CLEP Humanities

The CLEP Humanities exam covers a wide range of topics in the humanities, including literature, art, music, and philosophy.

Basic Concepts

Major Literary Genres

Types of Literature

Literature comes in many forms, but most works fall into genres like poetry, prose, and drama. Each genre has its own rules, conventions, and purposes.

Poetry

Poetry uses rhythm, meter, sounds, and imagery to express feelings and ideas. Poems can rhyme or be written in free verse.

Prose

Prose is written in ordinary language and includes novels, short stories, and essays. It tells stories, explores emotions, or presents arguments.

Drama

Drama is written for performance. Plays rely on dialogue and stage directions to tell a story.

Importance of Genres

Knowing literary genres helps readers understand what to expect and how to interpret a work.

Real-World Application

  • Recognizing a text's genre aids in academic analysis and creative writing.
  • Understanding genre conventions helps in analyzing movies, TV shows, and advertisements.

Examples

  • Attending a performance of a Shakespearean tragedy.

  • Identifying a novel as science fiction by its futuristic setting.

In a Nutshell

Literary genres shape how stories and ideas are presented and understood.

Key Terms

Genre
A category of artistic composition characterized by similarities in form or style.
Prose
Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.