Literary theory at work Book

Literary terms and criticism

This book is designed for everyone who studies literature, either for examination or pleasure. This book helps guide one on how to respond and understand the text, so that you can develop your own critical voice. This book explores how to read, understand and analyse literary texts, making your own analysis and interpretation. This enables one to become a more confident reader.

The book is divided into six sections, on; a survey of literature, poetry, drama, the novel, critical concepts, critical positions and perspectives. It also includes subject and author index’s. It also covers a brief survey of English, American and Postcolonial literature, that’s defined as a generic or genre context and a historical context. The genre’s that are explored are poetry, drama and the novel. Including epic, tragedy, lyric, comedy and satire.

This book also explores the economic and social fabric of societal change and how that impacted upon literature. One looks at the 18th century for instance, and how harmony and balance can be created in society. Such as for instance, the romantics, who found harmony in life (a pattern) through social order.
In this book it also looks at how literature constructs identities and mythologies, to form experiences. Then, it delves into the narrative from; the epic, to the ballad and romance. Lyric as well, from; the sonnet, to the ode and the elegy. In a world removed from ordinary experience and ordinary language, poetry is used to ‘broaden our minds’.

This essential, informative book is ideal for creative writing and English literature students and one that I would highly recommend.