Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Blog 1 Post (Luis Sumano)
I initially ranked the categories to reflect the authors intent and beliefs, but soon after I realized that you must have some background knowledge of the trends and the writing style set forth during that era. With this new perspective I realized the vocabulary has some different content and meaning from when it was written to present times.My rankings did change and I mainly chose authorial intent, clear understanding of vocabulary and modern cultural context to be top three as they are all focused upon in new criticism. I am mainly focused on reader response criticism since I myself like to interpret the actual meaning of poems and writing through my own interpretation. I find it to be a successful tool as to where each reader can interpret it differently and can have a coherent discussion about the true meaning of a poem and what the author meant to display as a theme.
Blog Post 1
After reading "My Last Douchess" my ranking changed drastically, at least in respect to things used to prove the validity of the text. I now see that in works that do no necessarily try to persuade our opinions to one direction, the authors biographical information and education does not matter. We use no external information to make sense of what the poem means. I also noticed that I needed to be aware of what the situation was at the time of the poem and what some words mean in the context of this poem.
Coming into this course I believe I am an extrinsic critic. I tend to find myself studying outside influences on the topic or text. What was going on at the time that made the author write a certain word instead of another, skipped a certain topic that may have been important? Does the writer have some sort of expertise that qualifies him to commentate on a subject? these are the kind of questions that I find myself asking when analyzing text. I believe I may be interested in Reader-Response criticism, considering that it may be more valuable to me seeing not only what critics believe the sole interpretation is but also what other readers may think it means.
Coming into this course I believe I am an extrinsic critic. I tend to find myself studying outside influences on the topic or text. What was going on at the time that made the author write a certain word instead of another, skipped a certain topic that may have been important? Does the writer have some sort of expertise that qualifies him to commentate on a subject? these are the kind of questions that I find myself asking when analyzing text. I believe I may be interested in Reader-Response criticism, considering that it may be more valuable to me seeing not only what critics believe the sole interpretation is but also what other readers may think it means.
Blog Post 1
My initial rankings before reading the text where as followed; Authorial intent, Scholarly context, Author's beliefs, A clear understanding of vocab etc., Understanding of literary elements, Contemporary cultural context, Modern cultural context, and Personal beliefs.
After reading the poem some of my rankings did change, but not significantly. I felt that the authors intent was the most important element in discovering the true meaning of the poem, so this didn't change. My second ranking did change to understanding of vocabulary including etymology, because I felt that scholarly context did not come into play with this poem and the understanding of diction was more helpful in grasping what the author was trying to express. My third rank also changed to understanding of traditional literary elements because I think in knowing which devices the author is using in his writing helps the reader get a better view and understanding of the message been told in this poem. These were the changes made to my rankings after reading "My Last Duchess".
As a literary critic i see myself as an extrinsic analyst since i feel compelled to view and change my opinion on something due to the outside influences and beliefs of an author when writing. Also the knowledge of knowing historical context and background information on an author or written work is interesting, also helpful in finding out what the theme of a piece might be or related to. As of today only reader-response type criticism interests me because it seems more inviting to the readers interpretation of the text rather than just what the author is trying to express sole fully.
-Leo Narvaez
After reading the poem some of my rankings did change, but not significantly. I felt that the authors intent was the most important element in discovering the true meaning of the poem, so this didn't change. My second ranking did change to understanding of vocabulary including etymology, because I felt that scholarly context did not come into play with this poem and the understanding of diction was more helpful in grasping what the author was trying to express. My third rank also changed to understanding of traditional literary elements because I think in knowing which devices the author is using in his writing helps the reader get a better view and understanding of the message been told in this poem. These were the changes made to my rankings after reading "My Last Duchess".
As a literary critic i see myself as an extrinsic analyst since i feel compelled to view and change my opinion on something due to the outside influences and beliefs of an author when writing. Also the knowledge of knowing historical context and background information on an author or written work is interesting, also helpful in finding out what the theme of a piece might be or related to. As of today only reader-response type criticism interests me because it seems more inviting to the readers interpretation of the text rather than just what the author is trying to express sole fully.
