...Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces Monique Dean ENG/106 August 21, 2012 Ann Francis Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces Montaigne is known as one of the most prolific authors throughout history. His works are largely based upon his life, a life that began in the 1500’s. One of the more fascinating facts about Montaigne is that he had an absolutely horrible memory. This goes on throughout many of his books, he holds nothing back speaking about how he is just an ordinary person and not perfect. Even with his memory failures and other shortfalls, there have been many successful writers and readers all over who admired and looked to him as someone they aspire to be. Early Writers Montaigne was not known for being a follower however; he did have those who he admired throughout his life. He was a huge fan of Socrates. Socrates usually made it known that there were many things that he did not know. Montaigne adopted this mindset as well, and is known for asking the question, “What do I know” (Laundry, 2011)? “Unlike Socrates, his is not the mastering of nature by reason, the subordination of the outer self by the intellect, but a bringing into balance of the inner and outer self” (Losse, 2002). Montaigne would also provide most of the information in his essays on himself, and his situations as they relate to his life. This is why most considered him to be a bit of a skeptic. Montaigne also had his favorites that...
Words: 1191 - Pages: 5
...University of Phoenix Material Literary Masterpieces Matrix Complete the following matrix for each of the cultural periods that are shown. Provide examples from at least two (2) literary works to illustrate your entries in each category. If discussing contemporary literature, for example, a thematic focus might be relationship of mainstream with minority literatures and your examples incorporate Rushdie' and Cronin's works. Your entries in these columns must go beyond a few words or a simple bullet point. There is no required minimum word length, but you must go into sufficient detail to demonstrate your comprehension of these literary components. This assignment is designed to be completed throughout the course. It is easier to complete when approached this way; it also functions better as a foundation for your Learning Team paper—The Literary Masterpiece in Contemporary Society Paper—due in Week Five. Note. Ancient and classical literature are grouped together in the first week's readings, but they are separated here to sharpen your understanding of the distinctions between the two periods. | |Thematic Focus |Literary Qualities |Shared Characteristics |Influence of Earlier | | | | | |Periods | |Ancient Literature |The book of Genesis has |Genesis is mainly written |Both books are heavily...
Words: 1199 - Pages: 5
...The Renaissance & Baroque Arts The Renaissance, also known as the period of “rebirth”, directly followed the Middle Ages. Some considered the Renaissance period as a bridge from the “Dark Ages” to the modern era or the “light”. This period in history lasted about four centuries—late 13th century to the early 17th century— featuring “a revival of classical art, literature, philosophy, architecture, and learning” and introduced some of “the finest artists and intellectual achievements in the history of the Western humanities” such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo Buonarroti (MindEdge, 2013). Renaissance art is traced back to Italy where artists and scholars looked to the ancient Greco-Roman culture for inspiration by reviving the language, values, and traditions that were lost after “the fall of the Roman Empire in the sixth century” (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). Furthermore, Renaissance artists added individuality to their works through portraying “beauty and mystery of the natural world” (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). Most of the art produced during this time showcased religious imagery, completed mostly as Catholic Mass altarpieces. Artists around these times were sponsored by patrons of the arts such as The Catholic Church and affluent families such as the Medici family in Florence. Political permanence, growing wealth, and technological advancements are some of the social conditions that may have contributed to the arts of the Renaissance...
Words: 1100 - Pages: 5
...http://www.historytoday.com/jerome-de-groot/signposts-historical-fiction These were some of the questions raised at a recent conference at the Institute of Historical Research at which History Today Editor, Paul Lay, hosted a discussion between Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall, and the Tudor historian David Loades. Historians often describe themselves as detectives, seeking out a kind of truth among the conflicting evidence of the past. There is, furthermore, a large and growing subgenre of historical crime fiction. From C.J. Sansom to Philip Pullman, from Orhan Pamuk to Walter Mosley, from Ellis Peters to Boris Akunin, novelists have been keen to use the past as a backdrop for their stories of detection and mystery. The most famous historical detective might be Brother William of Baskerville in Umberto Eco’s peerless The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa, 1980). Recently we have seen a flowering of historical crime fiction as the subgenre attains maturity and becomes increasingly popular and innovative. Jason Goodwin, Philip Kerr and Susan Hill were all shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers Association Dagger this year (recent historical winners include Arianna Franklin, Jake Arnott and Craig Russell). Clearly the combination of thriller, crime and historical detail is compelling. Anne Perry’s new Inspector Pitt novel, Betrayal at Lisson Grove (out in paperback from Headline this year) is a pacy, twisting thriller. It is 1895 and Pitt is up against a conspiracy...
