Literature and English literature(文學和英國文學介紹)

1、 Literature is literally a body of work about aparticular subject. Literature refers to the practice and profession of writing. It comes from human interest in telling a story, in arranging words in artistic forms, in describing in words some aspects of human experiences. Literature shows us not onl

2、y what a society is like in a certain age, but also what individuals feel about it, what they hope from it, and how they can change it or escape from it.What is Literature?Literature is Writings that are valued as works of art, esp. fiction, drama and poetry Composition that tells a story, dramatize

3、s a situation, expresses emotions, analyzes and advocates ideas Helps us grow personally and intellectually Provides an objective base for knowledge and understanding Shapes our goals and values by clarifying our own identities, both positively and negatively Literature makes us human.Why We Read Li

4、terature?a. Reading for pleasure Howells observed that the study of literature should begin and end in pleasure. b. Reading for relaxation Modern life is full of pressure. It is peoples common desire to seek temporally relaxation from the stress in life.c. Reading to acquire knowledge Literature giv

5、es readers an insight into the tradition, custom, beliefs, attitudes, folklore, values of the age in which it is written.What are the differences between literary language and non-literary language? (1) Non-literary language is usually “denotative”(直指式的）, it aims at a one-to-one correspondence betwe

6、en sign(符號)and referent(指稱對象) or between signifier(能指)and signified(所指) . It aims to meet a practical need of communication, or provide information and findings accurately.(2) While literary language is highly “connotative”(內涵的）. It is far from merely referential. It is expressive, conveying writers

7、 feelings, attitudes and tone between the lines; it is ambiguous(多歧義的）, the interpretation varies with context and reader.Four Genres of Literature Fiction小說小說 Myths, parables, romances, novels, short stories Poetry Open form and closed form Relies on imagery, figurative language, sound Drama戲劇戲劇 Made up of dialogue and set direction Designed to be performed Prose散文散文 News reports, feature articles, essays, editorials, textbooks, historical and biographical work