God’s Word: A Guide for Living
LESSON 3: TYPES OF LITERATURE
Objective
Students will explore the various forms of literature found in the Bible and see
how Luke uses some of these forms in his Gospel.
Key Concepts
• The Bible is composed of many types of literature, each with its own characteristics.
• Just as a newspaper story and a poem tell a story in a different way, so each type
of literature has its own purpose and is used by the author for a reason.
Estimated Lesson Time: 45 Minutes
Materials
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Student Bibles
Copy of Walt Whitman’s book, Leaves of Grass
Encyclopedia article about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination
Examples of a “graphic novel” (comic book) or “manga” (any bookstore chain
should have them)*
• Items with catchy phrases—T-shirt with slogan, hallway sign, poster, newspaper
headline, etc.
• CD player and CD of Christian rap music
• Short poem
• Handouts—“Types of Literature,” “Identifying Literature Types,” “Types of Poetry,”
“Poetry of the Bible” (pp. 66-69)
• Overheads—“Types of Literature” (p. 66), “Types of Poetry” (p. 68), “What Do
These Passages Have in Common?” (p. 70)
* Manga is a form of comic or so-called graphic novel that originated in Japan. These
novels tell stories through dialogue and drawings. Sometimes the persons are supernatural, like Superman. Other stories are more realistic depictions of life at school,
in the city, or situations with which teens can identify.
Teacher Preparation
1. Collect examples of different literature types, as listed in Materials.
2. Make copies of handouts for students.
3. Make overhead transparencies, as listed in Materials.
INTRODUCING THE LESSON
Two ways to tell a story. Read portions of Walt Whitman’s poem, “O Captain, My
Captain,” written about Lincoln’s assassination. (This poem is found in Walt
Whitman’s collection, Leaves of Grass.) Then read the excerpt from an encyclopedia
about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
LESSON STEPS
1. What are the differences? Ask students to note and list the differences between
the two “accounts” of Lincoln’s assassination. Divide the class in half. Ask one
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group of students to make a headline for a newspaper, announcing the assassination. Ask another group to list some things a close friend might have said at
Lincoln’s funeral. Have the groups share what they have written. Explain that
each of these examples represents a certain form of written communication. While
a newspaper report or an encyclopedia entry may seek to be neutral and just
present the facts, a poem or a eulogy (as at a funeral) can be emotional in both
mood and content.
2. Literature in our world. Discuss the types of things students like to read—
novels, short stories, manga or graphic novels, magazines. What types of literature
have they encountered in the past week? In what different forms do we see information in our world? (Advertisements, T shirts, posters, signs in the hall, the Bible,
notes, newspaper headlines, menus, Instant Messages, the Internet in all its forms,
etc.) Show the samples you have collected.
3. Literature in the Bible. Distribute copies of the handout, “Identifying Literature
Types.” Using the overhead entitled “Types of Literature,” discuss the types of literature that are found in the Bible. Ask students to identify which types of literature
best fit the examples given on their sheet. Ask them to be ready to say why they
chose as they did. Explain that sometimes a passage may fit under more than one
category. After they have completed the assignment, ask students for their
answers and have them give the reasons for their choices.
Answer key to “Identifying Literature Types”:
Genesis 13:1-18
Jeremiah 7:1-15
Judges 9:8-15
1 Kings 13:20-22
Nehemiah 2:11-16
Psalm 104:1-4
Proverbs 22:22-29
Isaiah 35
Daniel 8:5-8
Amos 4:1-5
Zechariah 6:1-8
Matthew 16:24-28
Luke 2:1-7
Luke 6:27-28
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Philemon
Narrative
Discourse
Parable
Oracle
Narrative
Poetry
Wisdom literature
Poetry
Apocalyptic literature
Oracle
Oracle/Apocalyptic literature
Parable
Narrative
Discourse
Discourse
Letter
4. Poetry in the Bible. Play part of a Christian rap tune for the class. Then have a
student read part of a poem. Ask the class to list the similarities and differences
between the two. Explain that the poetry in the Bible is, in many instances, the words
to songs that many people would have known. In Hebrew, the poems had a lot of
internal rhythms, the same as rap does today. The poems also commented on life
at that time and how people understood the world, much as rap music does today.
Show the overhead, “Types of Poetry,” with examples of types of poetry found in
the Bible, and go over the list. Explain that students will encounter a similar list
in a future lesson on prayer. Then hand out the worksheet “Poetry of the Bible.”
Note: This worksheet may be a challenge for the students. You may wish to have
students work in groups, or complete it as a class activity.
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Answer key to “Poetry of the Bible”:
1. a. simile
“Your tongue is like a sharp razor.” (Psalm 52:2)
b. metaphor “I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower.”
(John 15:1)
2. Psalm 11:5 contrast
Psalm 18:2 metaphor
Eccles. 4:10 contrast
Jerem. 1:5 comparison
Prov. 28:11 contrast
Psalm 104:10 comparison
Psalm 104:14 comparison
Prov. 30:5 metaphor
Isaiah 65:13 contrast
John 10:7 metaphor
Psalm 85:1 comparison
Psalm 104:2 simile
John 15:5 metaphor
Luke 13:34 simile
John 10:14-15 metaphor
Show the overhead, “What Do They Have in Common?” Have students look up
the Bible passages listed and discuss what they have in common. Can they see
that each one is a song? What characteristics identify the texts as songs?
