The literary kind is a group of typology (not to be confused with “typification”) in literary studies, which is performed within the category of literary genre. Some researchers mix species and literary genre because of the difficulty of distinguishing them theoretically, but it is possible, and therefore the literary species must be sought when researching a particular work. Since the kind is typologized within the genus, it is necessary to list them in groups according to the genus. I want to note at the outset that not all works lend themselves to precise typology or do not lend themselves to it at all, why this is so, I wrote in the article “The short story – what is it”; also I will not list all the types known to literary studies, but only a few with an explanation of their nature for understanding the typology itself according to literary types.
Epic types of literature:
- The poem is the original type of literature from which the entire epic genus derives; it is clear that these are narrative works, lyrical songs, set forth in this way. Tells of concrete events in their objectivity, as an epic should, for example, the life of the people or social processes;
- An epic is a large poem that tells the tale of grandiose events affecting a large social group, such as a nation, or even several nations;
- Narrative/novella – a small prose work that recounts a specific event or situation that is fully or closely revealed in the narrative;
- Narrative – still a small work in form, but more complex than a story in that it recounts large events and situations that are chronicled in the narrative;
- The novel is a large work in form of volume, as complex in plot and narrative; because of all this, novels are different and are by right the freest kind of literature. When typologizing are united on the basis (in addition to the volume and genus) complex subordinate structure of the plot, revealing, even if not always directly related events, significantly extended in time;
- Myth – early works about fantastic characters, such as gods and events, such as heroic deeds. Since mythmaking was not previously perceived as a narrative of the wholly fictional, so myth is separated from fairy tale into an independent form of literature;
- Fable/Pritch – a moral (didactic) work, depicting the main thoughts allegorically (Aesop’s language, Aesop’s language), and at the end summarizing what has happened;
- Proverb is a poetic, almost always folk, work (although in fact, the true author is simply unknown), is a rhythmic didactic utterance, sometimes allegorical;
- Legend/Story – a prose work that is a statement of the facts of the past, hence largely distorted, since this type of literature appeared and was actively used before highly effective documentation. For example, the legend or “Legend of Gilgamesh” is a work about the hero Gilgamesh, to whom, among other things, the character Ut-Napishtim tells about a significant inundation, a reflection of the fact in the area where the authors live (Mesopotamia or “Two Rivers”, ~50 centuries ago). This work was later plagiarized more than once, including in Judaism and Christianity;
- Fairy tale, a work narrating entirely fictional events, is now often replaced by the Anglicism “fantasy” among everyday people.
Lyric Types of Literature:
- Song is one of the first known types of literature that lyrically recounts historical or particularly important events, such as The Song (Word) of Igor’s Campaign or The Song of the Nibelungs;
- A hymn is, in the original, a literary form of religious work praising a god, deity (these are different), and the like. Nowadays, a hymn is a lyrical praise, an eulogy of something; the best known example: the national anthem;
- A ballad is a peculiar kind, as it is in the intergenerational state, for a ballad is a lyrical-epic work that recounts fabulous or legendary events in song form. The original derives from the Latin argo ballare – dance, which explains a lot. In world literature this type of work is rare and represented by a small number;
- An ode is a work solemnly depicting major historical events or personality(s). It is almost never produced at the present time;
- Romance – a work typologized on the basis of rhythmic form and musical accompaniment, to put it simply, it is a poem for singing, which the average person would probably call “bardic song” and would not be much mistaken;
- An elegy is a rhythmic work (a verse form) with an emphasis on sadness, longing, and brooding sadness;
- Epigram – also a verse, but with a mocking, satirical content.
Dramaturgical Types of Literature:
- A tragedy is a work in which a specific conflict develops by aggravating the consequences of the original situation or event in which it arose, and is resolved by the death of the hero(s) or something else but devastating. It must be remembered that all tragedy is drama, but not all drama is tragedy;
- Comedy – in this dramaturgical work, as opposed to tragedy, the conflict develops in the direction of diminishing influence, and never has critical, fateful consequences. Likewise, comedy as a form of drama deals with the problems of human existence, but also with different approaches: mockery, denunciation, and bringing it to the point of absurdity. The latter, if handled properly, makes comedy no less complex and impressive a form of literature than tragedy;
- Vaudeville (as a species) – a comedic work, usually for theatrical production, based on intrigue; would be a genre if it did not combine situation comedy, romance, and dance numbers (in the case of a theatrical production);
- Farce (as a type) – a comedic work, usually of domestic content, combining romance and satire;
- Drama (as a type) – works that reflect everything that belongs to drama as a genus: the depiction of events and characters in their connection in the process of action; if simply, drama is a combination of objectively occurring events and their perception by subjects, that is, we can say “epic lyric.” The depicted events of drama as a type of literature are called dramatic.
As I said earlier, these are not all literary types, but those listed and disclosed are more than enough to understand the content and essence of this typology. And the fact that one type is represented more broadly, another rather does not exist nowadays, and the third has a completely different original content is a detail, because literary studies is the study of a fluid culture, where change is the norm.