Thinking and Writing About Literature

by Michael Meyer

• ISBN13: 9780312111663
• ISBN10: 0312111665
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 1995-02-15
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

This concise and inexpensive guide to reading and writing about fiction, poetry, and drama is illustrated with student examples and well-chosen literary selections. It covers finding and documenting sources as well as writing the literary research paper and offers a unique introduction to eight major critical strategies for approaching literature.

Table of Contents

Preface for Instructors	v
Reading and Writing	1	(17)
The Purpose and Value of Writing about Literature	1	(2)
Reading the Work Closely	3	(1)
Annotating the Text and Journal Note Taking	3	(2)
Choosing a Topic	5	(2)
Developing a Thesis	7	(2)
Arguing About Literature	9	(1)
Organizing a Paper	10	(2)
Writing a Draft	12	(3)
Revising and Editing	15	(2)
Manuscript Form	17	(1)
Types of Writing Assignments	18	(27)
Explication	18	(5)
There's a certain Slant of light	19	(1)
Emily Dickinson
A Sample Explication: A Reading of Dickinson's ``There's certain Slant of light''	20	(3)
Analysis	23	(10)
A & P	24	(5)
John Updike
A Sample analysis: The A & P as a State of Mind	29	(4)
Comparison and Contrast	33	(12)
To His Coy Mistress	36	(1)
Andrew Marvell
A Fine, a Private Place	37	(2)
Diane Ackerman
A Sample Comparison: Marvell and Ackerman Seize the Day	39	(6)
Reading and Writing about Fiction	45	(10)
Responding to Fiction	45	(4)
The Story of an Hour	46	(3)
Kate Chopin
Questions for Writing about Fiction	49	(6)
From Hard Times	52	(1)
Charles Dickens
A Sample Character Analysis: Character Revealed in Four Paragraphs	53	(2)
Reading and Writing about Poetry	55	(15)
Responding to Poetry	55	(3)
The Secretary Chant	55	(1)
Marge Piercy
Those Winter Sundays	56	(1)
Robert Hayden
Dog's Death	57	(1)
John Updike
Understanding the Pleasure of Words	58	(3)
Oh, Oh	59	(2)
William Hathaway
Catch	61	(1)
Robert Francis
Suggestions for Approaching Poetry	61	(3)
Questions for Writing About Poetry	64	(6)
A Sample Analysis: ``Catch'': On ``Tossing a Poem Together''	65	(5)
Reading and Writing about Drama	70	(24)
Responding to Drama	70	(13)
Trifles	73	(10)
Susan Glaspell
Understanding the Elements of Drama	83	(3)
Questions for Writing about Drama	86	(8)
A Sample Comparison: Reclaiming the Self in Trifles and A Doll House	88	(6)
Critical Strategies for Reading and Writing	94	(44)
Critical Thinking	94	(2)
The Literary Canon: Diversity and Controversy	96	(2)
Formalist Strategies	98	(2)
Biographical Strategies	100	(2)
Psychological Strategies	102	(2)
Historical Strategies	104	(2)
Sociological Strategies, Including Marxist and Feminist Strategies	106	(2)
Mythological Strategies	108	(2)
Reader-Response Strategies	110	(2)
Deconstructionist Strategies	112	(2)
Selected Bibliography	114	(4)
Perspectives on Critical Reading	118	(12)
Against Interpretation	118	(1)
Susan Sontag
On What Makes an Interpretation Acceptable	119	(2)
Stanley Fish
On the Commitments of Feminist Criticism	121	(1)
Annette Kolodny
New Criticism and Deconstructionism: Two Attitudes in Teaching Poetry	122	(3)
Andrew P. Debicki
Should We Study King Kong or King Lear?	125	(3)
Harriet Hawkins
The Canon and Liberal Arts Education	128	(2)
Henry A. Giroux
Questions for Critical Reading and Writing	130	(8)
A Sample Reader-Response Analysis: Differences in Responses to Kate Chopin's ``The Story of an Hour''	133	(5)
Studying an Author in Depth	138	(12)
Emily Dickinson	138	(5)
``Faith'' is a fine invention	142	(1)
Emily Dickinson
I know that He exists	142	(1)
Emily Dickinson
I never saw a Moor---	143	(1)
Emily Dickinson
Apparently with no surprise	143	(1)
Emily Dickinson
Questions for Writing about an Author in Depth	143	(7)
A Sample In-Depth Study: Religious Faith in Four Poems	145	(5)
Emily Dickinson
The Literary Research Paper	150	(20)
Choosing a Topic	151	(1)
Finding Sources	151	(2)
Evaluating Sources and Taking Notes	153	(2)
Developing a Thesis and Organizing the Paper	155	(1)
Revising	156	(1)
Documenting Sources	156	(14)
Mending Wall	161	(1)
Robert Frost
A Sample Research Paper: Defining Identity in ``Mending Wall''	162	(8)
Taking Essay Examinations	170	(5)
Preparing for an Essay Exam	170	(1)
Types of Exams	171	(2)
Strategies for Writing Essay Exams	173	(2)
Glossary of Literary Terms	175