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essay on literary canon
essay on literary canon
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I had envisioned the literary canon to be a fixed list of literature that could only be added to and not taken away from. I was mistaken. As I researched it became clear that the works included in the Western Canon are not fixed; the importance of some pieces wane, while others that may have been ignored are brought to the forefront as time progresses and perspectives evolve. I have a belief that everything is relative and it seems that is true when it comes to the literary canon. As our society transforms, so do our beliefs and values. Therefore the things we, as a people, consider great change and are relative to what we are experiencing at a certain time.
I began to question what exactly the criteria are in order for a piece of literature to be included in the canon. The only actual list I found was from Clemson University class notes, and it included some of the same criteria mentioned in our assignment. The list of criterion from the Clemson notes were as follows: “authenticity, universality, significant subject matter, and aesthetic criteria, which includes innovative and complex use of language and form.” (http://virtual.clemson.edu/caah/women/flc436/notescanon.html) I also believe that in order for a work to be considered remarkable it must evoke immense emotion, creating and intense reaction in its reader. While a piece of literature can have perfect form and innovative language and style I do not think it should be considered great if it lacks passion.
Poetry may be the hardest form of literature to examine, at least for me. After reading some of our assigned poems this semester I was left completely confused, as to not only the authors purpose, but also the relevance and importance of the poem; None ...
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"William Carlos Williams." Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.
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Good poetry provides meaningful commentary. One indication of a poem’s success in this is the depth of thought the reader has as a result of the poem. The poems I anthologized may take different
Literature throughout history has evolved due to events occurring during those times. It has changed in a deductive fashion going from creator to creation. In the early times Native Americans wrote myths of how the world had been created, next Puritans wrote of the drama in their communities and how they affected with each other, finally, transcendentalism focused on a singular person's ideas and point of view. It is important to be able to understand all levels of life from broad ideas to a singular person. Understanding not only how the world works but also how to get along with others and who you are as a person is crucial in this society. Literature from many time periods all attribute to these subjects. Literature
Poetry has a way of making us feel every range of emotion, in some cases better than other forms of entertainment. Unlike a novel, which gives a wide field of vision on any subject, poems have a more focused look mostly on the raw emotion of any one topic. Understanding poetry is an art onto itself, to be able to peel back the words and feel the emotions within them is truly its own work. Harder yet is the ability to dissect and explain these ideas to another person (in this case through an essay)and have them feel and see the poem and the topic it brings to light in the same way that you do. The poem that we will explore is powerful and thought provoking, because it brings the ugly subject of oppression to the front of your mind and forces you to engage in a conversation that you have no control over. It makes you feel hopeless and angry at the same time. In the poem Unwanted by Edward Field we are going to explore the parts of the poem but mainly we will
People read for many reasons, some of which are to pass the time, to seek out new experiences, for the sheer pleasure of the language and for the quest of knowledge. Literature is an art, and like art can be very subjective. What one person or society values as good literature may not be looked upon in the same light by another person or society. Some literature transcends time, and will continue to be relevant hundreds of years after it is written, and some literature is relevant at the time it is written, however later may be largely forgotten. For literature to be considered great it must stand the test of time and be captivating, able to elicit an emotional and/or intellectual response. It should also enlighten
Ramazani, Jahan. Richard Ellmann, Robert O’Clair, ed. The Norton Anthology Of Modern And Contemporary Poetry. Vol 1 Modern Poetry. Third Edition. Norton. 2003.
When John Towner William was born February 8, 1932 in Floral Park, New York, no one knew what he would become, what he would create. Now, to some, he is one of if not the greatest film composer of all time. After a career spanning six decades and over 80 feature length films, Williams is known as one of the best minds in composition. Son of Johnny and Esther Williams, John relocated to the Los Angeles are in 1948. His father a jazz percussionist, Williams’ love for music was inspired from a young age. Williams studied piano as a child, and later trumpet, trombone, and clarinet. He did some work as a teenager with pianist and arranger Bobby van Epps before moving from his native New York to Los Angeles. After graduating from North Hollywood High School in 1950, he was accepted to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). While at UCLA, Williams was privately tutored by Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Tedesco, know as a revolutionary in guitar composition, composed for over 200 films produced by MGM studios. Before finishing his undergrad degree at UCLA, Williams was drafted into the United States Air Force in 1952. While enlisted, he conducted and arranged music for the US Air Force as part of his assignments (Dinneen, 2009). In 1954 he returned to New York, enrolled at the Juilliard School, and studied piano with Rosina Lhévinne. Lhévinne, one the most noted pianists of the twentieth century and a highly influential teacher, was a virtuoso performer. One of the last artists in the nineteenth-century Russian pianistic tradition, she taught some of the most famous musicians of the twentieth century, including Van Cliburn, John Browning, Mischa Dichter, Ade...
