The centuries just after the Norman Conquest are the forgotten period of English literary history. In fact, the years 1066-1300 witnessed an unparalleled ingenuity in the creation of written forms, for this was a time when almost every writer was unaware of the existence of other English writing. In a series of detailed readings of the more important early Middle English works, Cannon shows how the many and varied texts of the period laid the foundations for the project of English literature.
Uses of Literature bridges the gap between literary theory and common-sense beliefs about why we read literature. Explores the diverse motives and mysteries of why we read. Offers four different ways of thinking about why we read literature - for recognition, enchantment, knowledge, and shock. Argues for a new “phenomenology” in literary studies that incorporates the historical and social dimensions of reading. Includes examples of literature from a wide range of national literary traditions
Latin American Poets is a single-volume monograph that contains selected essays from Critical Survey of Poetry, Fourth Edition. Every article in this set was carefully selected by our editors to provide the best information available about the topic covered. The essays in Latin American Poets discuss such influential poets as Jorge Luis Borges, Ruben Dario, Pablo Neruda, and Octavio Paz.
Historians of theatre face the same temptations and challenges as other historians: they negotiate assumptions (their own and those of others) about national identity and national character; they decide what events and actors to highlight—or omit—and what framework and perspective to use for telling the story. Personal biases, trends in scholarship, and sociopolitical contexts influence all histories; and theatre histories, too, are often revised to reflect changing times and interests. This significant collection examines the problems and challenges of formulating national theatre histories.
