LIT1 Prelims

From World Lit to Confucius!

Metonomy

• a part of a whole

Displacement of Dreams

• a dream night seem to be about one thing but is actually about something else

Metaphor

• direct object (represetation)

Russian Formalists

• studied what makes a verbal work of art

• talked ab the diff between practical and literary/poetic speech

Literary/poetic Speech

• defamiliarization

• critical thinking

• makes u imagine

Canon

• A set of texts that are representative of what is good, fine, or beautiful in literature.

• It is institutionalized; Everything that is taught in schools is __.

Carl Jung

• Proposed the concept of archetypes.

• Archetypes have been proven by him in dreams.

Archetypes

• Common patterns in cultures.

• “Collective unconscious.”

• The perfect example or model of something.

Stereotypes

• Also known as Othering

• Looking at the other as someone inferior.

• Post-colonialism.

Martin Puchner

• wrote “The Written Word” which is ab intersection of storytelling and writing technologies

Epic of Gilgamesh

• The first masterpiece of world literature.

• Written on clay where the first invention of writing took place

• Written by Sin-Leqi-Unninni

Paper

• lowered the cost of literature which is a democratizing movement

Tale of Genji

• Written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting at the court of Japan in around the year 1000s AD.

• first literature written on paper by hand

Invention of Writing

• __ was invented at least twice in different forms.

  • Invented in Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, etc.

Pictogram

• An early form of writing wherein signs capture entire objects or ideas.

Alphabet

• Vastly reduces the number of signs you need to know from hundreds to two dozen.

• important for homeric epics which are written in the alphabet

• perfected in greece

Print

• Was invented first in China and then reinvented many hundreds of years later in Northern Europe.

Buddhist sutra

• The first surviving printed text in the world

Latin bible

•  the first large book printed by Gutenberg

Parchment

• made from stretched animal skins

• led to the invention of the codex, the basis for today’s books.

Papyrus

• leaves of papyrus plant

Translation

• made World Literature accessible.

• Not only are you translating words, but you are also translating cultures.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

• full name of goethe !

Frankfurt

• where goethe lived

Duke of Weimar

• invited Goethe eastward, and he accepted due to various benefits.

West-Eastern Divan

• expressing a desire to travel to Persia and bridging the distance through imaginative leaps inspired by Hafez.

• an interaction between the Western and Eastern cultures.

Faust

• the protagonist’s pact with the devil enables him to traverse the air

Weimar Classicism

• The Italy trip rekindled Goethe’s writing, and laid the foundations for the concept of world literature.

Castle of Weimar

• became the center of Goethe’s social and work life.

Garden house

• Goethe spent significant periods in the garden house, where he met Christiane Vulpius, a young woman of 23 when he was 39.

three years

• Their relationship caused a scandal, leading the Duke to send Goethe to live in the garden house, away from town, for __

The Roman Elegies

•  a tribute to their (goethe and christiane) relationship and Rome.

Johan Peter Eckermann

• eckermann’s full name

Reflections on Poetry

• Eckermann, a 29-year-old aspiring poet, took a bold step by sending his manuscript titled __

May 24, 1823

• date when Eckermann sent his transcipt

University of Gottingen

• was eventually accepted here in his late 20s to study law.

two weeks

• how long did eckermann travel to get to weimar

Johanna Sophie Katherine Christine Bertram

• eckermann’s fiance

March 22, 1832

• date of goethe’s death

conversation with goethe

• The published conversations read like interviews, with Eckermann prompting Goethe to share interesting, provocative, or profound insights.

Wilhelm Grimm

• collector of German folk tales who wrote to his brother, Jacob. 

Turban

• what the grimm brothers gifted goethe for his birthday

Traditional Classics

• ex. the odyssey, war and peace

• Can be seen as old, long, and boring.

Modern Classics

• More relatable and relevant due to their themes.

• ex. great gatsby, to kill a mockingbird

Classic Literature

• It is a representative of a historical period.

• Literature isn’t confined to traditional novels; it also includes forms like movies, graphic novels, and video games that communicate messages through written word and visuals.

Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve

• French literary critic.

• He criticized the traditional definition of a classic.

• To him, a classic is an author who enriches the human mind, increases its treasure, discovers a moral or universal truth, and speaks in a distinct but universally relatable style.

T.S Eliot

• To him, the term “classic” has varying meanings and connotations in different contexts.

• Argues that maturity is a key determinant of a classic, both in the writer, the society that produced the writer, and the language used in the work.

triangular process for determining maturity

• Maturity of Society

• Maturity of Language

• Maturity of Author

Societal maturity

• means that their works don’t belong to simply one culture; classics transcend cultures, sharing experiences across history and oppression.

Language maturity

• means that for a work to be a classic, they should spark perpetual cultural debate, transcending linguistic and societal boundaries.

Archetypal classic

• Creating or developing archetypes.

Analytical Classic

• Dismantling or deconstructing archetypes.

Mark Van Doren

• his perspective suggests that a classic is simply a work that remains in print, highlighting the ongoing debate about what defines a classic.

Anxiety of Influence

• by Harold Bloom

• Oedipal conflict to compete and outdo the past author.

Anxiety of Authorship

• by Gilbert and Gubar

• Responds to Harold Bloom

• Anti-oedipal

• They talk about how women have been sidelined in the literary tradition.

Queer Representational Anxiety

• 21st Century

• Oscar Wilde, Henry James, Sappho

The Western Canon

• Written by Harold Bloom, a prominent American literary critic, and scholar.

• Published in 1994.