“Poems differ as much as the people who write and read them, or as much as music and movies do” (Mays 846). Poems are the most difficult form of writing to analyze because they can be interpreted differently. Poems are composed of figurative language. Many times poems can be overanalyzed or not analyzed enough which could lead one to obtain an idea out of the poem that the writer never intended to provide.
...s, 1882-1942. v.: ill.; 28 cm. Semiannual. Issue no. 33, 32, 1989. Vol. 1, no. 1, 1973; no.2, 1974. California State College, Sonoma, Dept. of English.
William Carlos Williams attended Horace Mann High School, where he began to practice poetry. He started attending after he and his mother and brother returned to the United States. At this time he also decided to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor and writer. When he finished high school he enrolled into the Philadelphia University. He was a 19 year old student he went to study the medical field and received an MD. Before he began to work full time at the hospital, he was an intern. Later he became a full time doctor, he stayed in the medical area for at least forty years. After college he became more engrossed in his personal writing. His writings are important to literature because he contributed to helping younger poets. A lot of the poets that have big names were tutored by William as well. “He personally mentored Theodore Roethke, and Charles Olson, who was instrumental in developing the poetry of the Black Mountain College and subsequently influenced many other poets. Robert Creeley and Denise Levertov, two other poets associated with Black Mountain, studied under Williams. Williams was friends with Kenneth Rexroth, the founder of the San Francisco Renaissance. A lecture Williams gave at Reed College was formative in inspiring three other important members of that Renaissance: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen and Lew Welch. One of Williams's most dynamic relationships as a mentor was with fellow New Jerseyite Allen Ginsberg.” (Copyrighted Wikipedia William Carlos Williams). Williams writing was very different from others in his time. He wrote in imagery and modern themes. "There is no optimistic blindness in Williams," wrote Randall Jarrell, "though there is a fresh gaiety, a stubborn or invincible joyousness."
While this essay can in no way claim to contain a fully representative sampling of what various scholars have contributed relative to the ongoing debate over the literary canon, I will attempt to highlight three distinct positions which are all informed by John Guillory's critical contributions to the canonical debate. First, I will discuss the concept of ideology and canon formation as Guillory first articulated it in his 1983 essay, "The Ideology of Canon Formation: T. S. Eliot and Cleanth Brooks," and which he subsequently thoroughly revised and included in his 1993 book on canon formation, Cultural Capital: The Problem of literary Canon Formation This essay on the ways ideology and cultural politics complicates and informs canon formation, also discusses Guillory's theory concerning the death Joe Weixlmann who offers his own commentary concerning how ideology and politics of literary orthodoxy in favor of a more democratically situated heterodoxy, and how this concept of a heterodoxy might inform the university's literary curriculum. Next, Christopher Ricks' essay, 'What is at stake in the "battle of the books"?" will be analyzed to determine if his attack on Guillory's assertions relative to his critique of the current status of the canonical debate contributes in any meaningful way to opinions about whether or not the literary canon should be revised. Finally, the several critics who have now offered commentary on Guillory's latest theories on canon formation as articulated in Cultural Capital will be discussed relative to how influential they perceive Guillory's latest work to be as it pertains to the ongoing debate over the nature of the extant literary canon.
Culture and history are the defining aspects of literary history. Each event throughout history has played a major role in the history of literature and writers today. Each writer throughout history has been influenced either through personal experiences, beliefs, and America’s history. Events such as the Civil War brought about several changes that led to the introduction of new literary genres and styles. Many of these writers wanted to break away from tradition whiles others wanted to write about their beliefs such as religion.
The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ninth Edition. Stephen Greenblatt, eds. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 460. Print.
When reading or listening to poetry, the main objective for me is to feel moved. Happiness, longing, sadness are some of the feelings that can be achieved just by listening to others’ words. It is within these words that creates another world, or separates us from our own. Words all have a certain kind of attachment to them, so if used properly an author can stimulate a reader beyond belief.
Although poetry has been the focus of interest for ages, it has not got its deserved place in English language teaching.
Postmodern literary criticism asserts that art, author, and audience can only be approached through a series of mediating contexts. "Novels, poems, and plays are neither timeless nor transcendent" (Jehlen 264). Even questions of canon must be considered within a such contexts. "Literature is not only a question of what we read but of who reads and who writes, and in what social circumstances...The canon itself is an historical event; it belongs to the history of the school" (Guillory 238,44).