3 Types of Literature

 Lesson 55 Essay

   When you hear the word “literature”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a novel? A short story? Or maybe a novella? In literature, there are five major forms: novel, short story, novella, drama, and poems. This essay will cover three of these types of literature.

    Novel: A novel is the most commonly thought of types of literature. It also happens to be the longest. It's a normally a long prose narrative that describes

the life of fictional character and events. Novels are often in the form of sequential stories or series. A few examples of novels are: The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

    Short Story: The term “short story” often conjures up the thought of a set word limit. However, there is no limit to how long a short story should be. Like novels, short stories are written in the prose style. A short story makes use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a greater degree than an anecdote, yet to a far lesser degree than a novel. Some famous short stories include: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, To Build a Fire by Jack London, and The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe.

    Novella: Novellas, like short stories and novels, are fictional stories. Novellas usually feature fewer conflicts, unlike novels, which have more conflicts to span across a longer story. Novellas often focus on just one conflict. The story of a novella is longer than a short story, but has a far more simplified plot line than a novel. Examples of novellas include: Call of the Wild by Jack London, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway.

 

Knighthood: The Origin of Knights

  Lesson 45 Essay

 The word “knight” was the title given to a person honored by a king or a monarch for a service. Originally, however, a knight was a mounted soldier and was considered a lesser noble. Knights eventually became just honored people, and they were recognized for noble deeds outside the military. In the Middle Ages, knights were part of two systems:

–The Feudal System hierarchy

–The service of the king's army

  The whole idea of “warriors on horseback”, came from the Franks after the fall of Rome and was expanded by Charlemagne. Any person who could ride and owned armor was considered a knight in these early times. Eventually, knighthood became a more refined position in the Feudal system. Knights were of the lower class nobles, and though they rode horses into battle, they were still distinct from the cavalry.

  An important part of knighthood was chivalry. The knights took this very seriously, even getting to the point where they organized a code for it. Chivalry was an ethical standard that all knights had to adhere to. When they weren't needed for battle, knights would live in castles or large fortified houses. Knighthood and chivalry was influenced by Christianity. Knights tried to pursue the values of “faith, hope, charity, justice, strength, modesty, and loyalty”. Chivalric ideals were popular in medieval writing and were often combined with romance in the Renaissance. The stories of a knight saving a damsel in distress is still very popular in modern culture.

  However, knighthood and chivalry was forgotten during the Renaissance. Knighthood is still granted in some societies today. Knighthood now is granted for doing great deeds.