-Leo Narvaez
Blog Post 1 (Mireya)
- After reading the poem "My Last Duchess" my rankings changed right away. I had a whole
- different view on the list I had made the first time. For example after reading the poem I feel that
- authorial intent is one of terms that describes what the author is trying to say. The other one I found
- very important is the understanding of the vocabulary, especially when theres words that could
- literary mean something or not so literary. It helps a lot if you know some of the literary terms because it helps you understand the poem a bit more. Which is why i believe it's very important to try to understand what the author was really trying to say. What I also noticed was that some times readers may read the poem literary but it might mean the opposite. For example, it could be sarcastic but someone can see it in a serious way. I had to analyze the poem twice in order to understand what the author meant in each sentence. At the end i feel i'm more of a feminist criticism because i'm a very strong believer when it comes to reading a piece that has to do with a male talking about a girl because it's not the same. Some things can be taken ironically by a female and maybe not so much by a male. Which is why I feel like i'll feminist criticism will be very interesting for me.
Blog Post 1
I had initially ranked the categories in a way that relied heavily on outside sources and the author's personal beliefs. I was thinking very generally about literature when I ranked them that way, but after reading the poem "My Last Duchess," I had a whole new perspective on what matters in a piece of literature. Because this piece seems to be set in a different time, I felt that it was best to understand the cultural context and the etymology of the vocabulary used in the poem, rather than worrying about the author in any way. My "after" rankings definitely comply with New Criticism, although I wouldn't say that it's my preferred method of literary criticism. I am looking forward to reader-response criticism because I believe that most authors think about their audience while they're writing. I'm definitely interested in comparing actual reader's responses with ideal reader's responses.
Blog post 1
After reading "My Last Duchess" my rankings did change but not
significantly. I thought at first that you had to have an understanding
of what the author is trying to say (authorial intent) in order to
comprehend what the poem is about. After reading the poem, I felt like
in order to understand it you have to understand the meaning behind the
vocab/dialogue because the vocabulary and the choosing of words play a
key role in analyzing. My top three rankings initially were: 1.
Authorial Intent 2. An understanding traditional literary elements like
characterization, symbolism, irony, setting point of view and narration
among others 3.A clear understanding of vocabulary, including possible
etymology of words. Now my rankings are: 1. A clear understanding of
vocabulary, including possible etymology o words 2. An understanding
traditional literary elements like characterizaion, symbolism, irony,
setting point of view and narration among others 3. Authorial Intent.
I feel as though I am a feminist critic, I know for a fact that the styles of writing between a man and woman differ and I find it very interesting how women have been viewed over the period of years.
I feel as though I am a feminist critic, I know for a fact that the styles of writing between a man and woman differ and I find it very interesting how women have been viewed over the period of years.
"My Last Duchess" Blog 1
Before reading the poem, "My Last Duchess," my ranked categories were:
1. Understanding of traditional literary elements
2. Clear understanding of vocabulary
3. Scholarly context
4. Authorial intent
5. Contemporary cultural context
6. Modern cultural context
7. Author's beliefs
8. Personal beliefs
After reading the poem, my first two categories stayed the same but I moved the contemporary cultural context to the third ranking. I realized when reading poems from the past, you must have some knowledge of the trends and values that were around at the time the poem was written. I also moved the modern cultural context to eighth place because you don't really need to know about the present when reading a classic poem. I kept an understanding of traditional literary elements first because having some decent amount of understanding of characterization, symbolism, irony, etc. is crucial when reading poems.
I think the type of literary critic I am is an intrinsic writer because I like to understand what I am reading and what the text is trying to say. The theoretical school I am interested in learning more about is the Marxist criticism because the social class seems like something I would enjoy reading about in literature.
