Comparative literature is a wonderful subject where students get to read and analyze some of the greatest literary pieces of all time. From classics like Moby Dick to works of contemporary masters like Ursula Le Guin, students dive into worlds and words formerly unknown to them. And while reading fiction may come easy and almost naturally to most students, poetry can be a tricky subject. Poetry is an art on its own. To better understand and grasp poetry in comparative literature, here are some tips in reading and analyzing poetry. Image source: sites.google.com The first time you read a poem, read it for its face value. Do not dive into what the poet means or their intentions yet. Simply take the poem sentence by sentence, thought after thought. On the second reading, try to find the context of the poem based on the imagery and the message derived from the initial reading. Context can come from the era when the poet lived, their racial background, or their country of origin. The poem’s context may even reflect the poet’s part in a particular literary movement. Image source: retailmfa.blogspot.com After relating all the context of the poem with regards to the author or the period the poem was made, it is now possible to draw conclusions based on text evidence found in the work. Keep in mind that the poet is no longer able to interpret his work. A poem must stand alone and be able to divulge its message to the reader.
Hi there! I’m John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri, and I’m currently in college pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature. The vastness of the field I’m studying has kept me busy, and I don’t really mind it. Read more articles like this here.
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Over the past two decades, e-book sales have steadily risen thanks to the emergence of several apps and online bookstores. And the debate between which medium was better, traditional or e-books, has raged for about as long. Traditionalists, of course, very much prefer to hold the books in their hands, and very much prefer to flip through the pages, one by one. A majority of the younger generation, however, has gone to liken swiping and tapping to breathing and walking. Today, going through electronic devices has become a needful thing in life, and reading a book on these devices offers a convenience that traditional books cannot compete with. Image source: wired.com Traditionalists, however, have come up with their own set of cons regarding e-books. For starters, e-books put a heavy strain on the eyes. Studies have shown that the eyes receive a dangerous amount of radiation, constantly reading through short text messages. Traditionalists say reading pages upon pages of e-books is a lot worse. Even the feel of a traditional book and the scent of paper beat the cold screen of a smartphone. Traditionalists often mention how each book they hold contains not only a story but also a personality that’s unique to its existence. E-books take this uniqueness away and water down the entire experience. Image source: gigaom.com There’s also the pride in owning your very own book collection and having a mini-library where you live. That’s something electronic gadgets cannot provide, no matter how many books it contains.
Hello! My name is John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri. I’m a college student taking up Comparative Literature. Click here for more about me and the stuff I love. Did you know that D.W. Griffith wanted to film the same way as Charles Dickens penned novels? Or that Leo Tolstoy sought to write like camera films? Cinema and literature are two separate disciplines but have a fascinating range of intersections and interconnections. Theirs is a relationship that has produced so many masterpieces, with cinema being a nascent art and therefore, drawing plenty of inspirations from literature as well as theater, visual arts, and other cultural forms. Image source: York.ac.uk Cinema and literature create a wide imaginary world out of both the written word and imagery. On-screen literature, however, isn’t just about adapting existing books, but also creating a new literary style that zeroes in on an aspect of an author’s life, adopts specific cinema directions or cinematographies, or formulating an entirely new aesthetic that readers and filmgoers alike would appreciate. There are plenty of classic examples of how the two complement each other --- “Gone with the Wind,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Out of Africa,” “Dr. Zhivago,” and “The Godfather” are great examples. Recently, there are “The Great Gatsby,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and “Atonement.” What should be emphasized is that literary studies today don’t really make distinctions between film and literature, but instead recognize them as integral parts of artists’ forms of expression and how they try to make sense of the world. If books need words and sentences, movies demand to make concrete imagery through the screen to provide a whole experience. Adaptations are a way to connect the two of them and push the boundaries. Image source: Pixabay.com John Eilermann from St. Louis, Missouri, is currently in college pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature. It is his goal to develop an understanding of literary compositions regardless of boundaries such as language, culture, and tradition. More reads like this here.
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