...Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces John Milton was a unique individual with the artistic ability to write various forms of literature in several different languages that catered to a wide scope of genres. Milton had a profound impact on the English language because of his contributions to the English dialect (Crace, 2008). Milton was a devout protestant that was not afraid to show his dedication to his beliefs regarding religion and his civil rights, even if it meant casting a different outlook on religion entirely. Within today’s society it can be concluded that Milton revolutionized the English language this will benefit the American Culture in the past, present, and future times. Milton’s response to earlier writer’s regarding his religious and political beliefs were quite exquisite. Milton was highly educated in all subjects including, theology, philosophy, and mathematics. Therefore, he was active in the country of Europe where he had the opportunity to meet great Renaissance writers like Galileo (Longman, p. 1796). Milton took it upon himself to sacrifice his poetic writings to set that aside and work full-time toward the Puritan Reformation, in which he focused on religious and political pieces that focused on Puritanism. He adopted strong beliefs as an individual who encourage other people to adopt the same outlooks on religion and politics. Therefore, the classical authority that of Milton’s defining markers can be clearly defined through authors...
Words: 1069 - Pages: 5
...The Romantic Heart Christina Jones ENG/106 02/24/2014 Debora Aubuchon The Romantic Heart Emotion plays a large part in our lives, no matter what time period we live in. Emotion has fueled literary masterpieces from Ancient to modern times. Shakespeare wrote of love, anger and revenge and Jonathan Swift wrote of what is behind the curtain of love. As you read on you will encounter three literary works and see the part that emotion plays into them and how these pieces are influenced by the many authors who came before them. Jonathan Swift’s poem entitled, The Lady’s Dressing Room tells the story of Strephon, who takes a peek into his love, Celia’s, dressing room. Strephon is appalled by what he finds. In the beginning Strephon refers to Celia as a Goddess, “The Goddess from her Chamber issues, Array'd in Lace, Brocades and Tissues.” (Swift, 1732/2008, pp. 1994). However, as the poem continues Swift makes it clear that Strephon no longer feels this way by writing, “But swears how damnably the Men lie, In calling Celia sweet and cleanly.” (1732/2008, pp.1994). The Lady’s Dressing Room explores and tries to explain the private relationship between male and female. This literary masterpiece digs deep into the core of what is beneath just outside attraction or lust. True love is more than what is just on the surface. True love is when you can love both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. Swift’s poem is filled with many emotions. The character, Strephon, moves from...
Words: 1153 - Pages: 5
...Question: 1 Abstract This paper examines the polemical issues in the application of literary theories to the field of literature and literary criticism. Out of the several modern approaches to literary criticism as employed by the critics, four literary theories are strategically chosen for analysis in this paper; Formalism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism/Deconstruction and Marxism. This work is objectively carried out by consulting articles, journals and books written on the literary theories. The opportunity of information technology via the internet is also utilized. It is established in the course of writing this paper that literary theories are indispensable tools for literature to achieve its goal of sensitizing its audience towards literary awareness. The application of literary theories to literature, that enhance better and detail insight into text or literary works, would continue to be relevant and make literature more enjoyable and meaningful to its readers and users. Further research and enquiry into the relationship between the two (literature and literary theory) is open and should further be exploited. Keywords: literary theory, literary criticism, Marxism, Formalism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism Introduction Literary criticism is the study, evaluation and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals. Though the two activities are closely...
Words: 2949 - Pages: 12
...development of racial slavery as a labor source, and European cultural influences on the various colonial regions. American Literature (0.5) Throughout the course of American Literature, students will be able to encounter and experience the full span of America’s rich literary history. The course begins with the literary contributions of America’s first settlers, and explores how their faith and difficult circumstances shaped their lives and the literature through which they captured these early moments of America. The course then moves through the Age of Faith, during which the core of American Literature was shaped by a strong and foundational faith, and then into the Age of Reason, during which the world of science and modern thinking started to shape the literature of the times. The study of literature then moves into the Romantic period, and then the Realist period, both of which shaped American Literature at its core and brought about significant changes to the style, structure, and purpose of literature. The introduction of Modern literature includes the literature of the early 1900s, including the Harlem Renaissance, and then Post-Modern literature brings students into the study of current day texts. Overall, the course includes literature spanning from the 1500’s to current day, and introduces students to some of the greatest authors and works in American Literature. Genres that are included are: nonfiction essays, diaries, sermons, letters, and...