1. Understanding of traditional literary elements
2. Clear understanding of vocabulary
3. Scholarly context
4. Authorial intent
5. Contemporary cultural context
6. Modern cultural context
7. Author's beliefs
8. Personal beliefs
After reading the poem, my first two categories stayed the same but I moved the contemporary cultural context to the third ranking. I realized when reading poems from the past, you must have some knowledge of the trends and values that were around at the time the poem was written. I also moved the modern cultural context to eighth place because you don't really need to know about the present when reading a classic poem. I kept an understanding of traditional literary elements first because having some decent amount of understanding of characterization, symbolism, irony, etc. is crucial when reading poems.
I think the type of literary critic I am is an intrinsic writer because I like to understand what I am reading and what the text is trying to say. The theoretical school I am interested in learning more about is the Marxist criticism because the social class seems like something I would enjoy reading about in literature.
My Last Duchess John R.
My rankings of the literary contexts did change but not too dramatically, i had chosen the same before and after for Authorial intent, Clear understanding of vocabulary, and understanding of traditional literary elements like characterization. The changes i did make took place because of just how the poem was read and how it sounded reading it. I believe the mood of the poem was self thinking the reader interprets as he or she reads on. No knowledge is needed of beliefs, values, concepts, or ideas, every reader will have different thoughts and understanding on what they are hearing and what the author is talking about. The ranking of my choices i believe would generally be static because it all depends on the poem or piece of literature being read and who is reading it. Intrinsic analysis would best fit me because i like to take a close look at the material then go forward from there. The Literary schools are going to take some work to get them all down although i am on my way to understanding and using them all in my papers for literary analysis
blog 1 (dianna)
My initial rankings were 1) authorial intent- every author has a point they want to get a cross and finding that purpose seemed the most important to me.
2) a clear understanding of vocab- I thought this would be important because certain use of words can be interpreted differently so sometimes you have to stop and think what is the writer really trying to say.
3) an understanding of traditional literary elements- honestly I picked this last because the first 2 seemed more important.
After reading My Last Duchess I found my rankings did change #3 became 1 because when analyzing new criticism its important to find who's telling the story so we can get a clear understanding of whats going on or whats about to take place (kind of like getting in their head) #1 became 3 because before you can start understanding what is being said you first have to find out who's doing the talking. (#2 stayed the same) I had never done this type of analysis before so it was interesting how everything started formulating together after the readings. I think I like the intrinsic analysis better just because I think you need to first examine the material before you start looking at all the outside material.
2) a clear understanding of vocab- I thought this would be important because certain use of words can be interpreted differently so sometimes you have to stop and think what is the writer really trying to say.
3) an understanding of traditional literary elements- honestly I picked this last because the first 2 seemed more important.
After reading My Last Duchess I found my rankings did change #3 became 1 because when analyzing new criticism its important to find who's telling the story so we can get a clear understanding of whats going on or whats about to take place (kind of like getting in their head) #1 became 3 because before you can start understanding what is being said you first have to find out who's doing the talking. (#2 stayed the same) I had never done this type of analysis before so it was interesting how everything started formulating together after the readings. I think I like the intrinsic analysis better just because I think you need to first examine the material before you start looking at all the outside material.
Blog 1:"My Last Duchess"
Before reading the poem “My Last Duchess”, I ranked the categories a little bit differently than I did the second time around but not much. Initially my top three were: 1) An understanding of traditional literary elements, 2) a clear understanding of vocabulary and etymology of words, and 3) my personal beliefs/values/experience. Obviously you need to understand literary elements and vocabulary to interpret the text but, after I read the poem, I decided my rankings needed to be rearranged.
To effectively interpret any text, the reader must understand the writing literally before s/he can understand it figuratively. There were some words and phrases in “My Last Duchess” that meant something completely different in that time than they do now, making understanding etymology crucial. You simply can’t recognize the literary elements without first understanding what the words mean. It’s plain and simple. None of the other categories served any purpose in my interpretation of this poem in particular. I believe with each piece of literature the importance of these categories change. For example, if the text was a religious work, a person’s beliefs, values and experiences would definitely have a huge impact on how they interpret it. With this said, I believe no reader can fully engage in any piece of literature without first, understanding the vocabulary and etymology of words used and second, having an understanding of traditional literary elements.
