Forms of Literary Communication There are several differences between the three major methods of literary communication; the play, the short story and the poem. The first involves the plot. In a play, there is much more room for developing the plot than in the other cases. Therefore, a play’s plot is more complex and contains many more specific details and incidents. A short story, however, usually contains a simple plot with less detail provided. A poem is the most economical in the use of language of the three categories. It usually deals with a specific area only. The second major distinction involves character development. A play, being longer and more detailed, develops the characters to a very high degree and emphasizes particular characteristics of an individual to the reader. A short story is generally concerned with plot and, therefore, does not develop the characters extensively. A poem, being economical in its use of language, may portray a detailed character, but seldom more than one. Usually though, a poem deals with the ideas, attitudes and emotions of the author rather than emphasizing the characters. As a final distinction, both the play and the short story, being written in prose, seek to communicate information, while a poem relies heavily on suggestion. Although all three forms differ in detail, they all represent an attempt by the author to impress a tone, theme, morality or attitude on the reader through vivid and descriptive language.