Writing About Literature: Essay and Translation Skills for University Students of English and Foreign Literature

by Woolf; Judith

• ISBN13: 9780415314442
• ISBN10: 0415314445
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-07-13
• Publisher: RoutledgeFalmer

Summary

Writing about Literature combines detailed practical and scholarly advice with a sense of the scope and creative possibilities of literary criticism, empowering the student reader to make his or her own discoveries and experiments with language. In addition, it gives valuable guidance on adult language learning and translation skills for students of foreign literature. This handy, accessible guide covers all aspects of the essay-writing process, including: preliminary reading and choosing and researching a topic referencing and presentation computer use style, structure, vocabulary, grammar and spelling the art and craft of writing scholarly and personal insights into the problems and pleasures of writing about literature. Written in an entertaining and informative way and containing a wealth of practical advice and scholarly insights, this wise, witty and helpful book should be on every literature student's bookshelf.

Author Biography

Judith Woolf is a Senior Lecturer at the University of York, where she teaches English and Italian literature.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. x
Introduction	p. 1
Reading	p. 5
Texts and their contexts	p. 5
Critical reading	p. 18
Reading the critics	p. 22
Background reading	p. 23
Research	p. 27
Looking things up	p. 27
Dictionaries	p. 28
Biblical references	p. 30
Classical references	p. 31
Oral literature	p. 32
General knowledge	p. 32
Trusting the author	p. 34
Libraries and librarians	p. 35
Searching on-line	p. 36
Using Google	p. 37
Serendipity	p. 41
Essay topics	p. 42
Choosing your own topic	p. 42
Set topics and exam questions	p. 42
The desert island essay	p. 43
Structure	p. 44
Notes and drafts	p. 44
Arguing a case	p. 45
Writing	p. 47
Style	p. 47
Words, plain and lacy	p. 51
Jargon and theory-speak	p. 53
Slips and solecisms	p. 57
Mixing your metaphors	p. 63
How to quote	p. 65
How not to give offence	p. 67
Titles	p. 70
Naming your author	p. 71
Making yourself clear	p. 72
Some common bad advice	p. 75
'Tell the examiners what they want to know'	p. 75
'Quote sparingly'	p. 75
'Never say I'	p. 76
'An essay should have a beginning, a middle and an end'	p. 76
Spelling, punctuation and grammar	p. 78
Spelling	p. 78
Dealing with dyslexia	p. 82
Punctuation and syntax	p. 84
Grammar	p. 105
Further reading	p. 113
Foreign languages and literature	p. 115
Languages without Mr Casaubon	p. 115
Real-life language learning	p. 118
Vocabulary and grammar	p. 127
The translator's craft	p. 136
Preparing for translation exams	p. 140
Referencing	p. 141
Due acknowledgment	p. 141
Footnotes and bibliographies	p. 142
Presentation	p. 150
Studying your academic reader	p. 150
All about layout	p. 151
Proof-reading	p. 152
Safety in cyberspace	p. 153
Holding it all together	p. 154
Handwriting in closed exams	p. 155
Will-power	p. 157
Notes	p. 160
Bibliography	p. 166
Index	p. 168
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.