I see myself as a reader-response critic. Intrinsic criticism is more valuable to the interpretation of the text but if you include external factors, such as the author’s life experiences and beliefs, other interesting and important meanings can be discovered. I don’t think the readers should be limited to only one interpretation of the text. Reader-response criticism is probably the most enriching form of literary criticism in my opinion.
Marxism criticism appeals to me most out of these theoretical schools. It has always been very interesting to me how much power and control the upper-class has on culture and the educational system, especially what is emphasized as important and what the middle- and working-classes are and aren’t allowed to read. I believe it is a way for the "1%" to mentally enslave and ultimately brainwash the general population.
"My Last Duchess" Blog 1
Before reading "My Last Duchess," my initial rankings were:
1. Contemporary cultural context
2. An understanding of traditional literary elements
3. A clear understanding of vocabulary, including possible etymology of words
After reading the text however, my rankings changed to:
1. An understanding of traditional literary elements
2. A clear understanding of vocabulary, including possible etymology of words
3. Contemporary cultural context
My top three virtually stayed the same but in a slightly different order because after reading the text, I felt it was more important to understand who the author was speaking to, what was symbolic, what the setting of this piece of literature was, and what was ironic about the story. Since this poem was in old English, knowing the vocabulary of that time is important so that the reader can get a full understanding of what the author is really saying and not just trying to guess. Like the word "mantle," today it means the space above your fireplace, but back then, it meant your sleeve. Having known the context of that word, the sentence was more understandable and can be easily translated. I ranked contemporary cultural context last this time because after knowing who the author was speaking to and understanding what the author was talking about, then you can take in the atmosphere such as the political practices, popular trends, and government practices. Killing someone is never alright, but back then, many important male figures had their spouses killed for a number of reasons like being unfaithful.
Having an understanding of these literary contexts personally help me understand the poem better and can easily be deciphered because I now know who the author is and is speaking to, what he is saying by the vocabulary, and because of the date in which it is written, understand why he is saying that.
So far because it is the beginning of the year, I am more of the intrinsic type of writer because when I am reading something, I want to make sure I am reading it right and don't misinterpret anything and get it wrong, so that probably makes me a new critic. However, I am interested in learning more about feminist and marxist criticism because they seem interesting.
1. Contemporary cultural context
2. An understanding of traditional literary elements
3. A clear understanding of vocabulary, including possible etymology of words
After reading the text however, my rankings changed to:
1. An understanding of traditional literary elements
2. A clear understanding of vocabulary, including possible etymology of words
3. Contemporary cultural context
My top three virtually stayed the same but in a slightly different order because after reading the text, I felt it was more important to understand who the author was speaking to, what was symbolic, what the setting of this piece of literature was, and what was ironic about the story. Since this poem was in old English, knowing the vocabulary of that time is important so that the reader can get a full understanding of what the author is really saying and not just trying to guess. Like the word "mantle," today it means the space above your fireplace, but back then, it meant your sleeve. Having known the context of that word, the sentence was more understandable and can be easily translated. I ranked contemporary cultural context last this time because after knowing who the author was speaking to and understanding what the author was talking about, then you can take in the atmosphere such as the political practices, popular trends, and government practices. Killing someone is never alright, but back then, many important male figures had their spouses killed for a number of reasons like being unfaithful.
Having an understanding of these literary contexts personally help me understand the poem better and can easily be deciphered because I now know who the author is and is speaking to, what he is saying by the vocabulary, and because of the date in which it is written, understand why he is saying that.