EXTEND THE LESSON
(This activity will extend the lesson to longer than 45 minutes.)
• Luke literature. Ask the students to read Luke 1:57-80. Divide the class into
small groups and ask them to write this story from Luke as one of the following
types of literature. Give each group a different assignment.
—a newspaper article
—a movie trailer (ad)
—a T-Shirt slogan
—an election campaign ad
—an entry in an encyclopedia, under John the Baptist
—an official written report from a Roman officer to the Emperor
Reading Schedule for Luke
This suggested schedule completes reading of the book of Luke by the end of the
unit. Keep track of your reading in a notebook. For each reading, put down the date
completed and the chapters read at the top of a new, clean page. Write notes about
what you read, what new things you learned, questions and reflections about the
passages. The reading notebook is to be handed in at the end of the unit.
To be read by:
Lesson 1
Luke 1
Lesson 9
Luke 15
Lesson 2
Luke 2
Lesson 10
Luke 16
Lesson 3
Luke 3-4
Lesson 11
Luke 17-18
Lesson 4
Luke 5-6
Lesson 12
Luke 19
Lesson 5
Luke 7-8
Lesson 13
Luke 20-21
Lesson 6
Luke 9-10
Lesson 14
Luke 22
Lesson 7
Luke 11-12
Lesson 15
Luke 23
Lesson 8
Luke 13-14
Lesson 16
Luke 24
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Types of Literature
PARABLE—a story told to emphasize a point or teach a lesson. These are
not factual stories, but they reveal truths in a powerful way.
POETRY—the use of word pictures and rich imagery to evoke ideas. There
are many types of poetry. Many of the poems in the Bible are believed to
have been songs.
LETTER—also known as epistle, from the Greek word for “letter.” (Letters
contain a variety of other styles to describe events, express opinions, and
convince others.)
NARRATIVE—a broad category that uses other styles. Narratives tend to
describe actual events. The books of Luke and Acts are mostly narratives.
ORACLE—a message from God, delivered by a prophet. In the Old
Testament, this word from God sometimes came in the form of a vision.
Oracles typically contain some variation of the phrase, “God said.”
WISDOM LITERATURE—The most famous example is the entire book of
Proverbs. Wisdom literature is used to pass on wise, sometimes common
sense truisms about life and living.
APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE—writing that uses visions and symbols as
part of a coded language. Often describes how God will finally give justice
and peace to creation. It is written in times of struggle and oppression, to
raise people’s spirits, NOT to predict the future with any accuracy.
DISCOURSE—A presentation, sometimes in the form of a sermon, to
persuade through reason and logic.
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Identifying Literature Types
These are Scriptures that represent certain types of literature. In the
blanks, write which type of literature you think is represented by each
passage.
Genesis 13:1-18
_______________
Jeremiah 7:1-15
_______________
Judges 9:8-15
_______________
1 Kings 13:20-22
_______________
Nehemiah 2:11-16
_______________
Psalm 104:1-4
_______________
Proverbs 22:22-29
_______________
Isaiah 35
_______________
Daniel 8:5-8
_______________
Amos 4:1-5
_______________
Zechariah 6:1-8
_______________
Matthew 16:24-28
_______________
Luke 2:1-7
_______________
Luke 6:27-28
_______________
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
_______________
Philemon
_______________
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Types of Poetry
These examples represent only some of the types of
poetry found in the Bible.
LAMENT: A poem from a person in trouble or distress. The person calls
out to God for relief.
(Psalm 44)
ADORATION: A poem showing fondness and love for God.
(Psalm 11)
THANKSGIVING: A poem written in appreciation of what has been
received from God.
(Psalm 103)
WORSHIP: A poem used specifically for worship services, as at the temple.
(Psalm 100)
PRAISE: A poem praising God for specific acts.
(Luke 1:46-55)
CONFESSION: A poem confessing to God how the writer(s) have sinned.
There is usually a request for forgiveness.
(Job 42:2-6)
ASSURANCE: A poem affirming that God is present in the life of the
person.
(Psalm 23)
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Poetry of the Bible
A word picture can be a powerful element of poetry.
The picture can show comparisons: “All flesh is like grass.”
The picture can show contrasts: “Better is a dry morsel with quiet, than a
house full of feasting with strife.”
A word picture can use similes and metaphors to compare or contrast.
A simile uses the
words like or as: “He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes.”
“As wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God.”
A metaphor compares
without using like or as: “The meadows clothe themselves with flocks.”
ON YOUR OWN
1. Label each example below as a simile or a metaphor. Underline the parts in
each sentence that show the comparisons.
a. _______________ “Your tongue is like a sharp razor.” (Psalm 52:2)
b. _______________ “I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower.”
(John 15:1)
2. In the following passages, find two examples of poetry for each type listed.
Psalm 11:5
Psalm 104:10
Psalm 85:1
Psalm 18:2
Psalm 104:14
Psalm 104:2
Ecclesiastes 4:10
Proverbs 30:5
John 15:5
Jeremiah 1:5
Isaiah 65:13
Luke 13:34
Proverbs 28:11
John 10:7
John 10:14-15
Comparison: ________________________________________________________
Contrast: ___________________________________________________________
Simile: _____________________________________________________________
Metaphor: __________________________________________________________
3. Write some poetry of your own using one of the above styles.
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What Do These Passages
Have in Common?
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