William FitzGerald                                                                                       Fall 2006
English 220 - Introduction to Literary Study

Homework for Friday, September 29:

To read:

1. The two poems for todays' class represent the opportunity to consider how poems define and accomplish their expressive and communicate goals. As you read each poem, and then re-read each, consider how each works to define the other. In what ways does

"Valediction Forbidding Mourning," Donne, p.
       including these online discussions of the poet and poem:
             http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/A_Valediction_Forbidding_Mournin_John.htm
             http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/The_Poets_Craft_John.htm
             http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/Cleanth_Brooks_John.htm

"Poetry," Moore, p.
       including these online discussions of the poet and poem:
             http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/Poetry_Moore.htm
             http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/The_Poets_Craft_Moore.htm
       also this brief discussion on diction: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/Diction_Poetryworkshop.htm


2. At this point in the semester, we begin to examine strategies and 'schools' of interpretation that have shaped how literary texts are read and valued, even how a text is identified as being literary in the first place. We will begin discussing these interpretive theories and asking how their perspectives can be useful to us in approaching texts and in writing about them. To that end, peruse these sites:

Forms of Criticism
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/dial/AP2000/WAWAchart.htm

New Critical and Formalist Methods

New Criticism Explained
http://www.sou.edu/English/Hedges/Sodashop/RCenter/Theory/Explaind/ncritexp.htm

How to Use Formalist Tools to Analyze Literature:
http://www.sou.edu/English/IDTC/Paradigm/Resources/formalst.htm

Notes on New Criticism
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/dial/AP2000/ncapnote.htm

Reader Response Criticism

http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/dial/AP2000/aprrnote.htm
http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/readercrit.html

Timeline of Major Critical Theories in US
http://www.sou.edu/English/IDTC/timeline/uslit.htm



Review:

If you would like to review further the principles of scansion (rhythm and meter), here are two highly accessible tutorials:
   
         http://www.stedwards.edu/hum/klawitter/poetics/scansion.html
         http://server.riverdale.k12.or.us/%7Ebblack/meter.html