Literature is a refined human art, endowed with elements of beauty that play an influential role in human life
Souad Khalil | Libya
When we speak of literature, we are writing and talking about something as ancient as humanity itself—something that has existed since human beings became aware of their presence in this world.
Literature is a refined human art, endowed with elements of beauty that play an influential role in human life. From the moment the word became literature, creative intellectuals expressed the pains of their societies and their hopes for justice, prosperity, and integrity.
Literature emerged in various forms, and the word—as a mode of expression—was its primary tool. Human beings conveyed their feelings toward the world, whether in negativity or positivity, sympathy or anger. This expression took shape in tales, myths, legends, lyrical poems, epics, and drama.
Yet literature began in a simple form during the early stages of human existence, corresponding to the simplicity of the societies that produced it. As social life grew more complex, literary forms, or what we now call genres, likewise became increasingly intricate. The aim of all these genres, in all their shapes, remained one: to express the human self, its relation to society, and its stance toward it. Literary expression seeks harmony between the inner human sensibility and the external realities society presents—realities the individual attempts to understand and internalize. Thus, the act of creativity emerges from the individual while simultaneously being influenced by the bustling world around them.
A literary genre, then, is the artistic structure or framework that contains the creative process born from the interaction between the writer and their society. These genres differ and vary according to the progression of time and civilizational development, which allowed certain genres to emerge during particular historical stages and others to fade away.
Although today’s literary genres are numerous, they did not appear all at once. Many researchers believe that in early times humans expressed themselves and their understanding of the world through narrative literature, or what some call epic literature. Then, as human consciousness evolved with societal progress, they expressed themselves through a second genre—lyrical poetry. With the advancement of civilization and society, a third genre appeared: dramatic literature, which portrays human conflicts within society and reflects varying intellectual and ethical values.
This classification does not negate the simultaneous presence of multiple genres, especially narrative and lyric poetry, during the earliest phases of civilization. Nor does it deny the overlapping and blending of genres. According to behavioral theorists, the emergence of genres reflects two aspects of human behavior: internal (affected by the self) and external (affected by outside forces). Thus, the debate over which genre came first is rooted in whether internal or external behavior precedes the other. Those who prioritized internal behavior argued for the precedence of lyrical poetry, while others, citing the human struggle with nature, argued for the precedence of epic poetry.
Any discussion of literary genres is incomplete without addressing the theories of Plato and Aristotle. Therefore, it is useful to return briefly to their views on mimesis (imitation) and how this concept relates to defining literary genres. Yet we must acknowledge from the outset that dividing literature into strict categories is not easy. Genres overlap, and although they once had clearer boundaries, those lines have become increasingly blurred over time as psychological tendencies diversify and modes of creativity expand. Nevertheless, outlining the fundamental distinctions among genres remains valuable, drawing upon the ideas of philosophers and critics, especially the theory of mimesis as articulated by Plato and Aristotle.
However, the Aristotelian concept of literary genres based on mimesis did not remain unchanged. It took a new form under Hegel in the eighteenth century and was ultimately rejected in modern times by the Italian critic Croce.
Let us briefly consider the opinions of these major thinkers:
The term mimesis first appeared with Plato, who believed that tangible things in the real world are merely reflections of higher Forms in the realm of ideals. Thus, the physical world itself is an imitation of these Forms, and artistic creation is an imitation of an imitation—placing the artist at a distance from truth.
Aristotle, Plato’s student, adopted the term but gave it a different meaning, making mimesis the essence of poetry. He used it to establish boundaries among the literary forms known in his time—epic, lyric, and dramatic.
Aristotle summarized his ideas as follows: fine arts are various kinds of imitation that differ either
- By the means of imitation,
- By the objects of imitation, or
- By the manner of imitation.
In terms of means, he distinguished one art from another—poetry from painting, sculpture from music—each using a different medium. Visual arts imitate through shape and color; music, dance, and poetry through sound.
In terms of objects, he noted that epic poetry and tragedy imitate noble human actions, while comedy imitates the baser aspects of humanity.
In terms of manner, imitation may occur through narration—epic—or through enactment—drama. Thus, drama is more immediate than epic because it presents the action directly.
From this we see that the storyteller depicts an external world, while the lyric poet reveals the inner world of emotions. The dramatist, meanwhile, presents characters acting before us without mediation.
These distinctions enabled Aristotle to categorize literary forms confidently. These genres had already matured by the late fifth century BCE, and theoretical discussion about them predates Aristotle, reaching back to Plato. Plato had divided literature into pure narration (epic), pure enactment (drama), and a mixed type. However, his approach was superficial compared to Aristotle’s more systematic treatment in The Poetics, a foundational text for modern literary theory.
But the issue is no longer as straightforward as it was in Aristotle’s time. Literature has evolved dramatically, influenced by changing societies and expanding creative sensibilities. Today, it is often difficult to classify many works under a single genre.
In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Hegel offered a new classification, based on his dialectical view of idea development: thesis, antithesis, synthesis. Thus, he divided literature into three genres: epic (reflecting the objective world), lyric (reflecting the inner world), and drama (a synthesis of the two).
In modern times, the Italian critic Benedetto Croce argued against categorizing genres based on imitation or classical theory altogether. He believed that language and psychological temperament are the keys to identifying genres. He rejected the notion of pure or fixed genres and asserted that no work is purely lyric, purely epic, or purely dramatic.
Croce’s ideas had a profound impact, giving rise to the concept of interpenetrating genres—the blending of techniques and methods across literary forms. Lyrical poetry began using narrative and dramatic techniques, while narrative and epic writing adopted dramatic dialogue, and drama incorporated lyrical elements.
Yet this blending does not mean genres have dissolved into each other; each still retains its identity, otherwise the very idea of blending would be meaningless.
What, then, is the position of contemporary Arab criticism regarding literary genres?
Arab writers and critics have absorbed all these theories, alongside the heritage of classical Arabic criticism. Given the distinct nature of Arabic literature, lyric poetry remained the dominant form in classical Arabic tradition. Attempts to locate counterparts of other genres within ancient Arabic literature are often unconvincing. Still, cross-cultural exchanges in modern times have introduced new genres that Arab writers gradually adopted.
Our contemporary Arabic literature now includes the novel, the short story, drama, and free verse—genres that took root particularly from the nineteenth century onward, spurred by modernization and exposure to foreign cultures. They have since matured artistically, enriched by social and political transformations in the Arab world.
In conclusion, whether certain genres were imported or organically developed within our cultural heritage, we cannot deny the influence of civilizational progress on the emergence of these forms. What matters is that Arab writers mastered these genres and transformed them into expressive artistic vehicles that articulate our concerns, inspire renewal, and refine our sensibilities.
Read: Link between Literature and Psychology
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Souad Khalil, hailing from Libya, is a writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.
