Comparing and Contrasting Literary Forms

Throughout this course we have explored the similarities and differences between the
literary forms of the short story, the poem, and drama. For example, one major
difference is that both poetry and drama frequently place a strong emphasis on
performance before an audience that is physically present, while the short
story is more commonly intended for individual reading.

With that said, it is important to remember that all literary works cannot
always be easily classified into a single genre. Moreover, literary works which
might be classified as belonging to one genre might possess many qualities more
typical of other genres. For example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is
classified as drama, but in many respects takes the form of poetry. In other
words, sometimes the differences between categories like drama, poetry, and the
short story are not so easily defined. Often a short story might contain poetic
or dramatic qualities, or a poem might include narrative and dramatic features.

In your post, summarize the major similarities and differences between the
forms of drama, poetry, and the short story. Demonstrate your ideas with
textual examples from the course readings. In your response, include at
least one example of each literary form. If you wish, you may also point
to examples which indicate the blurring of literary genres (e.g., the poetic
qualities of Macbeth or the dramatic elements of Gift of the Magi).