So far because it is the beginning of the year, I am more of the intrinsic type of writer because when I am reading something, I want to make sure I am reading it right and don't misinterpret anything and get it wrong, so that probably makes me a new critic. However, I am interested in learning more about feminist and marxist criticism because they seem interesting.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Post 1 - Brandon Arnold - "My Last Duchess"
My initial ranking of the categories did change
after I read the poem. There were only two that stayed the same in both
rankings. One of the ones that stayed the same was “authorial content” which I
ranked first. I felt that the whole objective of what we were doing was to
figure out the message the author is trying to communicate; therefore, what the
author is trying to say is the most important part. All the other choices to me
seemed like ways of achieving that. My initial ranking for “contemporary cultural
context was” was fourth, but I moved it to second after reading. Now I know
that this is useless in terms of new criticism; however at the time I thought
that it would give clues to meaning of the poem. The second one that stayed the same was “modern
cultural context which I ranked seventh. I ranked this one low, because I felt
that since the poem was so old that modern cultural context would not have much
relevance in terms of defining the author’s direct meaning. I ranked “scholarly
context” second before reading and sixth after reading it. I think all this can
do is help you brainstorm ideas for your own interpretation of the text, therefore,
it is neither important or necessary to my argument. “A clear understanding of
vocabulary, including possible etymology of words” was ranked fifth before
reading and third after reading. After reading the poem, I realized that
without being able to understand all the words, the message of any text will
fail to be delivered and interpretation is impossible. “My Last Duchess” was
filled with old English that I could not understand and made me come to that
conclusion. “An understanding of traditional literary elements like characterization,
symbolism, irony, setting, point of view, and narration among others” was
initially ranked sixth and fourth after reading. These are the useful focal
points that you can pin point and use to interpret the authors meaning, so this
one is quite important. I ranked “personal beliefs/values/experiences was
ranked eighth before reading and fifth after. I think that a person’s personal
beliefs and emotional response is insignificant in interpreting the authors
meaning. I feel it would only work if everyone thinks the same way. Since no
one does, emotions and values varies so much, I feel like all the
interpretations will be different: and only by chance will someone’s values
allow the intended response to the text the author intended. “Author’s beliefs/values/personal experience-biographical
information- was ranked third before reading and eighth after reading; however,
thinking about it now, I think that this is a very effective way of finding out
an author’s motivations and ultimately the meaning of his intended message:
just not in new criticism. I would describe myself as a very logical person, so
I am looking forward to intrinsic evaluation. As a literary critic, for that
reason, I see myself being into new criticism style evaluator of texts.
Blog Post 1 Eric de Souza
These were the higher ranked catagories before I read "My Last Duchess",:
1. Authorial intent
2. Understanding of traditional literary elements
3. Author's beliefs/values/personal experience, etc.
4. Understanding of vocabulary and etymology of words
These were the higher ranked catagories after I read "My Last Duchess":
1. Authorial Intent
2. Understanding of traditional literary elements
3. Scholarly context
My rankings did change, however I still feel that knowing what the Author is trying to say will help me the most with understanding the text. It's always been hard for me to understand text when the author uses very intricate words and metaphors. Looking up words that I don't understand obviously helps a lot, so vocabulary shouldn't really be a problem. But for me to understand anything beyond the literal text, I've had to look up what other people came up with after they read it. Learning more about the Author on a more personal level shouldn't really matter when trying to understand the text, whose to say that their personal experiences will coorelate to their written work? I just really hope I'll have a better understanding of all creative forms of writing by the end of the semester.
1. Authorial intent
2. Understanding of traditional literary elements
3. Author's beliefs/values/personal experience, etc.
4. Understanding of vocabulary and etymology of words
These were the higher ranked catagories after I read "My Last Duchess":
1. Authorial Intent
2. Understanding of traditional literary elements
3. Scholarly context
My rankings did change, however I still feel that knowing what the Author is trying to say will help me the most with understanding the text. It's always been hard for me to understand text when the author uses very intricate words and metaphors. Looking up words that I don't understand obviously helps a lot, so vocabulary shouldn't really be a problem. But for me to understand anything beyond the literal text, I've had to look up what other people came up with after they read it. Learning more about the Author on a more personal level shouldn't really matter when trying to understand the text, whose to say that their personal experiences will coorelate to their written work? I just really hope I'll have a better understanding of all creative forms of writing by the end of the semester.
