27806 - Analysis of Literary Texts in English
Basic Education
5.3. Syllabus
(27806) Analysis of Literary Texts in English
Poetic discourse
1st session.- Defining poetic discourse. The Formalist approach: poetry as deviation and the concept of "defamiliarisation". Literary competence and "naturalisation" in poetry.
Reading assignments: "Deviation". In Montgomery et al, eds., Ways of Reading (3rd edition), 2007, London and New York: Routledge, 231-47.
4th session.- Poetic rhythm and metre: accentual syllabic metre. Free verse poetry.
Reading assignments: "Free Verse". In Jeffrey Wainwright, Poetry: The Basics, 2004, London and New York: Routledge, 85-101.
7th session.- Rhetorical tropes: the use and interpretation of figurative language. Other rhetorical figures: Rhyme and sound patterning.
Reading assignments: "Figurative Language". In Tom Furniss and Michael Bath, Reading Poetry: An Introduction, 1996, London: Longman, 105-30.
10th session.- Verse forms and genres. The limerick; the Italian, English and Romantic sonnet; the popular ballad and the literary ballad.
Reading assignment: "Genre" and "The Sonnet". In Tom Furniss and Michael Bath, Reading Poetry: An Introduction, 1996, London: Longman, 255-304.
13th session.- Tone and textual strategies: Intertextuality, parody, irony and ambiguity.
Reading assignments: "Intertextuality and allusion" and "Irony". In Montgomery et al., eds., Ways of Reading, (3rd edition), 2007, London and New York: Routledge, 156-67 and 131-40.
Prose narrative discourse
16th session.- Definition of narrative discourse and of narrative text. Levels of analysis: story (fabula) and plot (discourse, sjuzet).
Reading assignments: "Narrative and life" and "Defining narrative", in Abbott, H. Porter, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Cambridge: CUP, 2002: 1-23.
19th session.- The classical narrative discourse. Causation, linearity and closure.
Reading assignments: "Closure", in Abbott, H. Porter, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Cambridge: CUP, 2002: 51-61.
22nd session.- Significance and treatment of time in narrative discourse.
25th session.- Character and self in narrative: techniques of characterization. Focalization and subjectivity in narrative.
Reading assignment: "Character and self in narrative", in Abbott, H. Porter, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Cambridge: CUP, 2002: 123-137.
28th session.- Narration: techniques of representation of speech and thought, narrative levels, narrators and narratees, implied authors and implied readers.
Reading assignments: "Narration" and "Interpreting Narrative", in Abbott, H. Porter, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Cambridge: CUP, 2002: 62-92; and "Levels: Realms of Existence", in Keen, Suzanne, Narrative Form, Houndmills and New York: Palgrave, 2003: 108-115
BIBLIOGRAPHY
General:
- Eagleton, Terry, Literary Theory: An Introduction. London: Blackwell, 1996.
- Peck, John and Martin Coyle, Practical Criticism: How to Write a Critical Appreciation. London: Macmillan, 1995.
- Pérez Rodríguez, Eva María & José Igor Arranz, Commenting on Texts: Literature, History, The Media. Palma: Universitat de les Illes Balears, 2006.
Poetry:
- The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vols. 1 and 2. New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company. (Appendix "Poetic Forms and Literary Terminology"). 1993
- Barber, Charles. Poetry in English: An Introduction. London: Macmillan. 1983
- Burton, S. H. The Criticism of Poetry. (2nd edition). London: Longman. 1974
- Eagleton, Terry. How to Read a Poem. Oxford: Blackwell. 2007
- Furniss, Tom and Michael Bath, Reading Poetry: An Introduction. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1996.
- Lynn, Steve. Texts and Contexts. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers. (Chapters 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8). 1994
- Montgomery, Martin et al. Ways of Reading (3rd Edition). London and New York: Routledge. (Sections 3, 4 and 6). 2007 (1992).
- Morris, Pam. Literature and Feminism. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell. (Part I and Part II, chapter 4). 1992
- Spurr, Barry. Studying Poetry. Melbourne: Macmillan, 1997.
- Thorne, Sara. Mastering Poetry. New York and Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
- Wainwright, Jeffrey. Poetry: The Basics. London and New York: Routledge, 2004.
- Wolosky, Shira. The Art of Poetry: How to Read a Poem. Oxford: OUP.
Narrative:
- Abbott, H. Porter. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Cambridge: CUP. 2002.
- Cobley, Paul. Narrative. London and New York: Routledge. 2001.
- Cohan, Steven and Linda M. Shires. Telling Stories: A theoretical analysis of narrative fiction. London and New York: Routledge. 1988.
- Hawthorn, Jeremy. Studying the Novel: An Introduction. London: Arnold. 1997.
- Keen, Suzanne. Narrative Form. Houndmills and New York: Palgrave. 2003.
- Lowe, N. J. The Classical Plot and the Invention of Western Narrative. Cambridge: CUP. 2000.
- McQuillan, Martin (ed.). The Narrative Reader. London and New York: Routledge. 2000.
- Toolan, Michael. Narrative: a critical linguistic introduction (2nd edition). London and New York: Routledge.