Words: 5212 - Pages: 21
...ASSIGNMENT MODERNIST SHORT STORY Submitted By: Steffy Johnson 11/PELA/026 INTRODUCTION Modernist literature is the literary expression of the tendencies of Modernism, especially High modernism. Modernistic art and literature normally revolved around the idea of individualism, mistrust of institutions mainly government and religion, and the disbelief of any absolute truths. Modernism as a literary movement reached its height in Europe between 1900 and the middle 1920s. Modernist literature addressed to aesthetic problems and can be viewed largely in terms of its formal, stylistic and semantic movement away from Romanticism, examining subject matter that is traditionally mundane. It often features a marked pessimism, a clear rejection of the optimism apparent in Victorian literature. It attempted to move from the bonds of Realist literature and to introduce concepts such as disjointed timelines. Modernism as a literary movement is seen, in large part, as a reaction to the emergence of city life as a central force in society. Furthermore, an early attention to the object as freestanding became in later Modernism a preoccupation with form. Modernist writers were more acutely conscious of the objectivity of their surroundings. The most prominent modernist authors are: T. S. Eliot, W. B. Yeats, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, E. M. Forster, Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad, Franz Kafka, Knut Hamsun, Gertrude Stein, Mikhail Bulgakov, MarcelProust, John Steinbeck...
Words: 2124 - Pages: 9
...the influential masterpieces in the literary world are undeniably, from Western Literature. Those that shaped most of the modern day thinking are found in books that belong to the Western Literary Canon. Any literary work can be considered as Western Literature as long as it is written in the context of Western Culture, in the languages of Europe and some other Indo-European languages. Tales of frontier heroes Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett set the stage for the Western hero and the Lewis and Clark Expedition written in the early nineteenth century gave readers some of their first visions of the landscape and native peoples of the West. Later explorers added to the colorful picture of the West. However, as the realities of the West changed, so did the focus of writers who used the West as subject and symbol. Land became less available and the uses of land came into question. The environmental movement led to a reevaluation of humanity’s relationship to nature. As the region was settled a mix of cultures came into play. Writers now have come to emphasize the complexity of Western life, rather than its simplicity. Contemporary Westerns sound with more diverse voices than ever before. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, he writes about his dark vision of the future. It may not just be of the future of the West, but the way of thinking and system portrayed are particularly Western in nature. A lot of terms coined in this novel are also use widely already in the modern day English language...
Words: 2722 - Pages: 11
...of years, mythology has provided objects for much of the world’s vast art. Myths and mythological characters have enthused masterpieces of composition, literature, sculpture and architecture. By studying myths, you can study how diverse societies have answered primary questions about the world and the individuals place in it. As individuals, the study of myths shows us how urbanized a meticulous communal system is with the conduct of life. By investigative myths, people can understand the feelings and principles that combine members of society into one group. Comparing the myths of a variety of cultures to determine how they are diverse and how they remind you of one another can also, show understanding on how people behave. For at least 2,000 years, scholars have speculated about how myths began. Some consider myths began as historical events that became unclear with the line of time. Others think myths resulted from an effort to explain natural occurrences that people could not value. Scholars have also urbanized others theories of how myths began. These theories answers all the questions about myths, but each contributes to an understanding of the subject. Today, people have methodical answers theories for many such questions about the world around them, also the usual events in terms of stories about gods, goddesses, and heroes. In the early days each society urbanized its own myths, which played a significant part in the society’s religious life. Most myths are...
