World Literature Literary_Approaches.pptx

Literary Approaches for World Literature Class

1. Literary Approaches

2. Moralistic Approach Literature is viewed based on its moral or ethical teachings. Its concern is not only to discover meaning but also to determine whether works of literature are both true and significant.

3. The Road Not Taken BY ROBERT FROST Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

4. Questions: Why is the poem entitled "Road Not Taken"? What attitude of the speaker is revealed by choosing the road less traveled? What do you think would have happened had the Traveler made a different choice? Recall a time when you had to make a decision. Do you think you made the right choice? Was the outcome favorable or not?

5. Historical approach Literature is seen both as a reflection and a product of the times and circumstances in which it was written. It operates on the premise that the history of a nation has telling effects on its literature and that the piece can be better understood and appreciated if one knows the times surrounding its creation. Common Questions for the Historical Approach:  How does the work reflect the time in which it was written?   What literary or historical influences helped to shape the form and content of the work? How does the story reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the time in which it was written or set? (Consider beliefs and attitudes related to race, religion, politics, gender, society, philosophy, etc.)  What other literary works may have influenced the writer?  What historical events or movements might have influenced this writer?  How important is it the historical context (the work’s and the reader’s) to interpreting the work?

6. Biographical Approach It investigates the life of an author using primary texts, such as letters, diaries, and other documents, that might reveal the experience, thought, and feelings that led to the creation of a literary work. Sociological Approach Criticism focuses on the relationship between literature and society. Literature is always produced in a social context. Writers may affirm or criticize the values of the society in which they live, but they write for an audience and that audience is society.

7. Ballad of a Landlord A Poem by Langston Hughes Landlord, landlord, My roof has sprung a leak. Don't you 'member I told you about it Way last week? Landlord, landlord, These steps is broken down. When you come up yourself It's a wonder you don't fall down. Ten Bucks you say I owe you? Ten Bucks you say is due? Well, that's Ten Bucks more'n I'l pay you Till you fix this house up new. What? You gonna get eviction orders? You gonna cut off my heat? You gonna take my furniture and Throw it in the street? Um-huh! You talking high and mighty. Talk on-till you get through. You ain't gonna be able to say a word If I land my fist on you. Police! Police! Come and get this man! He's trying to ruin the government And overturn the land! Copper's whistle! Patrol bell! Arrest. Precinct Station. Iron cell. Headlines in press: MAN THREATENS LANDLORD TENANT HELD NO BAIL JUDGE GIVES NEGRO 90 DAYS IN COUNTY JAIL!

8. References : https://cdnsm5-ss3.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_3705599/File/Academics/English/New%20Lit%20Crit%20Primer.pdf Sialongo E.B. et.al. (2007) Literatures of the World. Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc.