There are two main types of text: literary text and informational text. Literary texts include fiction, poetry, and drama. Informational texts include nonfiction works like articles, biographies, essays, and textbooks. While both types have the common goal of communicating information, they have some key differences in their structure, style, and purpose.
Literary Texts
Literary texts are imaginative writings that tell stories, evoke emotions, and express ideas through language. Their primary purpose is aesthetic. While informational texts aim to inform, literary texts aim to creatively entertain and provoke thought through the use of literary devices like imagery, symbolism, and meter. Literary texts allow readers to experience and interpret the author’s imagination. There are three main genres of literary text:
Fiction
Fiction refers to narrative literary works like novels, short stories, and fables. Works of fiction do not claim to be true or factual. Through characters, plot, theme, and setting, fiction writers construct an imagined reality that readers can immerse themselves in. Popular examples of fiction include novels like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby.
Poetry
Poetry is a genre that uses aesthetic elements like rhyme, rhythm, imagery, and structure to evoke emotional responses. Poetry condenses language to convey meaning and feeling in creative ways. Some examples of famous poetry include works by Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, and Robert Frost.
Drama
Drama refers to stories composed in verse or prose intended for theatrical performance. Dramas are written with the stage in mind and include spoken dialogue and stage directions for actions. Through dialogue and staging, dramas allow audiences to see stories unfold live in front of them. Well-known dramatic works include plays by William Shakespeare like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
Informational Texts
Informational texts convey factual information or explanations on real people, places, things, and ideas. Their primary purpose is to inform, educate, instruct, or present ideas and concepts objectively. Informational texts use text features like an introduction, thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion, headings, graphics, and citations to logically organize information for readers. The main genres of informational text include:
Nonfiction
Nonfiction refers to factual prose writing about real events, people, and ideas. Nonfiction provides verifiable information and solid research on topics. Subgenres of nonfiction include biographies, autobiographies, essays, articles, memoirs, and speeches. Well-known nonfiction works include Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
Articles
Articles are nonfiction pieces that cover a specific topic. They are typically published in newspapers, magazines, journals, or online. Articles use research and interviews with experts to provide detailed explorations of subjects. Good article examples are longform pieces published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Smithsonian Magazine.
Textbooks
Textbooks present information, concepts, and discoveries related to an academic or professional field of study. Their purpose is to teach readers about a subject. Textbooks are structured with chapters, illustrations, diagrams, indexes, glossaries, and citation references. Well-known textbooks include biology books by Campbell and economics books by Samuelson.
Key Differences
While both literary and informational texts strive to communicate meaning, they have some notable differences:
| Literary Texts | Informational Texts |
|---|---|
| Imaginative, creative writing | Factual, real-world writing |
| Aim to entertain, provoke thought | Aim to inform, explain, educate |
| Use literary devices like symbolism and metaphor | Use text features like headings and graphics |
| Written with a distinctive author voice | Written with an objective tone |
| Include fiction, poetry, and drama genres | Include nonfiction, articles, and textbooks |
Conclusion
In summary, literary texts use creative language to craft fictional stories while informational texts use expository language to convey factual information. Both play an important role in communication and education. Literary texts allow us to appreciate imagination and artistry while informational texts provide knowledge, data, and clarity about the real world. Understanding the distinctions between these two text types – their purposes, structures, and styles – allows readers to better analyze texts and learn from what they read.