The literature of the secular literature era was usually divided into two forms: folk literature and official literature. Folk literature refers to those literary works that reflect social life, express the wishes of the people, and inherit national culture. It is usually created by folk artists and wise men. Its content covers all aspects of life, including war, marriage, labor, religion, belief, and so on. Folk literature often has strong local characteristics and cultural traditions, which is an important part of Chinese literature. Official literature referred to literary works created by the government or cultural institutions. Their purpose was to publicize, shape the image of the government, promote culture, and promote social progress. The representative works of official literature included ancient Chinese literature, modern literature, foreign literature, and so on. In the age of secular literature, the difference between folk literature and official literature gradually decreased, and the relationship between the two became closer. Many literary works combined elements of folk literature and official literature to better reflect social reality and express the wishes of the people. At the same time, the secular literature era also emphasized the trend of literature's commerce and entertainment, making literary works more oriented to the market and the needs of readers, paying more attention to the practicality and entertainment of literature.
Online literature is a new form of literature, usually referring to the creation and spread of literary works on the Internet. Its characteristics lie in its open and interaction, as well as the effect of global communication. Although the origin of online literature can be traced back to the spread of ancient online novels, the development of modern online literature has become a huge literary industry that attracts a large number of people. Therefore, it could be said that online literature was not folk literature but a form of modern literature. The development and growth of online literature could not be separated from the support and recognition of the government and all walks of life. At the same time, it also received widespread attention and praise from the literary world and all walks of life.
Secular literature usually referred to literary works that were aimed at the public and entertainment. It did not consider high artistic achievements, nor did it pay attention to doctrines and beliefs like religious literature. The main purpose of secular literature was to satisfy the readers 'entertainment needs. Through stories, poems, novels, and other carriers, it conveyed emotions, thoughts, values, and other elements to allow the readers to obtain a relaxed and pleasant experience. The origin of secular literature can be traced back to ancient times. With the change of times, it has different forms and characteristics under different cultural backgrounds. In modern times, secular literature not only existed in the western developed countries, but also in China, Korea, Japan and many other countries.
Folk literature refers to literary works that originate from the people and focus on people's lives. It has a wide range of sources and content, and is usually not subject to the intervention and control of official literary institutions or literati. The representative works of folk literature include poems, novels, essays, stories, legends, etc. Its style, language, theme, and form are deeply influenced and restricted by the lives of local people. Compared with folk literature, literature usually refers to literary works created by literati. There are strict regulations and restrictions on the creation organization, creation method and content. The creation of literature required the guidance and control of official institutions or literati. Their works usually had to meet certain standards and requirements. There was an essential difference between folk literature and literature. Folk literature is the true reflection of people's lives, and its content, form, and style are deeply influenced and restricted by the local people's lives; while literature is a literary work created by literati. Its creation organization, creation method, and content have strict regulations and restrictions. Its content must meet certain standards and requirements.
Modern literature and contemporary literature were important periods in the history of literature. Modern literature is often considered to be a symbol of the shift in Western culture and thought, starting with the New Bible translation movement in 1848. On the other hand, contemporary literature usually referred to literature from the late 19th century to the early 20th century to the early 21st century, including various literary schools such as realism, post-realism, symbolism, romanticism, modernism, black humor, and so on. The literary works of this historical period had a variety of styles, topics, and depth of thought. It was a very colorful and important period in the history of literature.
Online literature usually refers to the literary works published on the Internet, including novels, essays, poems, etc., which are modern and open, different from traditional literature. Although online literature and traditional literature were very different in form and content, it was still controversial to classify it as folk literature. This was because folk literature generally referred to literary forms that originated from the people and were created by the people, with distinct epochal and regional characteristics. However, the main creators of online literature are usually young people. They come from different social classes and cultural backgrounds, and their motives and purposes are also different. Online literature often pursued novelty, excitement, and entertainment rather than the traditional seriousness and profundity. Therefore, from these aspects, online literature and traditional literature were not consistent and did not have clear characteristics of folk literature. Although there are differences in form and content between online literature and traditional literature, it is also an independent form of literature that should be classified and evaluated independently.
There were many forms and expressions of literature. 1. Fictions: Fictions are one of the main forms of literature. They usually express the theme by telling the story, portraying the character, and showing historical events. The way a novel expressed itself could be through narration, description, discussion, and so on. 2. Poetry: Poetry is a literary form that uses rhythm, meter, and language techniques to express the subject matter. It usually uses emotions, scenes, and thoughts to express the subject matter. The expression of a poem could be lyric, description, metaphor, and so on. 3. Prose: Prose is a literary form that is mainly featured by free and casual expressions. It usually presents the theme by recording life, expressing emotions, and describing scenery. Prose could be expressed through narration, description, discussion, and so on. 4. Play: Play is a literary form that takes performance and performance as its form of expression. It usually presents the theme by telling the story, shaping the character, and expressing the social reality. The expression of a play could be narrative, description, action, music, and so on. Reportage: Reportage is a form of literature that takes the form of records and reports. It usually presents topics by describing social phenomena, reporting news events, commenting on political events, and so on. Reportage could be expressed through narration, description, discussion, and so on. In addition to the above several common forms of literary expression and expression, there are many other forms and expressions such as science fiction, historical novels, science fiction novels, science fiction historical novels, poetry novels, manga novels, and so on.
There were many forms of foreign literature, including but not limited to the following: 1. Fictions: Fictions are one of the most common forms of expression in foreign literature. They are usually presented in the form of a story to express the author's thoughts and emotions by telling the story. Poetry: Poetry is another common form of expression in foreign literature. It usually uses short and beautiful language to express the author's feelings and thoughts. 3. Dramas: Dramas are another common form of expression in foreign literature. They are usually presented in the form of performances to express the author's thoughts and emotions by telling the story and the development of the characters. Prose: Prose is a free and concise form of expression in foreign literature. It is usually based on the author's subjective feelings and emotional expression. Report: A report is a form of literature in foreign literature, usually presented in the form of words, used to describe the author's observation and analysis of an event or phenomenon. Diary: Diary is a form of personal expression in foreign literature. It usually focuses on the author's personal feelings and experiences. These are only a small part of the forms of foreign literature. There are many other forms such as epics, fairy tales, fables, and so on.