Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Backpack Edition

Edgar V. Roberts, Emeritus Professor of English at Lehman College of The City University of New York, is a native of Minnesota. He graduated from the Minneapolis public schools in 1946, and received his Doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1960. He taught English at Minnesota, the University of Maryland Overseas Division, Wayne State University, Hunter College, and Lehman College. From 1979 to 1988, He was Chair of the English Department of Lehman College.

He served in the U.S. Army in 1946 and 1947, seeing duty in Arkansas, the Philippine Islands, and Colorado.

He has published articles about the plays of Henry Fielding, the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation. In 1968 he published a scholarly edition of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728), and in 1969 he published a similar edition of Fielding's The Grub-Street Opera (1731), both with the University of Nebraska Press. He first published Writing About Literature (then named Writing Themes About Literature) in 1964, with Prentice Hall. Since then, this book has undergone eleven separate revisions, for a total of twelve editions. In 1986, with Henry E. Jacobs of the University of Alabama, he published the first edition of Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. After Professor Jacobs's untimely death in the summer of 1986, Professor Roberts continued working on changes and revisions to keep this text up to date. The Ninth Edition was published early in 2009, with Pearson Longman. The Fourth Compact Edition of Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing was published in 2008.

Professor Roberts is an enthusiastic devoté of symphonic music and choral singing, having sung in local church choirs for forty years. Recently he has sung (bass) with the New Choral Society of Scarsdale, New York (where he lives), singing in classic works by Handel, Beethoven, Bruckner, Bach, Orff, Britten, Brahms, and others. He is a fan of both the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. When the two teams play in inter-league games, he is uneasy because he dislikes seeing either team lose. He also likes both the Giants and the Jets. He has been an avid jogger ever since the early 1960s, and he enjoys watching national and international track meets.

Professor Roberts encourages queries, comments, and suggestions from students who have been using any of the various books. Use the following email address: edgar.roberts@verizon.net.

Robert Zweig is a tenured, full professor at Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York. He teaches courses in Literature and Writing and for many years was the Intensive Writing Coordinator for the college. He has a doctorate in English Literature from the City University of New York, a Masters from Queens College in creative writing and a bachelor’s degree from Queens College in English literature.  Dr. Zweig has numerous peer-reviewed publications in journals, encyclopedias and books.  In addition, he is currently writing two textbooks for McGraw-Hill on the writing process, due out in 2011, another textbook, Grammar in the Modern World (Pearson) due out in 2011 and is co-author of Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, a bestselling introduction to literature textbook by Longman Publishers.  His translations of the Italian poet and Nobel Laureate Eugentio Montale appear in this text. Also, Dr. Zweig has lectured extensively throughout the United States and Italy on Victorian Literature, Poetics and contemporary culture. Some of the American universities he has addressed include Notre Dame, New York University, University of California, Harvard, University of Illinois, University of Delaware, Rutgers University and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has received several scholarships and awards, including a Mellon Fellowship and the Phi Beta Kappa award for “Outstanding Teaching Skills” as one of the Top Ten Professors at Manhattan Community College.

Preface                                                                                                                                       

PART I  The Process of Reading, Responding to, and Writing About Literature

What Is Literature, and Why Do We Study It?          

Types of Literature: The Genres

Reading Literature and Responding to It Actively

Alice Walker  Everyday Use

Reading and Responding in a Computer File or Notebook

Sample Notebook Entries on Walker’s “Everyday Use” 

Major Stages in Thinking and Writing about Literary Topics: Discovering Ideas, Preparing to Write, Making an Initial Draft of Your Essay, and Completing the Essay                                                   

Writing Does Not Come Easily–for Anyone

The Goal of Writing: To Show a Process of Thought 

     Discovering Ideas (“Brainstorming”)

