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what are the oldest surviving hermeneutic texts?
Mesopotamian commentaries (8th century BC)
define literary history
history of production and reception of literature (media, genre)
define literary theory
theoretical reflections on literature's nature and study methods
define literary critisism
analysis and interpretation with histroy and theory information
what was before literary analysis?
biblical hermeneutics (1500)
What is Renaissance humanism?
an intellectual movement typified by a revived interest in the classical world and studies which focussed not on religion but on what it is to be human.
--> the literary analysis of ancient Latin and Greek texts
becomming modern?
Adam Smith and Hugh Blair's lectures on "Rethoric and Belles Lettres" at the University of Edinburgh (1760s)
what is meant with the term "English literary tradition"
constructing a national past that suits the imperial present (19th century)
what does the first half of the 20th century focus on?
literary form, literary language and close textual analysis
what does the second half of the 20th century focus on?
political and social function
Name 5 authors who are on the 19th century reading list
William Shakespeare
William Wordsworth
Lord Byron
John Keats
John Milton
Name 5 authors who are on the 21st century reading list
William Shakespeare
Jane Austen 🌸
J.K. Rowling ⚡️
Lord Byron
Virginia Woolf
branches of literary studies practiced today
defining literature
- drama
- poetry
- prose
--> set of texts whose purpose includes, but extends beyond, communication, in which the language itself is as much a part of the end product as is the content.
--> distinction between oral, written and audio-visual media of transmission
fictionality
"fiction" derived from Latin fingere (to form, to invent)
literary texts often engage self-reflexively with the boundary between fiction and reality
examples: Alice in Wonderland vs. the Mediterrean
define mimesis
used in literary critisism - carries a wide range of meanings, the act of expression and the presentation of the self
Aristotle's view on mimesis
literature gives us probable truth that resonates with the experiences of readers
Plato's view on mimesis
literature creates false realities; can corrupt readers
historicising the concept of "ficionality"
- people understood meaning in different points of time
- codes & conventions changed over time
- often played between reality and friction
example: Robinson Crusoe
literary "self-reflexivity"
feature of texts that reflect on their own status as carefully crafted artworks & fictions
biographies vs autobiographies
what are hybrid genres?
combination of fact & fiction
examples: Charles Darwin - Voyage of the Beagle
define pragmatic discourse
discourse meaning texts that give directions for specific actions
define non-pragmatic discourse
meaning texts that aren't made to give practical information; attention given to structure, form, language
example: travel diary vs. travel guide
do non-fictional texts qualify as literature?
yes, they do - IF they are written in an artistic manner that pays attention to form, structure and language
define canon
a set of literary texts that are widely recognized for their importance, influence, originality and stylistic brilliance
historicising the canon
the canon isn't static
--> reflects the historical development of our discipline
understanding the politics of the canon
canon debates are always informed by ideas about the function of literature in a society & by this society's values
why is the canon controversial?
important decision: which texts should be part of the canon?
what's the high-brow genre?
genre that carries cultural prestige
examples: Orlando - Virginia Woolf
what's the low-brow genre?
genre that is seen as less prestigious
examples: Twilight
canon formation - for what?
- for setting limits upon masses of material that could be included in the studies
- creates a frame for cultural reference therefore helps younger writers to engage with earlier works
example: Harry Potter and the genre of the school story
historicising the canon
the canon changes as our sense of literary value shifts
example: Dracula