Classics of British Literature British writers who have made a lasting impact on literature is remarkable. More importantly, Britain's writers have long challenged readers with new ways of understanding an ever-changing world. The 48 fascinating lectures in Classics of British Literature provide you with a rare opportunity to step beyond the surface of Britain's grand literary masterpieces and experience the times and conditions they came from and the diverse issues with which their writers grappled. British-born Professor John Sutherland, the Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus of Modern English at University College London and Visiting Professor of Literature at the California Institute of Technology, has spent a lifetime exploring these rich works. The unique insights he shares into how and why these works succeed as both literature and documents of Britain's social and political history can forever alter the way you experience a novel, poem, or play. Explore the Soul of Great Britain Britain's Literary Mosaic
45 Great Sourced Quotes about Books | Interesting Literature The best quotes about books, from some of the most famous writers in the world Here is a list of our favourite quotes about books from various writers, some famous, some not so famous. We’ve only included those quotations for which we’ve managed to track down a source, whether in print or online, so you know these are authentic quotes about books, rather than of the amusing-but-apocryphal kind. When I was a child I read books far too old for me and sometimes far too young for me. Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. – John Keats, letter of August 28, 1819 to his sister Fanny Keats If you want to read a perfect book there is only one way: write it. – Ambrose Bierce, A Cynic Looks at Life The pleasure of all reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books. – Katherine Mansfield, letter to Ottoline Morrell, January 1922 Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation. Like this: Related
How to Analyse Movies #2: Signs, Codes & Conventions | Film Inquiry In this chapter, we’ll cover the signs, codes and conventions in a film that can tell you a lot about the messages that the creators are trying to convey. Some filmmakers are aware of the use of signs, codes and conventions in their work, though some are not. In that case the symbolism may be there, but not on the surface, which makes it a little harder to interpret. The study of these signs, codes and conventions in film is called semiotics, or semiotic analysis. However, what’s important to realise is that the decoded meaning wasn’t created by the person decoding it, in a vacuum; instead, the meaning already existed. Semiotic analysis is used to “read” (and better understand) a film and its text. Semiotic Analysis The study of these signs, codes and conventions in movies is called semiotics. However, what we should realize is that the decoded meaning is not our own idea, but somebody else’s. Signs and Codes In semiotic analysis, the smallest units of meaning are signs. Filmic Code
96 Incredibly Useful Links for Teaching and Studying Shakespeare The idea of tackling Shakespeare in school has sometimes sent chills down both students’ and teachers’ spines, but the truth is that studying Shakespeare doesn’t have to be so daunting. His plays and sonnets are filled with themes that are relevant even today, are humorous, lyrical, and provide important historical content. Most importantly, Shakespeare knew how to tell a good story. Comprehensive Resources These resources offer a wealth of information about Shakespeare and his works. Shakespeare Online. Reading Shakespeare Use these links to find full online texts, modern translations, searchable text, and more. No Fear Shakespeare. Articles These articles take a closer look at specific topics relevant to Shakespeare’s work such as his use of the female character, words coined by Shakespeare, and the flowers and herbs mentioned in Shakespeare’s works. Types of Female Characters in Shakespeare. Quizzes Find out how much you know about Shakespeare with these quizzes. How to Study Shakespeare.
Short history of English literature Introduction This study guide is intended for GCE Advanced and Advanced Supplementary (A2 and AS) level students in the UK, who are taking exams or modules in English literature. It should be most useful right at the start of the course, or later as a resource for exercises in revision, and to help you reflect on value judgements in literary criticism. It may also be suitable for university students and the general reader who is interested in the history of literature. This guide reflects a view of literature which is sometimes described as canonical, and sometimes as a Dead White European Male view. That is, I have not especially sought to express my own value judgements but to reflect those which are commonly found in printed guides by judges whose views command more respect than mine. I hope that students who visit this page will take issue with the summary comments here, or discuss them with their peers. Back to top Please use the hyperlinks in the table above to navigate this page.
