When reading through some of the blog posts from my peers, I was relieved that others were experiencing the same confusion I initially had when I was first introduced to genres in a literary sense. Of course, before this class, I thought of the word “genre” as a musical term, as mentioned in chapter one of the BBG. However, reading this chapter helped me get a better understanding of what it means in this setting. In just about everything you write, you are writing for someone, and trying to convey a message to them. The message could be as simple as saying the sky is blue, but it is always directed towards a certain person or group. By developing a rhetoric, the writer awaits the mode of its readers, or “how a composition is experienced by reader/viewers/listeners.” (Bedford Book of Genres, Page 11). One section of chapter one that caught my eye was the style and design elements of a genre. The style of a composition works hand-in-hand with the audience the writer is trying to reach. An article about the technological advancements in the 21st century probably won’t interest a 13-year-old. Our writing, and even our sources show who we are, and make us different from other writers that also write in the same genre. The design of a genre is what I believe attracts the readers the most in the first place. A catchy title, or an intriguing picture can spike the interest of different people, based on what they deem as entertaining or useful. All of these elements make a genre specific to each person, and I’m grateful that I have a better understanding of the concept now.
References
BRAZILLER, A. (2017). BEDFORD BOOK OF GENRES. [S.l.]: BEDFORD BKS ST MARTIN'S,
pp.Chapter 1, Page 11.
