Literature: A Global Perspective Week 1

Overview of Course Structure

  • Course Name: ENGL 1005 Literature: A Global Perspective
  • Instructor: Eric Schmaltz, Ph.D.
  • Contact: ens@dal.ca, Dalhousie University

Class Agenda

  1. Housekeeping
  2. Literary Classifications
  3. Close Reading Techniques
  4. Analysis of Lydia Davis, "A House Besieged"
  5. Analysis of Helen Chasin, "The Word Plum"

Key Concepts in Literary Studies

  • Literary Studies as a Conversation
    • Literature engages readers in dialogues with:
    • The text itself
    • The author’s intentions
    • Other readers
    • Influences cultural conversations and challenges perceptions through imaginative writing.

Literary Classifications

  • Contextual Classification: Considers historical and cultural contexts of literary works, including:
    • The time and place of writing
    • The author’s background
  • Genre and Sub-genre: Classifies works into types such as:
    • Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama
    • Subgenres further define specific types within these larger categories.

Close Reading

  • Definition: A detailed examination of a text aimed at uncovering meanings and assessing effects.
    • Focuses on:
    • Not only what is said but how it is communicated
  • Objectives: Produce convincing interpretations supported by textual evidence.

Close Reading Techniques for Prose and Fiction

  • Prose: Non-poetic language typically found in many formats including novels and articles.
  • Fiction: Imaginative storytelling involving created characters and events.

Key Questions for Analysis

  • Expectations from the text:
    • Reactions to titles, first sentences, initial plot developments
  • Narrative Structure:
    • Identify narrator, tense, character motivations, and transformations
  • Setting and Context:
    • Understand time and place, narrative shifts
  • Story Elements:
    • Protagonists, antagonists, plot summary, subgenres

Close Reading Questions for Poetry

  1. What do you predict the poem's topic will be?
  2. Listen to the poem, read aloud for sound and rhythm.
  3. Literal interpretation of each line.
  4. Identify unfamiliar words and research their meanings.
  5. Analyze speaker, characters, and situations depicted.
  6. Explore the meaning and significance of the poem.
  7. Assess how formal elements affect interpretation (e.g., structure, rhyme, figurative language).
  8. Investigate adherence or deviations from conventional poetic forms.

Textual Analysis: Lydia Davis's "A House Besieged"

  • Plot Summary: Depicts a man and woman in distress within a besieged house; explores themes of fear and domesticity.
  • Takeaway: Reflects on perceptions of safety and home in a precarious setting.

Insights on Connection and Disconnection in Stories

  • Janet Burroway: Literature reveals the dynamics of connection and disconnection among characters, contributing to the narrative's meaning.

Defining Poetry

  • Poiesis: Greek term meaning "to make", signifying the creative aspect of writing poetry.
  • Characteristics:
    • Concentrated linguistic expression providing emotional or intellectual responses through style.
    • Significant formal departures from prose conventions, reliance on line breaks.

Key Details on Helen Chasin

  • Renowned American poet (1938-2015),
  • Winner of the 1968 Yale Younger Poets Prize,
  • Co-founder of The Writers Community in Manhattan, 1976.

Preparations for Next Class

  • Readings:
    • Souvankham Thammavongsa's "How to Pronounce Knife"
    • Theodore Roethke's "My Papa’s Waltz"
  • Tutorials will begin next week on Thursday.