Writing About Literature - Brief

by Roberts, Edgar V.

• ISBN13: 9780131540569
• ISBN10: 0131540564
• Edition: 11th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-11
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Writing about Literatureserves as a hands-on guide for writing about literature, thus justifying the integration of literature and composition. The reading of literature encourages students to think, and the use of literary topics gives instructors a viable way to combine writing and literary study.

Table of Contents

To the Instructor	ix
Chapter 1 Preliminary: The Process of Reading, Responding to, and Writing About Literature	1	(52)
What Is Literature, and Why Do We Study It?	1	(1)
Types of Literature: The Genres	2	(2)
Reading Literature and Responding to It Actively	4	(9)
GUY DE MAUPASSANT, The Necklace	5	(8)
Reading and Responding in a Notebook or Computer File	13	(3)
Writing Essays on Literary Topics	16	(1)
The Goal of Writing: To Show a Process of Thought	17	(1)
Three Major Stages in Thinking and Writing: Discovering Ideas, Making Initial Drafts, and Completing the Essay	18	(1)
Discovering Ideas ("Brainstorming")	18	(6)
Assembling Materials and Beginning to Write	24	(3)
Drafting Your Essay	27	(3)
Writing a First Draft	30	(1)
Developing an Outline	31	(3)
The Use of References and Quotations in Writing About Literature	34	(6)
Illustrative Essay (First Draft): How Setting in "The Necklace" Is Related to the Character of Mathilde	39	(1)
Developing and Strengthening Your Essay Through Revision	40	(4)
Checking Development and Organization	44	(2)
Using Exact, Comprehensive, and Forceful Language	46	(5)
Illustrative Essay (Revised Draft): How Maupassant Uses Setting in "The Necklace" to Show the Character of Mathilde	49	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	51	(1)
Essay Commentaries	51	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing the Writing Process	52	(1)
Chapter 2 Writing About a Close Reading: Analyzing Entire Short Poems or Selected Short Passages from Fiction, Longer Poems, and Plays	53	(11)
The Purpose and Requirements of a Close-Reading Essay	53	(1)
The Location of the Passage in a Longer Work	54	(1)
Writing About the Close Reading of a Passage in a Prose Work, Drama, or Longer Poem	55	(3)
Illustrative Essay: Reading a Passage in Mark Twain's "Luck"	56	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	58	(1)
Writing an Essay on the Close Reading of a Poem	59	(4)
Illustrative Essay: A Close Reading of Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed"	61	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	63	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing the Close Reading of Literary Works	63	(1)
Chapter 3 Writing About Character: The People in Literature	64	(13)
Character Traits	64	(1)
How Authors Disclose Character in Literature	65	(2)
Types of Characters: Round and Flat	67	(2)
Reality and Probability: Verisimilitude	69	(2)
Writing About Character	71	(4)
Illustrative Essay: The Character of Minnie Wright in Susan Glaspell's Trifles	73	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	75	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Character	75	(2)
Chapter 4 Writing About Point of View: The Position or Stance of the Work's Narrator or Speaker	77	(16)
An Exercise in Point of View: Reporting an Accident	78	(1)
Conditions That Affect Point of View	79	(1)
Determining a Work's Point of View	80	(4)
Mingling Points of View	84	(1)
Summary: Guidelines for Point of View	84	(2)
Writing About Point of View	86	(5)
Illustrative Essay: Bierce's Control of Point of View in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" 89
Commentary on the Essay	91	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Point of View	92	(1)
Chapter 5 Writing About Plot and Structure: The Development and Organization of Narratives and Drama	93	(16)
Plot: The Motivation and Causation of Narratives and Plays	93	(2)
Writing About the Plot of a Story or Play	95	(3)
Illustrative Essay (on Plot): Conflicting Values in Thomas Hardy's "The Three Strangers"	96	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	98	(1)
Structure: The Organization of Fiction, Poetry, and Drama	98	(1)
Formal Categories of Structure	99	(1)
Formal and Actual Structure	100	(4)
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Sonnet 73: That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold	102	(2)
Writing About Structure in Fiction, Poetry, and Drama	104	(3)
Illustrative Essay (on Structure): Conflict and Suspense in Thomas Hardy's "The Three Strangers"	105	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	107	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Plot and Structure	108	(1)
