Final answer:
The genres of literature that apply are drama, fiction, poetry, and novels. While essays are a form of creative nonfiction, they are not typically recognized as a separate major literary genre.
Step-by-step explanation:
Genres of Literature
Genres of literature serve as a means to categorize works based on their style and form. The major genres of literature that are commonly recognized are creative nonfiction, fiction, drama, and poetry. Each of these genres can be further divided into subgenres, such as short stories, novels, lyric poetry, and so on. In the context of the question, the genres of literature that apply are:
- Drama: This genre encompasses plays and theatrical works where characters are involved in a plot over a series of events.
- Fiction: Encompassing imaginative works like mysteries, science fiction, and literary fiction.
- Essays: While not as commonly recognized as a major genre like fiction or drama, essays fall under the broader category of creative nonfiction.
- Poetry: A literary genre characterized by the expression of feelings, thoughts, and ideas in a distinctive style and rhythm.
- Novels: As a subgenre of fiction, novels are long narrative works.
To answer the student's question, the genres of literature that apply are drama, fiction, poetry, and novels. Since 'essays' are a form of creative nonfiction, and not commonly distinguished as a separate major literary genre, they may not be a correct choice depending on the context provided by the curriculum or instructor's guidelines.