Midterm, Comparative Literature - Background

19th Century

When was the term “Comparative Literature” coined?

Jan M. Ziolkowski, French, litterature comparee, 1816

Accdg. to Harvard comparatist ____, the term comparative literature first appeared as a ___ expression, _____, in ____

Matthew Arnold, 1857

This famous Victorian poet and literary critic adopted the term of comp. lit. in ___ year

across languages, cultures

Matthew Arnold used the term comparative literature to refer to comparing literary works ___ and ___

1890s

Period of institutionalizing the comparative study of literature in Western universities

“comparare” (Latin); par = equal; com- = systematic comparison

etymology of ‘comparative’; derivation of ______; prefix is ___

Comparison

Literary process which enables us to perceive similarities and differences

National, World, Comparative

Three types of comparison

National Literature

• Within the walls

• politico-historic term

• produced by people of a state in their language

• exhibits themes and morals of nation’s ruling ideology

• essential element in the formation of nationa character

• categorized by country, language, or cultural group

World Literature

• Literary works translated into multiple languages

• Implies recognition throughout the world

• an element of space

• literature accumulated from across the border, overlooking the linguistic and literary borders at the same time

• acquisition of world renown takes time; it predominantly deals with time- and world-honored literary works of enduring quality

Comparative Literature

• Comprises elements of space, time, quality, and intensity

• Not bound to the same extent by criteria of quality and/or intensity

• Study of the interrelationship of the literature of two or more national cultures, usually of differing language

Elements of Space of Comparative Literature

Relationship of only:

• 2 countries

• 2 authors of different nationality

• 1 author & another country

Definition of Comparative Literature

Field of literary scholarship focused on comparing aspects of various literary phenomena, such as:

• texts from different cultures and historical periods

• texts from different writers

• texts from different genres, vice versa

• two versions of the same text, e.g. in translation, retelling, adaptation

• texts to different forms and media of art