Blog Post 1
In the beginning before reading "My Last Duchess" I based the rankings off of what sounded the most correct when looking at a story or in this case a poem. The order from most important to least:
1. Authorial Intent
2. Scholarly Context
3. Traditional Literary Elements
4. Understanding Vocab
5. Modern Cultural Content
6. Contemporary Cultural Content
7. Personal Beliefs
8. Author's Beliefs
Little did I know that my rankings were not at all accurate. The step-by-step process changed my outlook on the importance of a poem. My rankings after reading and analyzing the poem became:
1. Authorial Intent => You need to understand the text before jumping into it
2. Understanding Vocab => It is important to have knowledge of what text is saying in terms of analyzing and/or using criticism
3. Traditional Literary Elements=> You should know where the narrator/speaker is going with the text
4. Author's Beliefs=> You should have an understanding of where the author is coming from
5. Personal Beliefs=> You can agree or disagree with author while trying to figure out if paradox is resolved
6. Contemporary Context=> Understanding the cultural that the story was written about
7. Modern Cultural Context=> Compare or Contrast
8. Scholarly Context=> See what other authors opinions were
These are what my rankings came out to be after looking at the text a second time. Once I put them into action I understood what the text was about and was actually able to enjoy it. I found this poem fun and interesting! I found myself to be more of an intrinsic critic because I like to look at further meaning of the text instead of just the text itself.
- Whitney Danley
My Last Duchess
At the beginning of class I had marked vocabulary, etymology and an understanding of traditional literary elements low on my rankings, but after reading the poem "My Last Duchess," I realized that these were things that were absolutely necessary to being able to understand the work. Also, in the beginning I had ranked author's values and beliefs fairly high on my list, but then later on realized that this was something that did not matter quite as much, especially if I am unable to understand the piece at all.
I believe that I am more of a Reader-response critic, I believe that even though there might be an overall right idea that you should get out of a piece, peoples personal beliefs and experiences will give them individual flavors of that idea, and that is what gives the piece its meaning.
Even though some of my rankings were changed around after reading "My Last Duchess," there were still several that remained the same. I still believe that what the author intended the piece to mean is a big part of the overall meaning to the piece, and that contemporary cultural context can give us clues as to what that intent was. It can be compared to a work of art, an artist creates the work intending to bring light to some part of life or society that they want to bring attention to, and it is then up to the viewer to be able to try and discern what the artist is trying to convey, and to be able to connect and relate to that on a personal level.
I see literature as a form of art, and giving one specific definition to an art piece seems to take away from the mystery of discovery that surrounds art. Although, I can see the appeal of being able to quantify a piece into one specific meaning in a specific way, so as to be able to accurately work with it, and compare it to other works. But that I do not believe this is something that I would gain the most enjoyment out of.
- Wesley Marin
"My Last Duchess"
When I first read the poem “My Last Duchess,” I found that my literary rankings changes significantly. With all of the flavor that “My Last Duchess” had, it made me feel that I was closest to being a new historicism more than anything. I focus a lot on the history of the text while keeping in mind the culture and time period the poem would have been written in. With that being said I really liked the poem the second time around. The Duke seemed like a power drunk person while the Duchess just got caught in the middle of his lust. She loved to be down to earth and enjoy life outside of money. While on the hand the Duke Had to have things his way. Ferrara was a pretty well-known city in Italy at the time.
blog post #1 ( an yu )
( hoping i'm doing this right o.o )
i ranked an understanding of literary elements, contemporary cultural context, and a clear understanding of vocabulary the highest, though i wavered with which order i should place them in. i find it self-explanatory: they seem pretty crucial to analysis and interpretation. i decided that authorial intent and scholarly context (how does what other people think change the meaning of the piece?) didn’t have as big an impact on literary text, because it sounds a little redundant to try and pinpoint what the author may or may not have intended. s/he wrote it. there’s no need to figure out what the author is “trying” to say - s/he already said it, and it should be apparent in the text itself. this ties in with why i ranked authorial beliefs/background lowly, as well. there’s no need to say, “oh, william blake meant to make a point about horrible conditions for child chimney sweepers,” or, “he experienced this as a child himself and that somehow helps me understand the text more.” sure, the fact that tim o’brien was sent to vietnam or that steinbeck lived through the depression definitely prompted them to write in the direction they did, and it’s always interesting to know what the author’s values are, but the information’s not necessary in order to deduce the meaning of the work. i... also don’t quite understand why the reader’s personal beliefs and current culture would have any relevance to analysis. it’ll affect the way we think of the piece, but i feel like that sort of bias wouldn’t be good for analysis. i don't think i'd change any of that after reading "my last duchess."