Words: 1031 - Pages: 5
...Today’s modern day vampire is considered one of the most notorious and iconic figures all over the world. With the steady stream of vampire novels, films, and television shows being produced, it is fair to say that the vampire has become the dark horse of literature, every enthusiasts dream. Yet this wasn’t always the case, because vampires were once considered the stuff of nightmares. Every culture has stories of these once terrifying ‘bloodsucking demons’ that, according to literary historian Brian Frost, “may go back to prehistoric times”. However, many of the myths surrounding such creatures emerged mainly during the 18th century particularly arising in Eastern Europe in areas such as Serbia, Roma, and Slovakia. The major paradigm shift from the early 19th century to the early 21st century is a complete change in attitude and definition of a vampire from a terrifying creature of the night to a romantic and beautiful almost-human, resulting from a change in religious and societal beliefs. These myths sparked a mass hysteria throughout most the 18th century, with frequent reported sightings of alleged vampires. Most famous of which was the case of Serbian peasant Arnold Paole who is believed to be the first man accused of being a vampire (Marx). It was supposed he had killed 17 people from his village during the night, later returning to his coffin. Government officials who ordered his coffin to be opened believed at the time the body (which looked perfectly fine apart from...
Words: 2737 - Pages: 11
...Top Ten Assignment The Enlightenment and Romanic Ages produced numerous masterpieces in art, music, architecture, and literature which people still enjoy today. These opus magnums along with the philosophies during the two periods are reflections of the developments in world events and cultural patterns. This paper will present two pieces of art, music, architecture, literature, and philosophy from the Enlightenment and Romanic Ages that best represents the developments patterns from that time. Philosophy in the Enlightenment Age focused on an individual’s right to life and liberty. One example of a philosopher from this age is Thomas Jefferson. He famously wrote the Declaration of Independence (1776) that the Continental Congress signed declaring the United States free from the oppression of England. The document begins with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (us history, 2013). Another such example of philosophy during the Enlightenment Age are the works of Thomas Paine. He wrote two of the most highly influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution. One such pamphlet is Common Sense (1776) (us history, 2011) the all-time bestselling book that advocates America’s independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine were chosen as examples because we believe the Declaration...
Words: 1558 - Pages: 7
...Prevailing Philosophies and Psychosocial Dimensions of Philippine Contemporary Novels in English Chapter I – Introduction Philippine contemporary novels or literature in general is an offshoot of the Philippine-American War or what is coined as the Philippine War of Independence which transpired from 1899 to 1902. As early as 1863, the Spanish colonizers have introduced the public elementary school system to the Philippines. During the American colonization, U.S. soldiers have started layering down the bricks as foundation of the public school system in the Philippines when they opened the first public school in the Philippines at Corregidor Island. On January 21, 1901, the Taft Commission headed by William Howard Taft, passed the Education Act No. 34 that incepted the Department of Public Instruction. William Howard Taft was also given the responsibility of expanding the public school system in and around the Philippines. On August 21, 1901; around 600 American educators or “Thomasites” were sent to the Philippines by the U.S Government aboard the USAT Thomas whose main purpose is to integrate a new and expanded public school system, to train and hone Filipino teachers with the use of English as the primary medium of instruction, and to inculcate basic education to Filipinos. The American educators taught an extensive curriculum which cover subjects on English, Grammar, Reading, Mathematics, Agriculture, Housekeeping and Related Arts (cooking, sewing, and crocheting),...
Words: 3124 - Pages: 13
...Miguel Graham May 1, 2015 Renaissance to Modern Art Dr. Dwight Smith What I’ve Learned in Renaissance to Modern Art I’ve learned so much information in the class titled “Renaissance to Modern Art” and I want to start off with my new found knowledge of Art History. According to Wikipedia, the history of art is “the history of any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, expressing ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview.” This field of "art history" was developed in the Western world, and originally was focused solely on European art history. Gradually, over the course of the 20th century, a wider vision of art history has developed. Thus, art history is now viewed to encompass all visual art, from the sculptures in Western Europe to the paintings in China. Also according to this source, the history of art is often told as a chronology of masterpieces created in each civilization. It is said that the Wonders of the World are the epitome of high culture through the stories that are conveyed. Art history spans the entire history of humankind, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century. No matter what you choose to observe, you can find visual arts that challenge someone’s creative side and inspire them to find beauty in the things manmade. In modern times, art history has emerged as a discipline that specializes in teaching people how to evaluate and interpret works of art based on their...