Chapter 6 Writing About Setting: The Background of Place, Objects, and Culture in Literature	109	(10)
What Is Setting?	109	(1)
The Importance of Setting in Literature	110	(3)
Writing About Setting	113	(3)
Illustrative Essay: Poe's Use of Interior Setting to Augment the Eeriness of "The Masque of the Red Death"	115	(1)
Commentary on the Essay	116	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Setting	117	(2)
Chapter 7 Writing About an Idea or a Theme: The Meanings and the Messages in Literature	119	(10)
Ideas and Assertions	119	(1)
Ideas and Values	120	(1)
The Place of Ideas in Literature	120	(1)
How to Find Ideas	121	(3)
Writing About a Major Idea in Literature	124	(3)
Illustrative Essay: The Idea of Love's Power in Chekhov's The Bear	126	(1)
Commentary on the Essay	127	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Ideas	128	(1)
Chapter 8 Writing About Symbolism and Allegory: Keys to Extended Meaning	129	(15)
Symbolism	129	(2)
Allegory	131	(1)
Fable, Parable, and Myth	132	(1)
Allusion in Symbolism and Allegory	133	(1)
Writing About Symbolism and Allegory	134	(5)
Illustrative Essay: Symbolism in William Butler Yeats's "The Second Coming"	137	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	139	(3)
Illustrative Essay: The Allegory of Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"	139	(3)
Commentary on the Essay	142	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Symbolism and Allegory	142	(2)
Chapter 9 Writing About a Work in Its Historical, Intellectual, and Cultural Context	144	(11)
History, Culture, and Multiculturalism	145	(1)
Literature in Its Time and Place	146	(1)
Writing About a Work in Its Historical and Cultural Context	146	(6)
Illustrative Essay: Hughes's References to Black Servitude and Black Pride in "Negro"	151	(1)
Commentary on the Essay	152	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Works in Their Historical, Intellectual, and Cultural Context	153	(2)
Chapter 10 Writing Essays of Comparison-Contrast and Extended Comparison-Contrast: Learning by Seeing Literary Works Together	155	(15)
Guidelines for the Comparison-Contrast Method	156	(3)
The Extended Comparison-Contrast Essay	159	(1)
Writing a Comparison-Contrast Essay	160	(4)
Illustrative Essay (Comparing and Contrasting Two Works): The Implication of "Westward" in Wordsworth's "Stepping Westward" and Donne's "Good Friday, 1613, Riding Westward"	162	(2)
Commentary on the Essay	164	(4)
Illustrative Essay (Extended Comparison-Contrast): Literary Treatments of Conflicts Between Private and Public Life	165	(3)
Commentary on the Essay	168	(1)
Special Topics for Studying and Discussing Comparison and Contrast	169	(1)
Appendix A Writing Examinations on Literature	170	(11)
Appendix B Critical Approaches Important in the Study of Literature	181	(14)
Appendix C MLA Recommendations for Documenting Electronic Sources	195	(4)
Appendix D Works Used for References and Illustrative Essays	199	(1)
Stories
AMBROSE BIERCE, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge	199	(6)
KATE CHOPIN, The Story of an Hour	205	(1)
ANITA SCOTT COLEMAN, Unfinished Masterpieces	206	(2)
THOMAS HARDY, The Three Strangers	208	(14)
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, Young Goodman Brown	222	(8)
KATHERINE MANSFIELD, Miss Brill	230
GUY DE MAUPASSANT, The Necklace [in Chapter 1]	5	(228)
FRANK O'CONNOR, First Confession	233	(5)
EDGAR ALLAN POE, The Masque of the Red Death	238	(4)
MARK TWAIN, Luck	242	(3)
Poems
MATTHEW ARNOLD, Dover Beach	245	(1)
WILLIAM BLAKE, The Tyger	246	(1)
ROBERT BROWNING, My Last Duchess	246	(2)
JOHN DONNE, Good Friday, 1613, Riding Westward	248	(1)
ROBERT FROST, Desert Places	249	(1)
ROBERT FROST, The Road Not Taken	249	(1)
THOMAS HARDY, Channel Firing	250	(1)
THOMAS HARDY, The Man He Killed	251	(1)
LANGSTON HUGHES, Negro	251	(1)
JOHN KEATS, Bright Star	252	(1)
IRVING LAYTON, Rhine Boat Trip	252	(1)
AMY LOWELL, Patterns	253	(2)
WILFRED OWEN, Anthem for Doomed Youth	255	(1)
DUDLEY RANDALL, Ballad of Birmingham	256	(1)
CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, Echo	257	(1)
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Sonnet 30: When to the Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought	257
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Sonnet 73: That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold [in Chapter 5]	102	(156)
SHELLY WAGNER, The Boxes	258	(1)
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH, Stepping Westward	259	(1)
WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS, The Second Coming	260	(1)
Plays
ANTON CHEKHOV, The Bear	261	(8)
SUSAN GLASPELL, Trifles	269	(9)
A Glossary of Important Literary Terms	278	(9)
Acknowledgments	287	(1)
Index of Authors and Titles, Topics, Directors, Producers, and Chapter Titles	288