     Study the Characters in the Work   

     Determine the Work’s Historical Period and Background 

     Analyze the Work’s Economic and Social Conditions

     Explain the Work’s Major Ideas

     Describe the Work’s Artistic Qualities

     Explain Any Other Approaches That Seem Important

Preparing to Write 

     Build Ideas from Your Original Notes

     Trace Patterns of Action and Thought 

The Need for the Actual Physical Process of Writing  

     Raise and Answer Your Own Questions 

     Put Ideas Together Using a Plus-Minus, Pro-Con, or Either-Or Method 

Originate and Develop Your Thoughts Through Writing 

Making an Initial Draft of Your Essay   

Base Your Essay on a Central Idea, Argument, or Statement 

The Need for a Sound Argument in Essays About Literature

Create a Thesis Sentence as Your Guide to Organization 

     Begin Each Paragraph with a Topic Sentence 

     Select Only One Topic–No More–for Each Paragraph

Referring to the Names of Authors 

Use Your Topic Sentences as the Arguments for Your Paragraph Development

The Use of Verb Tenses in the Discussion of Literary Works 

Develop an Outline as the Means of Organizing Your Essay 

Basic Writing Types: Paragraphs and Essays

Paragraph Assignment

Illustrative Student Essay (First Draft): Mrs. Johnson’s Overly Self-Assured Daughter, Dee, in Walker’s “Everyday Use” 

Completing the Essay: Developing and Strengthening Your Essay Through Revision 

     Make Your Own Arrangement of Details and Ideas 

     Use Literary Material as Evidence to Support Your Argument 

     Always Keep to Your Point; Stick to It Tenaciously 

     Check Your Development and Organization 

     Try to Be Original 

     Write with Specific Readers as Your Intended Audience 

     Use Exact, Comprehensive, and Forceful Language 

Illustrative Student Essay (Improved Draft): Mrs. Johnson’s Overly Self-Assured Daughter, Dee, in Walker’s “Everyday Use” 

     Commentary on the Essay

A Summary of Guidelines 

A Short Guide to the Use of References and Quotations in Essays About Literature                                                                       

Integrate Passages and Ideas into Your Essay  

Distinguish Your Thoughts from Those of Your Author 

Integrate Material by Using Quotation Marks 

Blend Quotations into Your Own Sentences 

Indent Long Quotations and Set Them in Block Format 

PART II  Reading and Writing About Fiction                              

1   Fiction: An Overview

Modern Fiction  

The Short Story 

Elements of Fiction I: Verisimilitude and Donnée 

Elements of Fiction II: Character, Plot, Structure, and Idea or Theme 

Elements of Fiction III: The Writer’s Tools  

Stories for Study 

Plot: The Motivation and Causality of Fiction 

Writing About the Plot of a Story

Illustrative Student Essay: Plot in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

Writing Topics About Plot in Fiction  

2   Point of View: The Position or Stance of the Work’s Narrator or Speaker                                                               

An Exercise in Point of View: Reporting an Accident 

Conditions That Affect Point of View 

Point of View and Opinions  

Determining a Work’s Point of View  

Mingling Points of View 

Point of View and Verb Tense 

Summary: Guidelines for Points of View 

Stories for Study 

SHERMAN ALEXIE  This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 

SHIRLEY JACKSON  The Lottery

LORRIE MOORE  How to Become a Writer

Writing About Point of View 

Illustrative Student Essay: Shirley Jackson’s Dramatic Point of View in “The Lottery”

Writing Topics About Point of View 

3 Characters: The People in Fiction                  

Character Traits  

How Authors Disclose Character in Literature  

Types of Characters: Round and Flat  

Reality and Probability: Verisimilitude  

Stories for Study 

T. C. BOYLE  Greasy Lake  

SUSAN GLASPELL  A Jury of Her Peers

KATHERINE MANSFIELD  Miss Brill

AMY TAN  Two Kinds

Writing About Character   

Writing Topics About Character 

4   Setting: The Background of Place, Objects, and Culture in Stories                                                                                 

What Is Setting? 

