Comparison of Theory of Literary Genre in Classicism and Romanticism

The study of the evolution of literary schools and comparing the principles and characteristics of different schools is one of the important fields of research in the  comparative literature.Meanwhile, the contrast between classicalism and romanticism in the theory of literary genre and their different approaches to this category, is very significant. The authors believe that there are both intellectual and social principles in these two schools that theory of the literary genre of the schools, in spite of the plurality or apparent differences, is based on these principles and a large part of the contrast between these two schools is also the result of the opposition of these principles.This research is based on an analytical-descriptive approach and want to explain the principles and foundations in the context of intellectual and social conditions, its impact on the theory of literary types and, ultimately, the comparison of these schools. The results of this research show that the theory of essentialism and different perceptions of the theory of mimesis including belief of fixed and unchanging laws of literary genre, the purity of literary genre, as well as the belief in the existence of hierarchy among literary genre and the superiority of types of narratives such as tragedy and epic ,is the basis for the formation of the general principles of the theory of classical literary types of classicalism. In contrast , the components such as historicism, attention to the genius of the poet in the creation of literary work and the tendency toward individuality has led to the formation of a new theory of genres in the romanticism which it is based on the rejection of rules  governing literary genre, the combination of existing literary genre, and the consideration of other literary forms, especially the lyric literature , novel, and the creation of new genre.