Clad in the panoply of literature, short story, drama, and poetry becomes indistinguishable. All of the three genres in literature borrow from each other in one way or the other. Still, literary critics insist that particular attention must be observed while analyzing the genres in respect to their obvious differences. Perhaps the most ambiguous distinction accrues from the classical works of Shakespeare in the play Macbeth. The first controversy is that literary critics study Macbeth as a play yet it is written in verse form. Nevertheless, the contemporary reader experiences Macbeth as poetry. First, it is written in verse form, it posses the classical poetic style iambic pentameter, observes rhymes, and embodies a special of use of language foreign to modern readers. While the argument of Macbeth as a poem could be logical, scholars would classify this reasoning as equivalent to committing a crime of genre mutilation. Despite the absence of spatial, temporal, and visual values of drama, Macbeth is considered a play simply because it was written for an audience and not for reading (Adair-Lynch, 2012).
O’ Henry’s Gift of Magi is perhaps a classical example of a short story. The strong embodiment of a plot, character description, and narrative style fits the perfect description of a short story. However, the story could also be a poem because of the strong elements of symbolism particularly in the use of religious connotations to send a powerful message about giving. Could O’Henry story Gift of Magi qualify as poem? The answer could be going either way. The same applies with Macbeth of which scholars fail to agree on the position in both cases.
In my view, a play is demonstrable by the presence of physical space that is filled with characters each with words to speak to the audience. Poetry can be the words in a play. However, poetry is not a play. It is more of a unique form of literature that malleable and fitting to every situation. Moreover, the difference between play and drama is the facts that play is original and polyphonic while poetry is linear and created (Quintero, 1991).
References
Adair-Lynch, T. (2012). The Basic Elements of Theatre. Retrieved 2012, from http://homepage.smc.edu/adair-lynch_terrin/ta%205/elements.htm
Quintero, M. C. (n.d.). Poetry As Play: Gongorismo and the Comedia. New York, 1991: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
