本科 文學課課件 An Introduction to English Literature

AnIntroductionto

EnglishLiteratureInstructor:TonySunBasicquestionsaboutLiteratureWhatisliterature,anyway?Whystudyliterature?Howdoyoustudyliterature?Isthereliteraturethat'sworthstudyingandliteraturethatisn't?Howdowemakethedistinction?Howdoesonecriticallythinkaboutandreadliterature?Whatisliterature? Literatureisliterally“acquaintancewithletters”(Latinlitterameaning“anindividualwrittencharacter/letter”).Thetermhascometoidentifyacollectionoftexts.AsapropernounitreferstoawholebodyofliteraryworkWeareconcernedmorewithimaginativeorcreativewriting.Thekindofwritingthatisnotreal.Atextisacreationofthepoet/author/dramatistavailabletoanaudienceandmeanttocreateanimpact–intellectualandemotionalWordsaretheliteraryartist’stools.Literatureisverbalart.Whydowestudyliterature?Whydowestudyliterature?Westudyliteraturebecauseitenrichesus;forwisdom,forentertainment,foranunderstandingofdiversehumanexperiences.Westudyliteraturebecauseitisprofound,beautifulandmoving.Westudyliteraturebecauseitisanexcellentwaytosharpenyourclosereadingskills,enablecriticalthinking,andrefineourgeneralsenseofartappreciation.Howdowestudyliterature?Howdowestudyliterature?Therearemanycriticalwaystoapproachatextincludingtheformalist,biographical,historical,textual,psychological,mythological,sociological,deconstructionist,feminist,orreader-response,semioticetc.Formalistcriticsfocusontheformalelementsofatext.Theyexaminetherelationshipbetweenformandmeaning,emphasizinghowaworkisarranged.Thiskindofclosereadingpaysspecialattentiontodiction,figuresofspeech,plot,characterization,narrativetechnique,rhymeschemes,metreetc.Formalistslookathowtheseelementsworktogethertogiveshapetoaworkwhilecontributingtoitsmeaning.Informationthatgoesbeyondthetext-biography,history,politics,economics,andsoon-areregardedasextrinsic.Whatisgoodliteratureandwhatisbad

literature?Whatisgoodliteratureandwhatisbadliterature?Lastingimpression FleetingStretchestheimagination,complex Formulaic,simpleAestheticallypleasing,artistic Ordinary,noreal aestheticvalueMessagetraversescultureand Immediatevalue,notime permanenceAcceptedintothe‘canon’ NotonthelistCriticallythinkingaboutandreadingliteratureANALYZE:Whatdoesthepassagemean,literally?INTERPRET:Whatdoesitmeanfiguratively?Howdoyoureaditandwhatsuggeststhatthisisavalidinterpretation?QUESTION:Whatproblemsaresuggestedbythereading?Whatphilosophicalquestion(s)doesthereadinginspire?SYNTHESIZE:Howdoesthisreadingcompareorcontrastincontent/formwithwhatyou'vereadbefore?EVALUATE:Thewriting.Whatcriteriadoyouusetoestablishthisjudgment?Whatdefinesafirstratepoem,play,storyetc?Example:fromTheElderEdda,"WordsoftheHighOne"

Thecowardbelieveshewillliveforever

Ifheholdsbackinthebattle.

Butinoldageheshallhavenopeace

Thoughspearshavesparedhislimbs. Cattledie,kindreddie,

Everymanismortal:

ButIknowonethingthatneverdies,

Thegloryofthegreatdeed. (ThePoeticEddaisacollectionofOldNorsepoemsfromtheIcelandic mediaevalmanuscript

CodexRegius.13thcentury.)ElderEdda-2ANALYZE,LITERALMEANING(paraphrase):Thisexcerpttellsusthatonlycowardswouldthinktosavetheirownlivesratherthanfightthebattletotheend.Butsurvivingthus,thecowardwillnothaveanypieceofmind;he'llbetormentedrightintooldage.It'sbettertodie,sinceeverylivingthingismortalanyway.Butthegreatdeedisimmortal.So,it'sbettertodieinbattleandpossiblyachievegreatdeedsratherthanpreservemortallife.ElderEdda-3INTERPRET,SYMBOLICMEANINGThebattlemaybesymbolicoflifeitself.Justlivinglifemaybeabattlebut,thispoettellsus,onlycowardschoosetoturntheirbackonit.Ifweletlifepassusbyandnotseizethemomentthenwe'llhavenothinginoldagebutregrets.Bettertoperformthe‘greatdeeds’withoutfearofloss.Lifeanddeathalsoequatedwithsuccessandfailure,lovingandlosing,sadnessandhappinessetc.QUESTIONWhatare‘greatdeeds’?Personally,culturally,historically?ElderEdda-4SYNTHESIZE(excerptfromHomer’sTheIliad,BookIX) Ofpossessionscattleandfatsheeparethingstobehadforthelifting,

andtripodscanbewon,andthetawnyhighheadsofhorses,

butaman'slifecannotcomebackagain,itcannotbelifted

norcapturedagainbyforce,onceithascrossedtheteeth'sbarrier.

FormymotherThetisthegoddessofthesilverfeettellsme

Icarrytwosortsofdestinytowardthedayofmydeath.Either,

ifIstayhereandfightbesidethecityoftheTrojans,

myreturnhomeisgone,butmygloryshallbeeverlasting;

butifIreturnhometothebelovedlandofmyfathers,

theexcellenceofmygloryisgone,buttherewillbealonglife

leftforme,andmyendindeathwillnotcometomequickly.

Andthiswouldbemycounseltoothersalso,tosailback

homeagain…(Achilles’responsetoOdysseus)EVALUATESamuelJohnsononShakespeare-1Toworks,however,ofwhichtheexcellenceisnotabsoluteanddefinite,butgradualandcomparative;toworksnotraiseduponprinciplesdemonstrativeandscientifick,butappealingwhollytoobservationandexperience,noothertestcanbeappliedthanlengthofdurationandcontinuanceofesteem.Whatmankindhavelongpossessedtheyhaveoftenexaminedandcompared,andiftheypersisttovaluethepossession,itisbecausefrequentcomparisonshaveconfirmedopinioninitsfavour.AsamongtheworksofnaturenomancanproperlycallariverdeeporamountainSamuelJohnsononShakespeare-2high,withouttheknowledgeofmanymountainsandmanyrivers;sointheproductionsofgenius,nothingcanbestiledexcellenttillithasbeencomparedwithotherworksofthesamekind.Demonstrationimmediatelydisplaysitspower,andhasnothingtohopeorfearfromthefluxofyears;butworkstentativeandexperimentalmu