion and Literary Genres: An In-Depth Look
Textual Cohesion
Cohesion is a property related to textual expression. It is expressed in the relationships among diverse text elements: pronouns, connectors, etc. Mechanisms that facilitate cohesion include:
- Textual Reference: When a word or phrase refers to something already mentioned in the same text (anaphora) or to something that will appear later (cataphora).
- Ellipsis: When linguistic parts that can be understood from the context are suppressed.
- Lexical Substitution: When a lexical item is substituted for another that previously appeared. Types include recurrence through synonyms, repetition of part of a group, and repetition through hyperonyms.
- Keyword Repetition: Words that allude to the central elements of the text.
- Connection: Types include conjunctions, conjunctive phrases, adverbs, adverbial phrases, prepositional phrases, and certain lexical units.
- Relationship Between Verb Tenses: If the present tense is used, it refers to the present moment of speech.
Poetic Genres
The Song
The song is one of the oldest literary forms.
The Villancico
The villancico is based on the repetition of words and verses.
Popular Songs
Popular songs employ simple vocabulary and syntax, and often repeat adjectives and verses. They are typically in minor verse and deal with themes of love.
Cultured Song
This genre is more extensive and genuinely lyrical. It is created for individual reading. It has an intimate tone, with confessions of sentiment, and the subject is always related to love. It is expressed with elaborate and elegant language and chosen syntax, using expressive resources.
The Idyll
The idyll originated in ancient Greece. It represents a brief countryside scene starring stylized shepherds, through whom the poet expresses their feelings.
The Ode
The ode was sung by a chorus accompanied by music. It is composed of stanzas with a variable structure. Themes include love, heroism, religion, and philosophy.
The Elegy
The elegy is for the painful death of a person. It is written in major verse and uses apostrophe, heckling, and prosopopoeia.
Three Standards of Drama
- Unity of Action: The play should concentrate on a main action or plot.
- Unity of Time: The events of the plot should not extend beyond one day.
- Unity of Place: The plot should develop in a single location.
Baroque dramatists include Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca.
La Celestina
La Celestina (Fernando de Rojas) is the first piece of modern Castilian literature. It features traits of humanistic comedy, dialogue, and the novel.
Description
Description consists of representing reality through words. It responds to people, animals, objects, places, and feelings. It involves:
- Mentioning the parts of reality, perceiving their traits, and comparing them with others.
- Locating the person, place, or object in space and time.
- Qualifying or attributing a feature to something.
Technical Description
Technical descriptions are objective. They are characterized by:
- A glossary of denotative terms.
- Use of concrete nouns.
- Frequent use of adjectives in all possible ways.
- Employment of simple and attributive sentences.
- Use of spatial connectors.
- Precision in information.
Literary Description
In literary descriptions, the author expresses their personal feelings and appreciations. They try to awaken feelings in the receiver by transmitting what reality produces in them. They are characterized by:
- Use of qualifying adjectives and complements that enhance the noun.
- Employment of abstract nouns, comparisons, and metaphors.
- Variety of subordinate clauses.
- Use of durative verb tenses.
- Use of rich language and literary figures.
- Enumerations.