( lol i just realized now, i’m a harsh lit. critic )
i don’t think i fully understand the idea behind reader-response criticism, as i don’t know how it can ever be considered accurate. this may just be because i’m uncomfortable with getting too close, but mostly i find that there should be a difference between a reader’s personal reaction and the actual criticism. there are a lot of books i can’t get behind because i can’t stand the main character and simply feel no sympathy toward the character’s problems, or i don’t like the way some ideals are illustrated, and though i’d love to express those opinions, i’m not sure if it’d be right. just because i personally see things one way doesn’t mean that’s what the author’s saying, you know? i love arguments made concerning social classes, as they’re usually done really elaborately, and it’s so hard to determine what the right thing is, because there are so many different groups of people with their own goals and dis/advantages. i reckon i’d be interested in feminist criticism as well, though i rarely like the way women are portrayed in literature, but it could definitely make for fun discussions/thoughts/more rambling like this.
i ranked an understanding of literary elements, contemporary cultural context, and a clear understanding of vocabulary the highest, though i wavered with which order i should place them in. i find it self-explanatory: they seem pretty crucial to analysis and interpretation. i decided that authorial intent and scholarly context (how does what other people think change the meaning of the piece?) didn’t have as big an impact on literary text, because it sounds a little redundant to try and pinpoint what the author may or may not have intended. s/he wrote it. there’s no need to figure out what the author is “trying” to say - s/he already said it, and it should be apparent in the text itself. this ties in with why i ranked authorial beliefs/background lowly, as well. there’s no need to say, “oh, william blake meant to make a point about horrible conditions for child chimney sweepers,” or, “he experienced this as a child himself and that somehow helps me understand the text more.” sure, the fact that tim o’brien was sent to vietnam or that steinbeck lived through the depression definitely prompted them to write in the direction they did, and it’s always interesting to know what the author’s values are, but the information’s not necessary in order to deduce the meaning of the work. i... also don’t quite understand why the reader’s personal beliefs and current culture would have any relevance to analysis. it’ll affect the way we think of the piece, but i feel like that sort of bias wouldn’t be good for analysis. i don't think i'd change any of that after reading "my last duchess."
( lol i just realized now, i’m a harsh lit. critic )
i don’t think i fully understand the idea behind reader-response criticism, as i don’t know how it can ever be considered accurate. this may just be because i’m uncomfortable with getting too close, but mostly i find that there should be a difference between a reader’s personal reaction and the actual criticism. there are a lot of books i can’t get behind because i can’t stand the main character and simply feel no sympathy toward the character’s problems, or i don’t like the way some ideals are illustrated, and though i’d love to express those opinions, i’m not sure if it’d be right. just because i personally see things one way doesn’t mean that’s what the author’s saying, you know? i love arguments made concerning social classes, as they’re usually done really elaborately, and it’s so hard to determine what the right thing is, because there are so many different groups of people with their own goals and dis/advantages. i reckon i’d be interested in feminist criticism as well, though i rarely like the way women are portrayed in literature, but it could definitely make for fun discussions/thoughts/more rambling like this.
Friday, January 27, 2012
First Post for English 201
Hi all,
I'm using the same blog I began last semester (for an English 120 class; the blog was optional). We didn't get very far, but I'd like to develop it much further this time around. While I occasionally post lit and theory-related stories that aren't connected to the class, much of the content is the posts you'll be doing and my comments on them.
