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