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
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.