What is a Genre?

As described in the Bedford Book of Genres, A genre is a type of way to sort works or compositions into different categories. Genres are seen throughout the music world in order to categorize music and also through film with genres such as comedy, horror, or drama. Having these compositions sorted into genres gives us an idea of what the compositions contain. Genres don't just have to be specific subjects. Genres are also seen in literature as different formats of relaying information such as research essays, poetry, or even just a thesis statement. The method that one chooses to relay their information or ideas can help to adequately get the points across and also can reveal some of the personal interests and abilities of the creator. In "Navigating Genres," Kerry Dirk takes the idea of genres even farther and relates them to everyday life such as simply composing an email or posting a Facebook status. Dirk breaks down the process of choosing a method of displaying ideas into steps. Genres are seen by analyzing what the purpose is and who the audience that is being reached is. The last genre in which I composed was a formal email to a lawyer. I had to decide what the purpose of the email was to be and then think about what my audience was in order to determine the style of writing I should use.