Genre

Jordan Doersam, Evin Code, Rosie Partain, Devorah Corvo

When thinking of genre, many tend to lean toward the dictionary definition of genre: a
class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like,
(Dictionary.com). But when more research is put in than a mere dictionary search, one will find
that genre is much more abstract and encompases much more than sixteen word dictionary
definition could ever cover.
Dirk says that genre occurs when a person experiences a situation which has not yet been
responded to in writing and does so, prompting others experiencing the same situation use the
first persons response as a template for their own response. This template and the responses that
follow are what constitute genre, not necessarily the content or technique, as the dictionary
would lead one to believe. Rather, what constitutes genre is the context and the things that the
certain responses have in common. For example, when George Washington gave the first State of
the Union address, he gave opportunity for Presidents who followed to build on his newfound
genre in response to a situation that had not yet occurred to any others in the past (Dirk 252).
However, even though all state of the union addresses serve the same general purpose, to give
information on this countrys agenda and recent happenings, the information in each address is
vastly different. The information may not even be presented in a way that parallels George
Washingtons initial Address, but instead shares key features that bind the speeches into one
category.
Although all pieces in a genre share key aspects that do, in fact, corral them into a single
genre, genres are not formulaic, says Dirk (Dirk 257-259). If writing in a genre was as easy as
substituting certain information into a formula, writing successfully would be possible for
anyone who held the formula. Instead, writing in genre is more like following guidelines to a
task to be completed under ones own wishes.
Dirk is not alone in his interpretation of genre. Carolyn Miller proposes a similar
description of genre in her essay Genre as a Social Action. She writes that a genre is a Class
with new members evolving, old ones decaying (153). This really means the authors who write
within the genre, craft that genre. A speechwriter who delivers an effective speech dealing with a
worsening economic situation is likely to be a model for future authors who find themselves in
the same rhetorical situation. When multiple authors have the same purpose and a similar
audience, this results in the same rhetorical situation, creating a genre. Genres grow and evolve
as new generations come and go, leaving their alterations until a new wave of writers wash them
away. Genre is based on precedent, which is why when Washington gave the first inaugural
address, the following presidents had speeches that followed in his tracks. Since Washington was
the first to be in that rhetorical situation, he was the pioneer of that genre.

Anzaldua, Gloria. How to Tame A Wild Tongue. Borderlands/La Frontera (1897)

How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua

Genre is not difficult to define, as it simply how one categorizes a piece of literature. However,
Kerry Dirk and many other writers, believe genre is not as simple as people make it seem. Kerry
Dirk and Gloria Anzaldua both seem to see Genre in an unorthodox manner. Dirk values genre as
more than a label to place on a piece, and this becomes true in Anzalduas piece.
Locating the genre of Gloria Anzaldua was a little difficult, as it is not as clear as other
texts. While reading this piece, I realized that genre for the writer is very flexible and, as
previously mentioned, unorthodox. Anzaldua uses personal experiences and her own life story to
set her genre. Anzaldua writes a personal piece and centers it around culture and language. The
genre of culture plays a vital role in How to Tame a Wild Tongue and in Anzaldua's life, as she
makes clear in her piece. Her discussion of the Chicano culture helps the reader fully grasp the
struggle of a Hispanic woman. One might add that struggle is another genre in her piece.
Alzandua often speaks of her struggle and how it affected her life, personality and writing. I
believe her choice of genres shape the piece and help portray her Chicano culture, even to those
who are not Hispanic (the Anglos get it! Well, maybe).
To further discuss the genre of Hispanic culture in her piece, she constantly adds quotes
in her native language. Pa' hallar buen trabajo tienes que saber hablar el ingles bien. Que vale
toda tu educacion si todavia hablas ingles con un 'accent:" my mother would say, mortified that I
spoke English like a Mexican (pg.34). That statement engulfs not only the Hispanic culture, but
also their struggle as immigrants. As stated by Anzaldua's mother, speaking English like a
Mexican, was extremely frowned upon. I think it is fair to state that the struggle depicted in the
quote on page 34, is one any immigrant is familiar with. This further expands the idea that
culture is more than a vital genre in her piece. The Chicano culture not only builds the body of
her text, but also helps it transmit ideas to the reader that would otherwise be lost in context.
Throughout Anzaldua piece she traces how specifically being a Hispanic woman made
her who she was. She discusses the stereotypes set for her and how she distanced herself from
them. All of her analogies tie to her genre and the general theme of the piece. However, because
it is a personal piece there is a lot of wiggle room, and this is made evident by noting that she
does not center on one specific theme, but rather to all three (culture, language, struggle) and
how they relate.

