Home School Partners - CLEP - Analyzing & Interpreting Literature - Types Of Writing Flashcards
Allegory
Writing that is symbolic and often teaches a moral lesson. “Pilgrim’s Progress” is an allegory of the spiritual journey of a Christian; the main character’s name is “Christian,” and he passes through places like “The Forests of Danger” and “The Cliff of Destruction.”
Autobiography
A person’s life story, written by the person himself.
Biography
An account of a person’s life, written by someone else.
Essay - Argumentative
An essay that tries to prove a point by providing evidence.
Essay - Expository
An essay that “exposes” a topic by exploring and explaining it. It’s more neutral than an argumentative essay.
Essay - Narrative
An essay that “narrates,” or tells about, an incident or incidents that happened to the author.
Essay - Speculative
An essay that looks at ideas instead of taking a position or thoroughly explaining them.
Fable
A short story that conveys a moral, often using animals to represent humans.
Farce
A comedy work that uses ridiculous or “low-level” humor.
Homily
Similar to a sermon, a homily is a commentary on a religious text that has just been read (in a church service, for example).
Memoir
A historical account of the events of a person’s life, written by someone with special or inside knowledge.
Narrative
Fiction or nonfiction that relates (“narrates”) a story or series of events.
Parable
A short story that teaches a moral or religious lesson.
Prose
Writing that is NOT poetry (a speech, paragraph, etc.).
Satire
Writing that ridicules its subject often to provoke or prevent change. Satires often use humor, irony, and exaggeration.