Ian McKellen Reads a Passionate Speech by William Shakespeare, Written in Defense of Immigrants The identity of William Shakespeare has been a literary mystery for four hundred years, inspiring theory after theory, book after book. There has been, indeed, little biographical evidence to work with, though paleographer and “literary detective” Heather Wolfe has very recently filled in some critical gaps. It was long thought that Shakespeare’s will, in which he bequeaths to his wife his “second best bed,” was the only document in his hand, aside from a few signatures here and there. Since around the turn of the 20th century, however, scholars have come to agree that three pages of a manuscript in an Elizabethan play called Sir Thomas More contain Shakespeare’s handwriting. The play, writes the British Library—who house the physical pages and have digital scans at their site—tells the story of “the Tudor lawyer and polymath who was sentenced to death for refusing to recognise Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church in England.” via Quartz Related Content:
Guide to Core Studies 6 A Companion Text for Core Studies 6 Genres § I. The Theory of Genres Literary Genres Classification by Types How Literary Critics Have Used Genres § II. Tragedy Greek Tragedy: Aristotle's Poetics Medieval Tragedy and the Wheel of Fortune Elizabethan or Shakespearean Tragedy The Problem Play or Drama of Ideas Selections from Aristotle's Poetics The Tragic Vision § III. Reading Lyric Poetry Lyric Poetry and Familiar Popular "Texts" Lyric Poetry: The Conventions We Already Know The Lyric Stanza: A Convention Lyric Epiphanies and Speakers The Meditative Romantic Ode § IV. The Novel Introduction Development of the Novel Reasons for the Novel's Popularity Experimentation: The Developing Role of the Naarrator Proliferaiton of Types Historical Background Literary Periods The Period Concept Cautions and Qualifications Usefulness of the Concept Period Descriptors Medieval View of Love The Chain of Being and Caritas Caritas vs. Syllabus || Core Studies 6 Page || Melani Home Page
George Orwell Explains How "Newspeak" Works, the Official Language of His Totalitarian Dystopia in 1984 As we noted yesterday, and you likely noticed elsewhere, George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984 shot to the top of the charts—or the Amazon bestseller list—in the wake of “alternative facts,” the latest Orwellian coinage for bald-faced lying. The ridiculous phrase immediately produced a barrage of parodies, hashtags, and memes; healthy ways of venting rage and disbelief. But maybe there is a danger there too, letting such words sink into the discourse, lest they become what Orwell called "Newspeak." It’s easy to hear “Newspeak,” the “official language of Oceania,” as “news speak.” This is perfectly reasonable, but it gives us the impression that it relates strictly to its appearance in mass media. In other words, Newspeak isn’t just a set of buzzwords, but the deliberate replacement of one set of words in the language for another. The C class of words may be the most insidious of all. Orwell then goes on to discuss the difficulty of translating the work of the past into Newspeak.
The Importance of Being Earnest Study Guide from LitCharts | The creators of SparkNotes Oscar Wilde led a cosmopolitan lifestyle as a writer, playwright, journalist, intellectual, and aesthete. An exceptionally gifted student, Wilde studied at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford, on scholarship. At Oxford, Wilde came under the influence of tutor Walter Pater’s Aesthetic philosophy—“art for arts sake”—and developed a reputation as an eccentric, flamboyant, and foppish young man. Moving from Oxford to London upon graduation, Wilde then published his first volume of poems to some critical acclaim.
Overlooked classics: The Member Of The Wedding by Carson McCullers Carson McCullers only wrote four novels, but that's hardly surprisingly; outside writing, she had a fair bit to contend with. She contracted rheumatic fever at 15 and then suffered two severe strokes before reaching 30, which left her paralysed in her left arm. In her 40s, she had operations on her arm and wrist, underwent a mastectomy and broke her hip; in 1967, at the age of 50, she died. Her love life was no less turbulent. During McCullers' separation from Reeves, she took refuge in a communal house in Brooklyn that was almost too literary to be true. It's an innocent, twinkling kind of backstory to accompany what could, from a distance, seem like an innocent, twinkling kind of book. Awkward and lanky, like McCullers herself, Frankie is obsessed with the idea of "membership": other girls mock her height, asking her if it's "cold up there", and exclude her from the local clubhouse where they party with boys. Ali Smith has called the atmosphere the book conjures "numb and fevered".
IB English A: Language & Literature: PIE structure Mass media have permeated every space of our lives Here is an everyday situation: I log on to the computer at school to get an assignment done. First I open Explorer. The speed of media these days is one reason why we are so easily influenced. Sensation is another reason why we are so easily influenced by the mass media. The final reason for media influence in our lives is loyalty. We may think that the influence of the media is harmless when it comes to clicking through to Angelina Jolie on MSN. Teaching Literature 2nd Edition Information In November, 2010, a new, extensively-revised 2nd edition of Teaching Literature to Adolescents was published by Routledge Press: click below for further information and ordering information. Teaching Literature to Adolescents This new edition contains: more attention to the use of digital texts from use of online literature to digital storytelling to uses of online discussion and writing tools incorporated throughout new chapter on teaching young adult literature new chapter on teaching reading strategies essential to interpreting literature more references to examples of teaching multicultural literature. The new edition also has a new wiki website with all new links, activities, and resources that also includes links from this original site. teachingliterature.pbworks.com The new 2nd edition includes specific references to topics contained in the new site.