Miller, Carolyn R. Genre as Social Action. Quarterly Journal of Speech 70.2 (1984): 15167.
Print.
Carolyn Miller claims that genre should be defined by the action an author uses to
accomplish their goals. In her essay, she parallels the works of different authorities on the subject
of genre to her own definition. There are many examples in her essay of how genre is used by
different people in different circumstances, for example a president giving a speech. She argues
that genre must be defined in terms of rhetorical action. She presents the purpose of genre as
viewed by many different scholars and then synthesizes them to form her own definition.
Millers definition of genre is based on social motives that have been found in previous similar

situations. To Miller, genre is not simply a set of recurrences; they are An open class with new
members evolving, old ones decaying (153). How people write in certain situations varies from
person to person and is reborn with new generations, resulting in genres that grow along with
society. In her piece genre is described as Typified rhetorical actions based in recurrent
situations(159).This means that genre is a tool for writers to use in their work. As more and
more pieces are conducted in a specific genre, that genre changes to however those writers
presented their information. After one writer sets a precedent in a certain type of writing, its
genre is slightly tweaked forever. What recurs isour construal of a type (157). Genre is
essentially the medium through which an authors ideas become public perception. Genre is
dictated by how we think our writing should sound based on the current situation. Rhetors
respond in similar ways, having learned from precedent what is appropriate and what effects
their actions are likely to have on other people(152). After one author addresses a situation, the
next person in that situation is likely to follow in those peoples footsteps, creating a recurrence
and therefore establishing genre. It is within communities that genre is produced. Millers
analysis of genre can aid in ones understanding of how genres are made and why they are a
crucial component to a writers repertoire. Miller even puts part of her definition in the title; it is
Social action. She also notes that a Collection of discourses may be sorted into classes in
more than one way(152). Millers essay greatly enhances the readers understanding of genre
and how it can be incorporated so that the piece we are writing is culturally sound. Genre is a set
of principles through which a social situation is tackled by the author. Genre is constantly
changing to improve its efficiency in each circumstance a writer my find themselves in, just as
Abraham Lincolns inaugural address differed greatly from president Obamas address. Since
they both had different ideals they needed to portray to the American people, the focuses of the
speeches contained different rhetorical actions.

Lowe, Charles, and Dirk, Kerry. "Navigating Genres." Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Vol.
1. West Lafayette: Parlor, 2010. 249-261. Print.

Dirk begins her essay by identifying key features of a certain genre, country music, and
poses the question, would the genre be the same if some of the key characteristics were
changed? She begins to answer this question by explaining her own process of writing this
essay. First, she looked at other essays which shared a common goal and accomplished the same
thing she was, which was writing an essay to students. After reading a similar essay by Mary Jo
Reiff, she then modeled her own after the one she found, utilizing the pre existing genre. She
explains that when a new genre is created, it is a response to something new. A new genre occurs
when a person experiences something and responds to it in writing, and when the situation
occurs to another person or multiple people, they model their response after that of the first, thus
creating a genre. Once we recognize a recurring situation, a situation that we or others have
responded to in the past, our response to that situation can be guided by past responses

(Generalizing 576). (Navigating Genres 252). Although certain situations call for a specific
genre, a genre is not as simple as a formula that one simply plugs information into, for if this
were true, all that would be needed to be successful in that genre would be information and a
formula. But when you think of a genre, there is certain aspects and factors that come to mind,
which is why a reader can expect specific things when reading certain genres. A reader can also
infer many things based solely on genre, including content, the writer, and the target audience.
Although the idea of genre can narrow down content and purpose, the idea of genre is further
complicated due to the variation one finds in a single genre. Not all writings in a genre
accomplish the same specific purpose, but instead accomplish a similar, broader purpose. That
purpose can be distorted, she explains, by the choice of the wrong genre. She gives an example
of how the wrong genre in a certain setting will lead to a skewed version of the message the
writer is trying to convey. She also states that, while genres follow certain rules, they are not
formulaic, and it is these rules that make communication of ideas through writing successful. In
theory, genres actually make writing simpler by narrowing down choices and pointing a writer in
the most logical direction.
When beginning this essay, Dirk makes use of a well known joke about country music to
portray the message that this essay will not be extremely formal as some essays may be, but will
be written more as if to a peer than a subordinate. The joke went, Q: What do you get when you
rewind a country song? A: You get your wife back, your job back, your dog back. This
informality makes the essay more personal, but the fact that it is an essay and not a letter also
proves to the reader that Dirk isnt trying to be friendly or personal, but to explain information in
a way that is not as ominous or rigid as a text book. Often textbooks can be dry and uninteresting
to readers, especially the students whom they are meant for, but this informal essay intrigues the
reader more, causing the reader to perhaps draw more information from the text. The informal
way in which the information is presented to the reader also stands out and can be interpreted as
more interesting than a textbook. This fact can raise the prospect that the reader will retain the
information. This informality makes the essay more personal, but the fact that it is an essay and
not a letter also proves to the reader that Dirk isnt trying to be friendly or personal, but to
explain information in a way that is not as ominous or rigid as a text book
Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet XVIII." Shakespeare's Sonnets. Oxquarry Books Ltd. Web. 2 July
2015.
In this sonnet, Shakespeare begins by telling his subject that she is more beautiful than a
summer's day. He then draws away from the illusion that summer is perfect by listing flaws it has
such as wind and heat. He continues with a statement that everything fades away, but that the
beauty of his subject will remain forever because he has eternalized her in his lines of poetry.
First, in the time of Shakespeare, in this poems case 1609, sonnets were often used to
woo, gain the attention of, or express feelings for one whom the writer admired. Second, the

