Because so many different types and varieties of written works exist, literature is grouped into categories called genres. The three major literary genres are poetry, prose, and drama. Within each genre, there are also sub-genres that help to further classify literary works. Poetry is classified as either lyric, narrative, or epic. Drama is separated into comedies or tragedies. Prose is divided into nonfiction or fiction. Which genre or sub-genre a work of literature is grouped into depends on the shared characteristics of each piece. These classifications help you to better understand what you are reading by allowing you to compare and contrast works within the same genre or sub-genre.