Discuss your initial rankings of categories and your thoughts following reading "My Last Duchess". Did your rankings change? Why? Why not? Ultimately, what sort of literary critic do you think you are, here at the beginning of the course? (One interested in intrinsic analysis; one looking forward to extrinsic analysis; one anticipating reader-response theory, etc.) You might also discuss any of the following theoretical schools -- do you anticipate you'll be interested in any of them particularly? Why?
Reader-response criticism -- both intrinsic and extrinsic. Concerned, to varying degrees (some do very close text analysis combined with reader response) with how the reader responds personally to a text and why the reader responds as such -- which life experiences, practices, values, etc. inform the reader's response (some analysis of these elements of the reader's life are important). Also: the ideal reader, the "signals" the text sends that "tell" the reader how to read the text (does the reader's response mirror the ideal reader's response? Contradict it?)
Feminist criticism -- both intrinsic and extrinsic. Concerned with female characters authored by men and by women, female authors and their historical and/or biographical information, cultural context (laws, practices, cultural norms for women at the time a text was written and published), whether there's a specific sort of "female" writing that differs from men's writing; how women's bodies are often used as metaphor in texts, etc.
Marxist criticism -- on the whole, concerned primarily with social class -- as it's represented in literature and with the author's class designation/experience. Concerned with issues of alienation and fragmentation caused by low-level work, rebellion and revolution, how the upper class creates and influences most ideas and practices that circulate through culture.
***Please title this "Blog Post 1" and make sure your name appears somewhere in the post. Sometimes people use blog handles that don't clarify their name -- we need to know you are.
***Be sure to respond to at least one other posting (and this response needs to go beyond "good job!" or "I agree!" Students often disagree with one another (in my experience) but usually handle things very diplomatically. Ask questions, offer alternative ideas, explain WHY you agree on a personal issue, etc. Response posting is part of the point total for each post.
I'm using the same blog I began last semester (for an English 120 class; the blog was optional). We didn't get very far, but I'd like to develop it much further this time around. While I occasionally post lit and theory-related stories that aren't connected to the class, much of the content is the posts you'll be doing and my comments on them.
Discussion Post 1
Discuss your initial rankings of categories and your thoughts following reading "My Last Duchess". Did your rankings change? Why? Why not? Ultimately, what sort of literary critic do you think you are, here at the beginning of the course? (One interested in intrinsic analysis; one looking forward to extrinsic analysis; one anticipating reader-response theory, etc.) You might also discuss any of the following theoretical schools -- do you anticipate you'll be interested in any of them particularly? Why?
Reader-response criticism -- both intrinsic and extrinsic. Concerned, to varying degrees (some do very close text analysis combined with reader response) with how the reader responds personally to a text and why the reader responds as such -- which life experiences, practices, values, etc. inform the reader's response (some analysis of these elements of the reader's life are important). Also: the ideal reader, the "signals" the text sends that "tell" the reader how to read the text (does the reader's response mirror the ideal reader's response? Contradict it?)
Feminist criticism -- both intrinsic and extrinsic. Concerned with female characters authored by men and by women, female authors and their historical and/or biographical information, cultural context (laws, practices, cultural norms for women at the time a text was written and published), whether there's a specific sort of "female" writing that differs from men's writing; how women's bodies are often used as metaphor in texts, etc.
Marxist criticism -- on the whole, concerned primarily with social class -- as it's represented in literature and with the author's class designation/experience. Concerned with issues of alienation and fragmentation caused by low-level work, rebellion and revolution, how the upper class creates and influences most ideas and practices that circulate through culture.
***Please title this "Blog Post 1" and make sure your name appears somewhere in the post. Sometimes people use blog handles that don't clarify their name -- we need to know you are.
***Be sure to respond to at least one other posting (and this response needs to go beyond "good job!" or "I agree!" Students often disagree with one another (in my experience) but usually handle things very diplomatically. Ask questions, offer alternative ideas, explain WHY you agree on a personal issue, etc. Response posting is part of the point total for each post.
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