Words: 1428 - Pages: 6
...Literature has been a consistent source of entertainment throughout history, capturing the attention of adolescents and adults alike since the early days of the novel. Novels, much like other forms of entertainment, have grown and matured over the years, so much so that contemporary fiction seems to have blossomed into a separate branch of literature, rendering it almost indistinguishable from classical fiction. A modern teenager, when presented with a choice between the renowned classical novel Anne of Green Gables, and the contemporary novel Speak, would choose Speak, because of one undeniable fact. They have a better chance at connecting with the protagonist of a modern novel than they do at forming a real bond with a character from a completely different time period. Anne of Green Gables, while a classic, illustrates an outdated tale of an average adolescent girl. In contrast, Speak delves into the mind of a teenage rape victim. Unfortunately, Speak has the more relatable subject matter for the teens of the 21st century. America is experiencing a Renaissance in the field of literature because young adult fiction is exploring mature topics such as racism and sexual assault, which is...
Words: 627 - Pages: 3
...A literary masterpiece is a piece of literature that has an theme and not only speak of specific events that occurred to a single character, but instead create characters who overcome difficult life situations and characters who are dimensional that uphold characteristic traits that reflects people of modern society and today's society. Characters in a literary masterpiece is important because they are the most memorable and their personalities make the literature stand out more clearly due to the fact that their qualities can be compared and contrasted to anyone of any time period in history. However, the theme is the most important in literary masterpieces because everything within an literature work depends on the theme. The theme outline the whole story and what is going to take place. The prior expectations regarding the literary masterpieces and my expectations of this course are based off not only my own knowledge but the way I critically analyze literature and my experiences with literary masterpieces. In all honesty, when it comes to a literary masterpiece, I expect them to fall into literature categories such as, novels, short stories, poems, comedies, dramas, mysteries, nonfiction and fiction. The reason being is based off my experiences from my very first English literature class. Where we had to read literary masterpieces such as, Alice Walker short story,"Everyday Use" and "Color Purple". Also, Langton Hughes poems," Let America be America" and "Still Here." ...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...In dual credit British literature, I learned about the differences that society has made between the times of old English to a more modern time period. William Shakespeare was a man of tragedy and romance, and because of this he is a well-known poet and playwright. Shakespeare had a way of using words to set a scene and describe characters that made him unique to his and our society at large. It is in this way that he will continue to be remembered, but he is not the only storyteller of old English times. Whether it is Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or the Canterbury tales, whether it is a story, an epic, or a poem, or whether it is romantic or a tragedy, society has changed from its barbaric root and literature has played a big part in doing it. As William Shakespeare quoted in in his play As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”. People in modern society have the ability to achieve much more than Shakespeare ever could; making the possibilities of the life we choose to live a very broad spectrum. Literature has shaped society by informing people of how life had been and making others think about how to change for the better. Information and choices have helped make our...
Words: 447 - Pages: 2
...Modernist Writing Modernistic is the Choice A modernist writer can include a variety of philosophical movements from symbolism or surrealism to expressionism and imaginism. The modernistic writer does not seem to carry a specific definition but a basic breaking away from the entire history of art and literature. “Modernist literature is characterized chiefly by a rejection of 19th-century traditions and of their consensus between author and reader” (Baldick 159). The writers wanted to develop and introduce completely new forms of literature that were more of the times which intensified after World War I. The desire for the importance of literature in the modern world was the typical belief of most modernist writers, which included Frost. Robert Frost is a modern poet due to his poetry having been awarded with the mindfulness of the problems of man living in the modern world. Science and Technology were dominating the modern world of the times. Frost was quoted to say "The object in writing poetry is to make all poems sound as different as possible from each other. But for this, in addition to the tricks any poet knows, we need the help of context--meaning--subject matter. That is the greatest help towards variety. All that can be done with words is soon told. So also with meters. . . . The possibilities for tune from the dramatic tones of meaning struck across the rigidity of a limited meter are endless. And we are back in poetry as merely one more art of having something...