The Literary Uses of Setting

Stories for Study 

JAMES JOYCE  Araby

CYNTHIA OZICK  The Shawl

EDGAR A. POE The Cask of Amontillado

Writing Topics About Setting 

5   Structure: The Organization of Stories        

Formal Categories of Structure  

Formal and Actual Structure  

Stories for Study

Writing Topics About Structure 

6   Tone and Style: The Words That Convey Attitudes in Fiction     

Diction: The Writer’s Choice and Control of Words 

Tone, Irony, and Style 

Tone, Humor, and Style

Stories For Study 

Writing Topics About Tone and Style

7   Symbolism and Allegory: Keys to Extended Meaning

Symbolism

Allegory

Fable, Parable, and Myth

Allusion in Symbolism and Allegory 

Stories For Study 

Writing About Symbolism

Illustrative Student Essay (Symbolism): Symbols of Light and Darkness in Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”  

Writing Topics About Symbolism

8   Idea or Theme: The Meaning and the Message in Fiction  

Ideas and Assertions

Ideas and Issues 

Ideas and Values 

The Place of Ideas in Literature 

How to Find Ideas 

Stories for Study 

TONI CADE BAMBARA  The Lesson

D. H. LAWRENCE  The Horse Dealer’s Daughter

AMéRICO PAREDES  The Hammon and the Beans

Writing About a Major Idea in Fiction

Illustrative Student Essay: D. H. Lawrence’s “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” as an Expression of the Idea that Loving Commitment is Essential in Life

Writing Topics About Ideas 

9   Four Stories for Additional Enjoyment and Study       

PART III  Reading and Writing About Poetry

10   Meeting Poetry: An Overview                          

The Nature of Poetry 

ROBERT HERRICK  Here a Pretty Baby Lies

Poetry of the English Language 

How to Read a Poem 

Studying Poetry 

GWENDOLYN BROOKS  The Mother

WILLIAM COWPER The Poplar Field

THOMAS HARDY  The Man He Killed

JOY HARJO  Eagle Poem

RANDALL JARRELL  The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

DORRIANE LAUX The Life of Trees

EMMA LAZARUS The New Colossus

EUGENIO MONTALEEnglish Horn

JIM NORTHRUP  Ogichidag

NAOMI SHIHAB NYE  Where Children Live

OCTAVIO PAZ    Two Bodies 

PHIL RIZZUTO   They Own the Wind 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE  Sonnet 55: Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments

ELAINE TERRANOVA  Rush Hour

Writing a Paraphrase of a Poem 

Illustrative Student Paraphrase: A Paraphrase of Thomas Hardy’s “The Man He Killed” 

Writing an Explication of a Poem

Illustrative Student Essay: An Explication of Thomas Hardy’s “ Man He Killed”

Writing Topics About the Nature of Poetry  

11   Words: The Building Blocks of Poetry

Choice of Diction: Specific and Concrete, General and Abstract

Levels of Diction 

Special Types of Diction 

Syntax

Decorum: The Matching of Subject and Word 

Denotation and Connotation 

Robert Graves  The Naked and the Nude

Poems for Study 

Writing Topics About the Words of Poetry 

12   Imagery: The Poem’s Link to the Senses    

Responses and the Writer’s Use of Detail 

The Relationship of Imagery to Ideas and Attitudes

Types of Imagery

JOHN MASEFIELD  Cargoes 

WILFRED OWEN  Anthem for Doomed Youth 

ELIZABETH BISHOP The Fish 

POEMS FOR STUDY 

Writing About Imagery 

Illustrative Student Essay: Imagery in T. S. Eliot’s “Preludes” 

Writing Topics About Imagery in Poetry 

13   Figures of Speech, or Metaphorical Language: A Source of Depth and Range in Poetry                                                   

Metaphors and Similes: The Major Figures of Speech 

Characteristics of Metaphorical Language 

Vehicle and Tenor

Other Figures of Speech  JOHN KEATS Bright Star 

JOHN GAY  Let Us Take the Road 

POEMS FOR STUDY 

Writing About Figures of Speech

Illustrative Student Paragraph: Wordsworth’s Use of Overstatement in “London, 1820” 

Writing Topics About Figures of Speech in Poetry 

14   Tone: The Creation of Attitude in Poetry    

Tone, Choice, and Response 

Tone and the Need for Control 

Tone and Common Grounds of Assent 

Tone in Conversation and Poetry 

Tone and Irony 

Tone and Satire  ALEXANDER POPE  Epigram from the French 

ALEXANDER POPE  Epigram, Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to His Royal Highness 

POEMS FOR STUDY 

Writing Topics About Tone in Poetry 

15   Form: The Shape of Poems                                  

Closed-Form Poetry 

Open-Form Poetry  WALT WHITMAN  Reconciliation 

E. E. CUMMINGS  Buffalo Bill’s Defunct 

GEORGE HERBERT  Colossians 3:3 (Our Life is Hid With Christ in God) 

