WHAT IS LITERARY TEXT? TYPES AND EXAMPLES
HOW TO IDENTIFY A LITERARY TEXT FROM ANOTHER?
- Characteristics of literary text
- Types of literary texts
A few days ago I spoke to you on the Blog about non-literary texts, the types that exist, their purpose and we also saw some examples.
Today it has been the turn of the literary texts, better known by the majority than the previous ones.
WE START FOR YOUR DEFINITION …
A literary text is one that is part of one of the genres of literature and writing known as artistic.
The form that is given to the message that is wanted to transmit, as well as to its content has special relevance.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
In a literary text, the author has complete freedom to write as best he pleases. Usually it is used a language and a special style that gives it a certain poetic touch.
The purpose of this content is to capture the reader’s attention.
FROM ANTIQUITY TO PRESENT
The creation of literary texts has accompanied humanity throughout its history since ancient times.
Songs, rituals, lyrical odes, epic or dramatic narratives are just some examples.
Literary texts are part of the heritage of any civilization, because in addition to its reading we can get an idea of the social, political or religious conditions of the time, they also convey the emotions and feelings of the artist who created them.
An example would be the existentialist novels that were published in the post-First and Second World War period in the middle of the 20th century. Their main characteristic was a depressing and pessimistic language and style.
On the other hand, in ancient Greece considered the literary cradle of the West, tragedy (the precursor of contemporary theater), was fundamental for the emotional and civic development of citizens. All kinds of values were transmitted and it was the best means to communicate great myths of that civilization like those that appear in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
This is the fundamental difference between a literary writing and another that is not, the emotions, the feeling and point of view of the author.
LITERARY TEXT VS INFORMATIVE TEXT
The mission of an informative text is to communicate a specific message without further ado. Use an explanatory language in a flat style. Good examples of literary essays can be found on essay helper websites and media or you can ask our cheap essay service.
These writings have nothing to do with a literary text whose mission is not to inform, but to focus on the message that is intended to convey beauty, feelings, emotions, feelings, thoughts, etc.
A literary text does not have to stick to reality, usually based on fictional worlds telling imaginary events, ideas, arguments, etc.
9 DIFFERENTIATING CHARACTERISTICS OF LITERARY TEXTS
1 Poetic intention
Literary works bring an aesthetic experience to the reader. It is not about obtaining a concrete knowledge as it can happen in the instructions of a domestic appliance, but about capturing a different experience.
2 Free style
Creative freedom is one of the principles that governs this type of texts. Both the form and the style or tone are chosen at the free will of the author. Cheerful, sad, ironic, bitter, any option is possible.
3 Use of literary figures
Metaphors, metonymies, onomatopoeias, etc., are included in literary writings to enrich them and make them more attractive to the reader.
Other types of resources are also used, such as dialogue, narration, argument, a description, etc., with the aim of reviving the plot.
4 Subjectivity
It is not an objective text that sticks to a reality, but usually addresses a topic from an original and striking point of view.
5 Language used
A literary text can afford to break with grammar rules (in poetry often occurs), think that the style of each writer is what will define him as a literary artist.
6 They are read for entertainment
What leads a person to read a literary work, for example, a novel, is simply because he wants to. Most likely there is nothing that you can apply in your real life, it does it for entertainment.
Oscar Wild said that: “art is” profoundly useless, “since it does not fulfill any pragmatic commitment in the life of readers, except for spiritual enrichment or entertainment.”
7 Fiction
Unlike non-literary texts that are based on reality, they do the opposite. Fiction is your starting point.
They tell unreal stories that are born in the mind of the author, so they will convey their particular way of seeing the world.
8 Credible
Although the story that is told is not real, it is credible. Let’s say that when a person prepares to read a fiction book, a pact is established between the reader and the author by which the first one agrees to read the work as if it were true. In return the author guarantees to build a story in which the artifice is maintained until the end.
9 Eternity
The literary texts do not have an expiration date as it can happen to a news item. On the contrary, they persist over time and are transmitted from generation to generation, considering them very valuable and important elements for future generations.
TYPES OF LITERARY TEXTS
Within this type of texts there is a great variety depending on the form that is given.
1 Narrative
What is shown is a story told by a narrator. They use everyday or fantastic characters and situations presented in an original and credible way.
Who does not remember the story of Superman or any other Superhero?
