Literary Criticism II:

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Literary Criticism (II)

• Language and Society

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Starting Questions

• What are the artistic components of a poem? And
  of a short stories?
• How about language components?
• Social components?
• How is language/literature related to society?
• Reflection? Criticizing? Constructing?
• Societys structure? Cultures? Views and Biases?

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Example I The Long Enchantment

• Structuralist
• Sender of message Pony
• Receiver Flora
• Subject (Heroine) of a Quest Flora
• Object Pony
• Helper Flora Pony Themselves
• Opponent Wizard

Not a Fairy Not a Prince
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Example I The Long Enchantment

• 2. Sociological
• Floras class background?
• Why is the pear so important?
• Who is the real villain?
• 3. Deconstruction
• The Wizards message. What does the pear
  represent in this text?

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Example II Miltons Sonnet 19

• When I consider how my light is spent
• Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
• And that one talent which is death to hide
• Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
• To serve therewith my Maker, and present
• My true account, lest he returning chide,
• "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
• I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent

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Example II Miltons Sonnet 19

• That murmur, soon replies "God doth not need
• Either man's work or his own gifts who best
• Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His
  state
• Is kingly thousands at his bidding speed
• And post o'er land and ocean without rest
• They also serve who only stand and wait."

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Questions about the sonnet

• New Critical approach
• What are the poetic techniques used? What are
  the tensions and ironies in this poem? And how
  are they resolved?
• Structuralist approach
• How does the syntax help convey the
  contradictions? Is there a resolution
  syntactically?

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Questions about the sonnet(2)

• Marxist approach
• What are the ideologies conveyed in this poem?
  Does the poet fully support the Puritan idea of
  predestination?
• Deconstruction
• Again, the central contradiction, can it be
  resolved?