• Discusses and celeb

World Literature by Damrosch

• As established body of classics.

• As an evolving canon of masterpieces.

• As multiple windows on the world.

Masterpiece

• Complete and has magnitude.

• Makes you arrive at a universal truth.

• Excellent work of art.

Shifty Work

• Canon changes because of culture.

• From Literature to literatures.

Historical Sense

• Coined by T.S. Eliot

• It involves grasping the connections between past and present, recognizing how historical influences shape current perspectives and actions.

Romantic Period

• The speaker in the poem is the author.

• Expressing their personal emotions and perspectives directly through the speaker in their poems.

Modernist Period

• The speaker in the poem is the persona.

• Adopting fictional voices as speakers.

• The speaker is a constructed persona separate from the author.

Concrete Poetry

• Experimental and uses imagery.

• ex. grasshopper by E.E Cummings

Literary Taste (Addison)

• the discernment and appreciation of that is fundamentally excellent in literature.

Literary Taste (Coleridge)

• it is a rational activity but with a distinctively subjective bias.

Literary Taste (Ruskin)

• it is the almost instinctive preferring of one literature to another.

Literary Taste (Paz Lazorena)

• it is something taught or acquired.

  • When it is acquired, it becomes good.

  • Literature is to teach and to delight.

Intellectual Value

• Understanding of the good. 

• Transcends mere facts by presenting truths shaped by imagination and art, adding depth and life to its content.

Expressive Value

• Good in terms of emotions.

• Heightens what is good.

• Stir emotions, including both pleasant and unpleasant

Ethical Value

• Good is what is moral.

• Encourages us to be good citizens in society.

• Isn’t solely didactic or aesthetic but serves to teach and delight, expressing truths that uplift and educate.

Epics

• Long narrative poem (episodic)

• Spoken (oral)

• Hexameter (6 syllables)

• Plot — About an epic hero who goes through an adventure or a quest/journey and experiences a reversal of fortune and/or discover truth.

Iliad

• Achilles → Destined to die by his heel.

• He changes from someone proud (hubris) to someone who is a hero (humble).

• He chose to die.

The Odyssey

• Story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wanders for 10 years trying to get home after the Trojan War.

Hubris

• other term for flaw

Dream Work

• manifestation of the unconscious; dreams represent our hidden desires.

Psychological Criticism

• What motivates the protagonist or hero, as well as the villain or anti-hero?

• Do they appear to act consciously or unconsciously?

Old Testament

• parallels between Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s story with the __

• Shamhat can also be likened to Mama Mary’s motherly role of cherishing, nurturing, and teaching Enkidu the ways of civilized humans.

Henry Rawlinson

• Spent 20 years learning how to translate the inscriptions

• He figured out how to read cuneiform.

Gilgamesh

• Protagonist of the epic.

• King of Uruk.

Enkidu

• A wild man created by the gods to humble Gilgamesh, who is abusing his power.

• Lives in the wilderness with animals until Shamhat tames him.

Shamhat

• Temple prostitute, or sacred girl, who civilizes Enkidu.

• Brought Gilgamesh and Enkidu together.

Ishtar

• Goddess of love and war.

• Becomes infatuated with Gilgamesh and proposes marriage to him.

Utnapishtim

• King and priest of Shurrupak.

• His name translates as “He Who Saw Life.”

• Wise and pious man who survived a great flood sent by the gods; as a result, they granted eternal life to him and his wife.

Siduri

• Divine innkeeper who advises Gilgamesh during his journey to immortality.

• She tells Gilgamesh to appreciate the simple pleasures of life and enjoy the company of his loved ones.

Ea

• One of the gods in Mesopotamian mythology.

• Patron of humankind.

• He is wise and helps Utnapishtim survive the flood by instructing him to build an ark.

Humbaba

• A monstrous creature and the guardian of the Cedar Forest.

Ninsun

• Gilgamesh’s mother and a goddess.

• She is wise and interprets Gilgamesh’s dreams, providing guidance and support to her son.

Lugalbanda

• Gilgamesh’s father and a historical figure in Sumerian mythology.

• He is mentioned in the epic as a mortal king and a warrior.

Urshanabi

• The ferryman of the gods who helps Gilgamesh cross the Waters of Death on his quest to find Utnapishtim, despite Gilgamesh breaking his boat.

Shamash

• The sun god and the judge of the gods.

• He helps Gilgamesh and Enkidu in their battle against Humbaba

Anu

• Father of the gods and patron of Uruk.

Enlil

• God of wind and storms.

• Unleashed a great flood and later granted Utnapishtim and his wife immortality.

Aruru

• Goddess of creation.

• Created Enkidu from water (spit) and clay.

Western Philosophy

• Greeks

• Plato and Aristotle emphasized that a healthy and stable state of polis/republic is a virtuous one (morally upright).

Chinese Philosophy

• the state has its own tradition of preserving the morality of its kingdom.

• Many Chinese values are influenced by Confucius and his teachings.

Analects of Confucius

• Also known as Lunyu.

• A collection of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius, the Chinese philosopher and educator who lived around 551-479 BCE.

Yi

• Justice

• Represents the moral disposition to do good and uphold justice.

Zhi

• Wisdom

• intelligence, and knowledge.

• Confucius emphasized the importance of continuous learning and self-cultivation.

Zhong

• Loyalty

• Refers to loyalty and devotion, particularly in the context of relationships and governance.

• Loyalty is considered a fundamental virtue in Confucianism, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness and allegiance to one’s family, friends, and rulers.