Form might not be the first thing a reader thinks about when they start reading and analysing a new text, but form can have a lot of influence over a text’s structure and content.
How is form used?
The form of a text doesn’t stand alone without influence; it also informs the structure or genre of the text.
Think about a novel, for example. Most novels are structured using chapters and paragraphs to tell the reader all the information they need to know. That information might not be as successfully explained if the writer chose the form of a sonnet. Likewise, trying to portray the themes of an emotive free verse poem in a screenplay wouldn’t have the same effect on the reader either.
The rules and expectations that both the writer and reader have of different literary forms mean that forms can also be used to subvert the reader’s expectations. You could use the form and structure of a nursery rhyme in order to highlight the importance of a more serious theme that would usually be found in a free-verse poem.
Why is form important?
Form is important because each form has a set of standard features and structures that writers can use to inform their writing and communicate with the reader. They can choose to follow them or ignore them depending on the content of the text they’re creating.
It’s also really important for readers, too. Knowing about the form of the text you’re reading can give you clues as to the writer’s intentions for the story, as well as the context for its creation. Was the text created to be published as one novel or in weekly chapters for a magazine? How has that influenced the structure of the narrative?
How we perceive a piece of writing can be dependent on its form. Think about Shakespeare’s plays – would they have the same effect if they were short stories, or haikus? Probably not, because they depend on the feature of the play as a literary form for the stories to be told as they are.
What’s the difference between form and structure?
Form and structure are often confused with each other when describing a text. The key difference to remember is:
Form describes the format, or the way the text is presented to the reader. This could be a short story, a film script or an essay.
Structure describes how the information in the text is organised. This could be how the writer moves the narrative of the text from beginning to end using paragraphs and chapters.
The two are connected. Often, the form of a text will influence the structure. For example, if you’re reading a text that has an essay form, the structure will most likely start with an introduction, move on to body paragraphs, and end with a conclusion. Similarly, if you’re reading a novel, the text will probably be structured using chapters and might include a prologue and epilogue.
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