Words: 1761 - Pages: 8
...1. Literature of the 17th century. John Milton. “Paradise Lost”. John Bunyan. “Pilgrim’s Progress”. The peculiarities of the English literature of the 17th century are determined by the events of the Engl. Bourgeois Revolution, which took place in 1640-60. King Charles I was beheaded in 1649& General Oliver Cromwell became the leader of the new government. In 1660, shortly after Cro-ll’s death, the dynasty of the Stuarts was restored. The establishment of new social&eco-ic relations, the change from feudal to bourgeois ownership, escalating class-struggle, liberation movement and contradictions of the bourgeois society found their reflection in lit-re. The main representatives of this period is: John Milton: was born in London&educated at Christ’s College. He lived a pure life believing that he had a great purpose to complete. At college he was known as the The Lady of Christ’s. he Got master’s degree at Cambridge. It’s convenient to consider his works in 3 divisions. At first he wrote his short poems at Horton. (The Passion, Song on May Morning, L’Allegro). Then he wrote mainly prose. His 3 greatest poems belong to his last group. At the age of 23 he had still done little in life&he admits this in one of his sonnets. (On his 23d B-day) In his another sonnet he wrote on his own blindness. (On his Blindness) Milton wrote diff. kinds of works. His prose works were mainly concerned with church, affairs, divorce & freedom. The English civil war between Charles...
Words: 10397 - Pages: 42
...Interwar Years 13 British Postwar Literature 19 Conclusion 27 References 29 Introduction The 20th century seems to be the most dramatic and unique: it witnessed two world wars and great social, economic and political changes. All this events could not but find their reflection in the arts in general and in the literature in particular. The urgency of the work is determined by the complexity of the period considered and variety of forms and trends which appeared during the century. The object of the project is British literature. The aim of the project is to consider the peculiarities and distinct features of the British literature of the 20th century. In order to gain the project’s aim, during its implementation the following practical issues were studied: - the most distinguished writers of the period; - their contribution to development of the British literature; - key topics. The project’s aim and issues considered predetermined the choice of methods of research. During the project’s implementation the following methods were used: critical survey of the sources on the issue considered, as well as comparison and analysis. Theoretical value of the project is constituted by the analysis of the peculiarities and distinct features of the British literature of the 20th century. Practical value of the project is predetermined by the possibility to use it in practice in courses of world and British history and literature. The project’s aim and issues considered...
Words: 9384 - Pages: 38
...Flores 1 Antonio Flores English 2333 Final Essay May 10th, 2010 Topic #1: Describe some characteristics of literature in the 20th century and illustrate these characteristics using the texts studied in class. Okay let’s start with William Butler Yeats, who was not only the main figure in the Irish literary renaissance but also the twentieth century’s greatest poet in the English language. Yeats constantly uses allusive imagery and large symbolic structures. Yeats adopted a cyclical model of history which he created a private mythology that allowed him to come to terms with both cultural and personal pain. This model also helped explain the symptoms of the Western civilization’s declining spiral; the plight of contemporary Irish society and the chaos of European culture around World War 1. Yeats shares with writers like Rilke and T. S. Eliot the quest for larger meaning in a time of trouble and the use of symbolic language to give verbal form to that quest. For many years it is Yeats’s mastery of images that defines his work. From his early use of symbols as private keys, or dramatic metaphors for complex personal emotions, to the immense cosmology of his last work, he continued to create a highly visual poetry whose power derives from the dramatic interweaving of specific images. One of his poems called When You Are Old pleads his love for the beautiful actress and Irish nationalist Maud Gonne, whom he met in 1889 and who repeatedly refused to...
Words: 1849 - Pages: 8
...The dominant artistic movement from about 1900 to 1940, modernism was characterized by the reexamination of existence from every possible angle. Modernist writers sought to leave the traditions of nineteenth-century literature behind in terms of form, content, and expression. They realized that a new industrial age—full of machines, buildings, and technology—had ushered out rural living forever, and the result was often a pessimistic view of what lay before humankind. Frequent themes in modernist works are loneliness and isolation (even in cities teeming with people), and a significant number of writers tried to capture that sense of solitude by engaging in stream-of-consciousness writing, which captures the thought process of a single character as it happens without interruption. Some of the most famous modernist authors include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce. 1. Open form and free verse are distinguishing characteristics of modernist poetry. Though commonplace now, this style was quite a break from nineteenth-century rules about meter and rhyme. 2. The moniker “The Lost Generation” was coined by Gertrude Stein and refers to those artists of the 1920s who had become disillusioned with America and found themselves living as ex-patriots in Europe, chiefly in France. 3. An example of stream-of-consciousness (also called “interior monologue”) from Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway: “She felt somehow very like him—the young man who...
Words: 1678 - Pages: 7