sonnet, and rhyme scheme in general, were used so that people who read them could remember
them, because it is easier to remember syllables, rhythm, and rhymes than it is to remember
words that have no general form. We can conclude many important things about genre from this
sonnet. Shakespeare wants to entertain his audience and is therefore utilizing rhyme and multiple
rhetorical devices including vivid imagery and simile to tell the reader of his beautiful subject.
These devices and the way he presents his work is the genre. Shakespeare wouldn't give detailed
facts about this girl because his goal is to entertain and ignite the imagination of the listener, not
inform them. This is a prime example of how genre is used to accomplish the authors goal. The
imagery and comparisons of the girl serve to incite a greater depth of understanding for the
speakers admiration of the subject, and also give the reader a new perspective on the beauty of
the subject. If Shakespeare had written this piece in a different genre, perhaps in essay form, he
could have simply said the subject was beautiful and explained her physical and social features
that made her so, but in that context, the use of such vivid imagery would be out of context in
that genre. The genre in which he chooses to write provides opportunity to build on his original
statement in a way that could not be captured in a simple prose piece.
Collins, Billy. "The Best Cigarette + Billy Collins." 'The Best Cigarette + Billy Collins' N.p., 3
June 2001. Web. 02 July 2015.
When dealing with genre the writer has to think about who his audience is, the message
they want to convey, and how they will convey their message. Collins suggests that the
commencement speech is a tricky genre. A commencement address is typically a short formal
speech that is often somewhat humorous and entertaining. The humor in the speech is used to
lighten the mood of the long and unfortunately boring process of graduation. The purpose of a
commencement address is to give helpful advice to the graduates. The goal of every
commencement address speaker is to leave the graduating seniors with at least one piece of
advice that truly resonates with them. Collin even admits that of all the commencement
addresses he has attended he remembers only one reliable piece of wisdom, that is, the real
world is not like college; it was like high school.
Collins did not want to bore the graduates and their strange relatives by being too
conventional in his commencement address, he wanted to make his stand out from others in
the genre. Collins of course had to write in the genre of commencement addresses but he did not
want it to be stereotypical, which can be hard to do when trying to stick to a genre. Collins
attempts to stand out from others by not doing the things he considers conventional of
commencement addresses, such as start[ing] out by examining the etymology of the word
commencement. Collins also stands out by admitting he does not want to be conventional, and
identifying all of the things that he thinks are conventional of commencement addresses, adding
to the humor of the speech. Collins promises to not tell the graduates anything [he is] not really
sure of. Collins contradicts the conventional idea of a commencement address to ask the
students to rush bravely into the fray of life, but rather ask them to do just the opposite. Instead

of being in a rush all the time, Collins deliver[s] a call for slowing down, for quietness, for
stopping by woods, even for a kind of creative loafing, for taking a moment to observe. This
allows him to stand out from the conventional commencement address, while still remaining in
that genre.
Dirk, Kerry. Navigating Genres . Parlor Press, Writing Spaces. (2010) by the respective
author(s)
Brown, Zac. "Zac Brown Band." Chicken Fried Lyrics. LYRICS REACH MUSIC
PUBLISHING, n.d. Web. 02 July 2015.
Kerry Dirk, in her piece Navigating Genre dwells on the genre of country music.
Country music is very specific to the American culture, therefore it is very easy to pinpoint it to
one specific genre. It is nearly obvious to state that without patriotism or heartbreak, the genre of
Country music would not exist or be easily identified. Although it is impossible to trace country
back to the very first song, a listener can deduct that at some point in time, the beggining of
country music came about through patriotism or someone's lost of a friend, relative or lover.
The song Chicken Fried is the epitome of country music. It has all the characteristics to
fit into the category of country music because of the very specific sound, lyrics and meaning. It
is easy to distinguish a country song from any other genre of music.There is no doubt that the
song Chicken Fried is a country song. Patriotism and love for the South play into the genre of
country music and also in Chicken Fried. The song describes the scenery of a Georgia Pine, it
later begins talking about food that is closely tied with American culture. Within the first two
sentences, it is made obvious that Zac Brown Band was striving for the ultimate country song.
Needless to say, the country music genre is all about patriotism and love for the south.
Chicken Fried is all about enjoying the simple things in life. No matter your status in
life or how much money you have it is possible to enjoy the simple and good things in life. Like
other country songs it is very patriotic and even thanks the troops, they salute the ones who
died for protecting their rights to the things they love and all of the things that people take for
granted. All of these characteristics of the song make it fit into the genre of country music. In this
particular case, genre plays a very important role and there is not much wiggle room.
"Genre." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2015. Web. 7 July 2015.