Outline of literature

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Literature is prose, written or oral, including fiction and non-fiction, drama and poetry. See also: outline of poetry.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to literature:

Essence of literature

 * Composition –
 * World literature –
 * Writing –

Oral literary genres

 * Oral poetry –
 * Epic poetry –
 * Legend –
 * Mythology –
 * Ballad –
 * Folktale –
 * Oral Narrative –
 * Oral History –
 * Urban legend –

Written literary genres

 * Children's literature –
 * Constrained writing –
 * Erotic literature –
 * Poetry (see that article for an extensive list of sub-genres and types)
 * Aubade –
 * Clerihew –
 * Epic –
 * Haiku –
 * Lied –
 * Lyric –
 * Ode –
 * Rhapsody –
 * Song –
 * Limerick –
 * Sonnet –
 * Speculative poetry –
 * Prison literature –
 * Rhymed prose –
 * Saj'
 * Maqama
 * Fu (literature)
 * Rayok

Non-fiction

 * Autobiography –
 * Biography –
 * Diaries and Journals –
 * Essay –
 * Frame Narrative –
 * In Medias Res –
 * Literary criticism –
 * Memoir –
 * Outdoor literature –
 * Spiritual autobiography –
 * Travel literature –

Fiction genres

 * Adventure novel –
 * Airport novels –
 * Comedy –
 * Parody –
 * Satire –
 * Crime fiction –
 * Detective fiction –
 * Hardboiled –
 * Whodunit –
 * Newgate novel –
 * Erotica –
 * Fable –
 * Fairy tale –
 * Family Saga –
 * Frame story –
 * Gothic –
 * Southern Gothic –
 * Historical fiction –
 * Inspirational fiction –
 * Invasion literature –
 * Mystery –
 * Philosophical literature –
 * Inspirational fiction (religious literature) –


 * Psychological novel –
 * Psychological thriller –
 * Romance –
 * Historical romance –
 * Regency romance –
 * Inspirational romance –
 * Paranormal romance –
 * Saga –
 * Speculative fiction –
 * Alternate history –
 * Fantasy – (for more details see Fantasy subgenres, fantasy literature)
 * Epic fantasy –
 * Science fantasy –
 * Steampunk –
 * Urban fantasy –
 * Weird fantasy –
 * Horror –
 * Lovecraftian horror –
 * Weird menace –
 * Science fiction – (for more details see Science fiction genres and related topics
 * Cyberpunk –
 * Hard science fiction –
 * Space opera –
 * Supernatural fiction –
 * Sensation novel –
 * Slave narrative –
 * Thriller –
 * Conspiracy fiction –
 * Legal thriller –
 * Spy fiction/Political thriller –
 * Techno-thriller –
 * Western fiction –

History of literature

 * History of the book
 * History of theater
 * History of modern literature
 * History of science fiction
 * History of ideas
 * Intellectual history

General literature concepts

 * Literature –
 * Western canon –
 * Teaching of writing:
 * Composition –
 * Rhetoric –
 * Poetry –
 * Prosody –
 * Meter –
 * Scansion –
 * Constrained writing –
 * Poetics –
 * Villanelle –
 * Sonnet –
 * Sestina –
 * Ghazal –
 * Ballad –
 * Blank verse –
 * Free verse –
 * Epic poetry –
 * Prose –
 * Fiction –
 * Non-fiction –
 * Biography –
 * Prose genres –
 * Essay –
 * Flash prose –
 * Journalism –
 * Novel –
 * Novella –
 * Short story –
 * Theater –
 * History of theater –
 * Literary criticism –
 * Rhetoric –
 * Metaphor –
 * Metonymy –
 * Symbol –
 * Allegory –
 * Basic procedural knowledge
 * Poetry analysis –
 * effective reasoning in argument writing
 * Techniques and conceits
 * False document –
 * Frame tale –
 * Anecdote –
 * Point of view –
 * Literary criticism – an application of literary theory
 * Marxist literary criticism –
 * Semiotic literary interpretation –
 * Psychoanalytic literary interpretation –
 * Feminist literary interpretation –
 * New historicism –
 * Queer literary interpretation –

Literary awards

 * List of literary awards
 * List of poetry awards

Persons influential in the field of literature

 * List of authors
 * Category:Literary critics
 * List of writers
 * List of women writers