In the end, the population used to see it flying around the world saving lives and those who visualized or read the story did not question at any time whether that was possible or not. What matters is the plot, the message, the story.
2 Poetry
This is one of the most complicated genres to define. You can acquire many forms.
Poetry is based on describing a concrete act through a figurative or metaphorical language. It usually exposes a lived or important experience for the author himself.
3 Dramaturgy
We are talking about theater by authors and with a specific scenario. There is no figure of the narrator.
4 Test
This type of work approaches any subject in a reflexive way, using an argument as a basis.
WHAT IS A NON-LITERARY TEXT?
TYPES AND EXAMPLES
A non-literary text is a text whose main purpose is to transmit information. Unlike literary texts, they do not have the same narrative and fictitious elements.
Let’s see the main characteristics of non-literary texts:
- Its purpose is to offer information, specific indications or order.
- Must be 100% objective and realistic
- They are not created to entertain but to inform or instruct
- Use a specific vocabulary
- The form of the verb is impersonal
- There are many types: manuals, instructions, recipes, legal texts, laws, etc.
Literary texts, unlike non-literary texts, are fiction texts, that is, they are man’s invention, such as stories, novels, poetry, legends, etc., but this concept is dealt with in another article.
On the contrary, non-literary texts try to reflect reality.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF NON-LITERARY TEXTS?
The letter is one of the oldest means of communication that exists and although new technologies have left it in the background, who does not like to receive a letter from someone special written in handwriting?
Also, at a professional level, it is important, more and more companies are betting on sending their clients written and handwritten letters in order to personalize their products or services.
A letter is a type of non-literary text since normally a reality is narrated in it.
The informative text
Informative documents were created to inform about a process, fact, figures, etc.
What is your intention?
Facilitate the comprehension of the person who reads them, presenting a topic of interest to them.
The information is presented in an orderly manner: introduction, development and conclusion.
The recipe for cooking
How many nutrition and cooking blogs do you still have on the Internet?
If you’re a fan of the culinary arts surely a few and even if you’re not, you probably have cooked a special dish guiding you for a recipe.
A cooking recipe is a non-literary text, it has no poetic end and what it tells is a reality (although sometimes the result may be very different than expected).
The scientific text
Are those texts written by a scientific community whose purpose is to communicate some kind of discovery or hypothesis. Some examples could be a doctoral thesis, a bachelor’s degree, a scientific article, etc.
The journalistic text
We usually read them daily. Its mission is to report on facts of general interest.
It can be collected in written, oral and digital media.
The administrative text
Are those that are created as a means of communication between a public or private institution and a specific individual.
We are talking for example of the typical writing that we receive from the Treasury, Security, Social, an Official State Gazette, etc.
They usually have a rigid and formal style and have a merely informative mission.
The humanistic text
They are those texts related to the human sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.
They are written from the point of view of the author who creates them, so they are not purely informative as is the case with evidence-based scientists.
The digital text
Surely these are very used to what?
To show a button …
The post you are reading right now is a digital text, that is, a non-literary text.
Digital texts can be both literary and non-literary depending on the objective they pursue.
HOW IS THE ANALYSIS OF A NON-LITERARY TEXT CARRIED OUT?
At this point in the article, you may already have a clearer idea of the non-literary text and you may have surprised yourself with one of the examples mentioned.
Do you have to analyze a non-literary text? Follow this scheme
Identify the type of text
Ask yourself what kind of text are you reading? Is it expository, argumentative, etc?
Look at the layout of the text
This is an important factor, because it will be where you describe how the text is physically, number of paragraphs, lines, headlines, etc.
- Typographic Resources
What is the size of the typeface? Is it the same in the paragraphs as in the headlines? Pay attention if you include bold, italics, etc.
- Registry
Is it a formal or informal record? Who is the author or sender of the text? Who is it for?
If you want your analysis to be exhaustive and to do a good job, I also recommend that you pay attention to the following aspects:
- Information center: identifies the main and secondary ideas that are described in the text
- Progression of information: is the information developing in a logical and coherent way?
- Credible information: it is important to deduce that the information analyzed is real to facilitate the reader’s understanding.
So let’s review …
Main characteristics of a non-literary text
How many non-literary texts do you read throughout the week?
Did you know all the types of non-literary texts that I have told you in this article?
