These are some distinctions Northrop Frye makes in Anatomy of Criticism about types and dimensions of literature.

1. Dimensions of literature (Frye recalling Aristotle), which have varying emphasis in different literary forms and also in different instances of a given form.

• mythos, i.e. plot, which Aristotle calls the ‘soul’ of the story.
• ethos, i.e., characters and setting
• dianoia, or ‘thought’; the ‘point’, or the theme

• hero
• hero’s society
• poet
• poet’s society

• ‘Fictional’ literature -- emphasis on mythos and ethos. The ‘point’ remains implicit and is less salient than the story itself. The poet’s relationship to the society is also not explicit. Frye’s literary example: Shakespeare A business example: “What happened this week” stories shared between peer colleagues.
  The basic distinction within literature with a 'fictional' emphasis is, of course, comedy vs. tragedy.
  • Comedy -- integration of hero with his society (from which he was previously excluded for some reason). Frye's literary example: George Bernard Shaw Business example: A story about gaining the trust and respect of a client.
  • Tragedy -- isolation of hero from society Frye's literary example: Thomas Hardy Business example: The experience of one division within a large firm.
• ‘Thematic’ literature -- emphasis on the dianoia, or ‘the point’. The relation of poet to reader is more explicit. More didactic. Allegories and fables have a thematic emphasis. Frye’s literary example: Pilgrim’s Progress Business examples: People telling particular stories and drawing explicit conclusions related to making business decisions. Stories about ‘how we won client x’, told as instructive.
  The basic distinction Frye draws within literature with a ‘thematic’ emphasis has to do with the writer’s relationship to the society.
  • Lyric. Poet as individual. Emphasis on poet’s separateness from society and the distinctiveness of the poet’s vision, the separateness of their personality. Common in lyrics, essays, and in moods of protest, ridicule or loneliness. The works tend to be self-contained episodes as opposed to larger epic cycles. Frye’s literary examples: Rousseau, Byron, Joyce Business examples: The relationship of one employee to his/her group or to technology.
  • Epic. Poet as spokesman of society. Articulates knowledge that is already latent on the society or knowledge that is needed by it. Educational in a broad sense. The poet of epic works tend to have this type of voice. Poet as professional with a societal function vis a vis the reader. Frye’s literary example: Faust Business examples: Stores told to illustrate what a technology is about -- Usually stories another employee can re-use to illustrate the technology to prospective clients and others.