"What is a Genre?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

What does genre mean? What are some examples of genres in literature and film? Professor Ehren Pflugfelder answers these questions using examples from popular movies, literature, and everyday life. The short video is designed to help high school and college English students to not only identify genres of various art forms but also to analyze their structure and purpose. The video is sponsored by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University. For more discussions of literary topics and essay writing tips, please subscribe to the free SWLF YouTube Channel or visit https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/w...

This video now includes both Spanish and English subtitles. To switch between languages, please click on the settings in the video. A transcript of the video is available here: https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/w...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction to Genre
0:59 Examples of Genres
3:11 Genre Analysis in Literature
4:28 Genre vs Medium

Below are a few more videos in the series. Please drop us a comment letting us know what literary terms you would like us to explore in future videos!

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"What is figurative language?":    • "What is Figurative Language?": A Literary...  
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"What is a simile?":    • "What is a Simile?": A Literary Guide for ...  
"What is hyperbole?":    • "What is Hyperbole?": A Literary Guide for...  
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"What is a sonnet?":    • "What is a Sonnet?": A Literary Guide for ...  
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"What is synecdoche?":    • "What is a Synecdoche?": A Literary Guide ...  
"What is enjambment?":    • "What is Enjambment?": A Literary Guide fo...  
"What is satire?":    • "What is Satire?": A Literary Guide for En...  
"What is juxtaposition?":    • "What is Juxtaposition?": A Literary Guide...  
"What is foreshadowing?":    • "What is Foreshadowing?": A Literary Guide...  
"What is understatement?":    • "What is Understatement?": A Literary Guid...  
"What is rhyme?":    • "What is Rhyme in Poetry?": A Literary Gui...  
"What is an unreliable narrator?":    • "What is an Unreliable Narrator?": A Liter...  
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"What is a narrative arc?":    • "What is a Narrative Arc?": A Literary Gui...  
"What is a flashback?":    • "What is a Flashback?": A Literary Guide f...  
"What is personification?":    • "What is Personification?": A Literary Gui...  
"What is a narrator?":    • "What is a Narrator?": A Literary Guide fo...  
"What is a flat character vs a round character?":    • "What is a Flat Character vs a Round Chara...  
"What is symbolism?":    • "What is Symbolism?": A Literary Guide for...  
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part I)":    • "What is a Graphic Novel? (Part I)": A Lit...  
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part II)":    • "What is a Graphic Novel? (Part II)": A Li...  
"What is epistrophe?":    • "What is Epistrophe?": A Literary Guide fo...  
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"What is a portmanteau?":    • "What is a Portmanteau?": A Literary Guide...  
"What is anaphora?":    • "What is Anaphora?": A Literary Guide for ...  
"What is an oxymoron?":    • "What is an Oxymoron?": A Literary Guide f...  
"What is a zeugma?":    • "What is a Zeugma?": A Literary Guide for ...  
"What is free indirect discourse?":    • "What is Free Indirect Discourse?": A Lite...  
"What is a vehicle and a tenor?":    • "What are Vehicles and Tenors?": A Literar...  
"What is the uncanny?":    • "What is the Uncanny?": A Literary Guide f...  
"What is a point of view?":    • "What is Point of View?": A Literary Guide...  
"What is deus ex machina?":    • "What is Deus Ex Machina?": A Literary Gui...  
"What is a frame story?":    • "What is a Frame Story?": A Literary Guide...  
"What is ekphrasis?":    • "What is Ekphrasis?": A Literary Guide for...  
"What is blank verse?":    • "What is Blank Verse?": A Literary Guide f...  
"What is an epistolary novel?":    • "What is an Epistolary Novel?": A Literary...  
"What is allegory?":    • "What is an Allegory?": A Literary Guide f...  
"What is tragedy?":    • "What is a Tragedy?": A Literary Guide for...  
"What are euphony and cacophony?":    • "What are Euphony and Cacophony?": A Liter...  
"What are assonance and consonance?":    • "What are Assonance and Consonance?": A Li...  ​​
"What is a setting in literature?":    • "What is a Setting?": A Literary Guide for...  ​​
"What is onomatopoeia?":    • "What is Onomatopoeia?": A Literary Guide ...  ​​
"What is theme in literature?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5KZc...
"What is a conflict in literature?":    • "What is Conflict in Literature?": A Liter...  ​
"What is persona?":    • "What is a Persona?": A Literary Guide for...  
"What is a dramatic monologue?":    • "What is a Dramatic Monologue?": A Literar...  
"What is an allusion?":    • "What is an Allusion?": A Literary Guide f...  
"What is alliteration?":    • "What is Alliteration?": A Literary Guide ...  
"What is an epic?":    • "What is an Epic?": A Literary Guide for E...  
"What is an ars poetica?":    • "What is an Ars Poetica?": A Literary Guid...  
"What is a motif?":    • "What is a Motif?": A Literary Guide for E...  
"What is a protagonist?":    • "What is a Protagonist?": A Literary Guide...  
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"What is a foil?":    • "What is a Foil?": A Literary Guide for En...