GEORGE HERBERT  Easter Wings 

CHARLES HARPER WEBB  The Shape of History 

JOHN HOLLANDER  Swan and Shadow 

WILLIAM HEYEN  Mantle 

MAY SWENSON  Women 

ROBERT HASS  Museum 

POEMS FOR STUDY 

ELIZABETH BISHOP  One Art 

Writing Topics About Poetic Form 

16. Symbolism and Allusion: Windows to Wide Expanses of Meaning     

Symbolism and Meanings 

The Function of Symbolism in Poetry 

Allusions and Meaning 

Studying for Symbols and Allusions 

POEMS FOR STUDY 

Writing Topics About Symbolism and Allusion in Poetry 

17. Four Major American Poets: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and Sylvia Plath  

EMILY DICKINSON’S Life and Work   

Writing Topics About the Poetry of Emily Dickinson 

POEMS BY EMILY DICKINSON (ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED) 

After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes (J341, F372) 

Because I Could Not Stop for Death (J712, F479) (Included in Chapter 11, p. )

The Bustle in a House (J178, F118) 

I Dwell in Possibility (F466, J657) 

I Heard a Fly Buzz — When I Died (J465, F491) 

My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close (J1732, F1773) 

ROBERT FROST’S Life and Work

Writing Topics About the Poetry of Robert Frost 

POEMS BY ROBERT FROST (CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED) 

Mending Wall (1914) 

The Road Not Taken (1915) 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (1923)

Misgiving (1923) 

Desert Places (1936)

Take Something Like a Star (1943) 

LANGSTON HUGHES’ Life and Work 

Writing Topics About the Poetry of Langston Hughes 

POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES (ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED) 

Harlem 

Negro 

The Negro Speaks of Rivers 

Silhouette 

Theme for English B 

The Weary Blues 

SYLVIA PLATH’S Life and Work 

Writing Topics About the Poetry of Sylvia Plath 

POEMS OF SYLVIA PLATH (ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED) 

Daddy 

Lady Lazarus 

Metaphors 

Mirror 

Song for a Summer’s Day 

Tulips 

18. Sixty Two Poems for Additional Enjoyment and Study

PART IV   Reading and Writing About Drama

19. The Dramatic Vision: An Overview

Drama as Literature

Performance: The Unique Aspect of Drama

Drama from Ancient Times to Our Own: Tragedy, Comedy, and Additional Forms

PLAYS FOR STUDY

SUSAN GLASPELL  Trifles

EUGENE O’NEILL  Before Breakfast

Writing About the Elements of Drama

Referring to Plays and Parts of Plays

Illustrative Student Essay: Eugene O’Neill’s Use of Negative Descriptions and Stage Directions in Before Breakfast as a Means of Revealing Character 

Writing Topics About the Elements of Drama

20. Tragedy

SOPHOCLES  Oedipus the King

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE  The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Writing Topics About Tragedy

21. Comedy, Satire, and Farce

ANTON CHEKHOV  The Bear, A Joke in One Act

Writing Topics About Comedy

22. Problem Drama: Two Major Plays for Additional Enjoyment and Study

Appendix

I. Writing a Research Essay on Literature              

Selecting a Topic  

Setting Up a Working Bibliography  

Locating Sources

      Searching the Internet  

                Evaluating Sources (box)

      Searching Library Resources

                Important Considerations About Computer-Aided Research (box)

         Review the Bibliographies in Major Critical Studies on your Topic 

        Consult Bibliographical Guides

        Gaining Access to Books and Articles Through Databases 

Taking Notes and Paraphrasing Material  

                Plagiarism: An Embarrassing but Vital Subject—and a Danger to be Overcome  (box)

Being Creative and Original While Doing Research  

Documenting Your Work  

Strategies for Organizing Ideas in Your Research Essay  

Illustrative Student Essay Using Research: The Structure of Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill”

Writing Topics About How to Undertake a Research Essay  

II. MLA Recommendations for Documenting Sources

Credits

Index of Authors, Titles, and First Lines

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