Words: 1087 - Pages: 5
...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
...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
...of English literature & Henrik Ibsen History of English literature is started from 325 BC. The oldest genre of literature is poetry. Though there is no pet however historically we divide history in four categories as old English, middle English, renaissance, modern literature, post modern literature. We have one of the old piece of literature as “ BEOWULF”. King Alfred and Aelfric are the pioneer of literature. Middle English literature is is also res round poetry, the key figure is Chaucer with his famous work “The Canterbury Tales”. William Langland is also contemporary to Chaucer. once we travel to 16th century we find the majestic features of English literature, Christopher Marlow, Sydney, Spencer and Shakespeare, they contributed a lot not only in poetry but also revolution of drama was brought about in the field of literature. History, tragedy, comedy plays were written. The King Lear are the great dramas of the age. Poetry also introduced romantic, classical, natural, metaphysical and super natural in subject; epics are also originated by Dryden and Pope also got popularity in 18th century. Jane Austen and Walter Scot are the prominent figures. Nineteen century brought slight changes. Now women got entered in the writers family. Emily Bronte and Charlotte Bronte also earned the fame. G.B. Shaw and E.M Foster participated in the field of essay writing. Though puritan age is one of the dark age in English history but after the restoration English literature got flourished...
Words: 358 - Pages: 2
...Liberal arts discipline: American Literature Title: The History of American Literature Proposal: During early American literature, sexism and racism were rampant; ensuring that women and minority groups were almost non-existent in the field. Rather than equality, early American literature focused mainly on theology and ostracizing minority groups and women that pursued working in this field. Today, theology is not a main component of literature and sexism and racial inequality is not as rampant as it was in past times (although it is still present). Thanks to modern technological advancements, literature has become significantly less popular but it is no longer difficult for minority groups to pursue a career in literature. Similar to how the literature discipline has evolved over time, psychology is also much...
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...❑ To develop the skills of students in the use of idiomatic English and the capability of expressing ideas and thoughts in English; ❑ To develop and reinforce communicative interaction; ❑ To introduce the understanding of western philosophy and ideas and their influence on literature; ❑ To introduce classical literature, the Greek myths, the Bible and other writings which have influenced English literary works; ❑ To introduce and refine the understanding of American literature with emphasis on some selected literary works; ❑ To increase the appreciation of Bangla literature and culture among students and to develop their ability to relate experiences from English and American literature to Bangla literary works; ❑ To deepen students’ awareness of the universal concerns that are the basis of literary works; ❑ To stimulate a greater appreciation of language as an aesthetic medium and of the artistic principles that shape literary works; ❑ To appreciate literature as an expression of human values within an historical and social context. ❑ To understand the fundamentals of information communication technology and be able to use it for greater understanding of English language and literature. CURRICULUM STRUCTURE: Total requirements of credits...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...I have chosen to centre it around a particular event which I accredit with being a signifiant turning point in both the modernity of Japan and Tanizaki’s literary response to it. Namely, this was the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, which destroyed large swathes of Tokyo and thus removed many ‘traditional’ traces of its Edo past, propelling it further into the modern world. The idea in itself is credit to various papers which gave specific mention to the earthquake as being almost symbolic of a shift in Tanizaki’s representation (for example, Edward G. Seidensticker’s reference in the preface to ‘Some Prefer Nettles’), and to a greater extent symbolic of the end of a time in Japan where remnants of the past existed in an authentic cohesion with their modern surroundings. The piece’s structural focus on the traumatic force of the earthquake was prompted by a reading of the post-modern 1967 ‘Semiology and Urbanism’ by Roland Baths, which theorises that, ‘we speak our city, the city where we are, simply by living in it’. Thus the earthquake becomes symbolic of a larger break in the balance of tensions enmeshed in the phenomena of...
Words: 1555 - Pages: 7
...IPL -- Arts and Humanities -- Literature 189 resources Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day Information including pronunciation, definition and background about words from Merriam-Webster Subject: The Penguin Podcast Book extracts, author interviews and other information, including links to purchasing sites from Penguin Books, UK Subject: Literature; NPR: Book Tour Podcast Modern authors read and discuss their work Subject: Literature; PRI: Selected Shorts Podcast Actors reading short stories, described as "story time for adults" Subject: Literature; World Book Club A discussion with world authors about their most famous works Subject: Literature; The Canadian Literature Archive A comprehensive collection of information about Canadian writers, novelists, poets, and playwrights, as well as books, archives, publications, and literary organizations. A good place to go for information on the Canadian literary scene. Subject: Literature; Dictionary of Symbolism Explanations for commonly used symbolism in literature. Searchable. Subject: Literature; Encyclopedia.com -- Flood This Encyclopedia.com entry on floods includes information about the flooding process, historical floods, and floods in myth and religion. Click on the tabs to find information on these different topics. Subject: Literature; Favorite Poem Project Robert Pinsky, a poet and the author of this site says, "If a poem is written...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
