An Introduction to Literature (L1)

What is literature?

Although literature is sometimes defined as anything written, this understanding may seem both too broad and too narrow, too broad because it would mean that literature includes pamphlets and chronicles. Too narrow because it denies altogether the oral tradition (i.e. ballads[1][1] that are sung and stories that are recited and handed out from father to son.) Some view in literature a servile imitation of life, while others determine this from of expression as a recreation of reality. Both are unable to provide a satisfactory answer to the awesome interrogation “what is literature?”.

To probe with the notion of literature, Tzvetan Todorov suggests as a precautionary measure to examine rather the kind of discourse literary texts vehicle, considering that literature is, to borrow Robert Frost’s words “a performance in words”, a performance which may entertain, afford pleasure as well as insight into the nature of reality. René Wellek in the theory of literature seeks to define literature, distinguishing its particular use of language from other uses, namely: everyday language and scientific jargon. Unlike the two preceding uses, the literature use of language is highly connotative, that is rich in associations and ambiguities.[2][2]

Thus connotation is the primary characteristic of literary discourse. Fictionality is probably the second major feature. What a poem, a play or a piece of prose evoke is not “true”. It is merely the outcome of the author’s imagination, perception and subjective experience of his follow men and the world around. Nonetheless , one must keep in mind that the difference between lies and fiction is simply that the purpose of the first is to hide the truth, whereas the purpose of fiction is to unveil it.



Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literary Renaissance (L3)

If Shakespeare’s plays and poems are the monument of a remarkable genius, the are also the outcome of a remarkable age[3][3].

After a long fallow period of dependence on Chaucer[4][4] as a classical model to be blindly imitated, Shakespeare’s great achievement a few centuries later, lies actually in the reconsideration of the popular taste and spoken language.

Nonetheless Shakespeare’s huge contribution was paved both by the work of his immediate predecessors, namely Spencer, Sidney, and Marlowe whose poetry and drama dared not to conform with the classical heritage. The historical and social circumstances occurring during that peculiar period were challenging enough to shape the 16th century mind. Elizabeth Era was determined by a singular intellectual, artistic, political as well as religious agitation. The English Reformation allowed the Authorized Version of the Bible, a modern version which was to be more accessible to the layman. A modern form of English was by now more or less favoured, yet it was not until the emergence of Shakespeare that such a form was to be established as a challenge to the classical past.

The Renaissance, as contrasted with the Medieval Age, was marked by humanism, reform and ambition. Dr Faustus by Marlowe[5][5] is the epitome of the Renaissance mind. Willing to transcend all possible limits, he defies the divine rule, believing that the ecstasy of earthly glory is its own reward.

Shakespeare and the sonnets

Shakespeare’s oeuvre includes drama and verse. His plays, though up to now feverishly discussed adapted and most appreciated for their vitality and powerful expression as well as in academic contexts and literary circles, they were fundamentally addressing an Elizabethan stage. His plays are essentially a form of entrainment which had to fit the popular taste and go a step further to trigger the most refined minds. He produced both tragedies and comedies. As to poetry, the Sonnets remain probably one of his most mysterious and compelling literary production.

“With this key, Shakespeare unlocked his heart” said Wordsworth, commenting on the sonnets. The only trouble with this key is that it does not work.

Much speculation and less facts characterize the mysterious sonnets. To begin with, Shakespeare did not published them nor did he authorize their publication. It was Thomas Thorpe who did in 1609, Second, to textual difficulties are added biographical ones. The sonnets were dedicated to a man, up to now unidentified with utter certainly . Furthermore the sonnets address exclusively two mysterious figures known as the beautiful Young Ma, a most cherished friend, depicted as the poet’s “better angel”, and the Dark Lady, a fatal mistress portrayed as the “worsen spirit”.

Beauty, Love both moral and physical, as well as Time are the recurrent themes of the Shakespearian sonnet. The poet’s challenge of the old use of language whether in form or style was to be vividly expressed in the sonnets. First, Shakespeare was violating the conventions by addressing a young man. Second, the dark lady did not at all conform to the established canons of beauty and virtue as depicted in the classical heritage.

Apart from all the unanswered questions and unsatisfied curiosity that any reader of Shakespeare’s sonnets may develop, one certainty my may be maintained strongly, the father of the English language left behind some of the most beautiful and penetrating pieces of poetry in such a polemical book.



Shakespeare’s Immortal Words (L4)

William Shakespeare’s words transcend time and space and all literary traditions certainly because he evoked permanently and vividly the human being’s innermost self as naked as possible, unveiling Man’s goodness, dilemmas, fears, obsessions, as well as limitless lust and cruelty.

One may denote Shakespeare as a avant-gardism, and even a modern, one who rejected through his works traditional forms and ways of his age, questing for ever more freedom to innovate and vehicle such ideas, able to reshape the old world throughout a brand new look. Sonnet 127 is indeed the epitome of Shakespeare’s avant-gardism as a renaissance literary figure. He sketches through it a “reconsideration” of the “notion of beauty”. The poet develops through an argument a comparison between the past and the present’s vision of what beauty is.

He state clearly that yesterday’s criteria for beauty are no more valid, and so rejects openly the “idée reçue” which associates the basic notion of beauty with the “whiteness”, often a colour said to represent innocence. He advocates that “beauty’s successive heir” by now is “black”, a colour much loaded with heavy connotations. “blackness” evokes broadly speaking darkness, corruption, evil, sorrow and vice in Man.

“as such who not born fair no beauty lack”, Shakespeare insists on the fact that genuine beauty is not necessarily what one has been told it is or has been conditioned a life long to enjoy. Most often it is somewhere else in another disguise, behind the darkest masks. The poet is thus an utter revolutionary in the sense that he vehicles a conception that annihilate the archaic model which portrays beauty through a fair and virtuous woman which may only inspire unattainable love.

Shakespeare’s singularity as a poet lies also in his evocation of the “theme of love”. Sonnet 116 translates the “Shakespearian love” as developed further in some of his most compelling tragedies, namely Romeo and Juliet and Othello to name only these.

Love according to Shakespeare is passion and devotion, a holy union between two soul mates that are supposed together to survive to the world’s most wicked temptations and obstacles. True love survives it all, transcending Time and even Death. The poet seems to rank love the highest position, stating firmly and ironically altogether that if he was mistaken and his vision wrong, he never wrote anything valid and no Man as well ever experienced genuine love.

From a critical point of view, one may consider “Shakespearian love” too idealistic and so unearthly, and yet so magnificent and fascinating for the poor souls we are in front of the least temptation.



Poem: is not pragmatic, like the sentence we read it many times in order to understand, so it is internal structure.
e.g. Headlines of the newspaper are pragmatic because the time we read it, we understand.

This is the different between literature and non literature.

Pragmatic: If we have a reference in our environment

Non Pragmatic: thing which has no coherence.

Literature: is non pragmatic discourse.
e.g. the teacher writes on the table “keep silent”.

It s no reaction, nut when he says it to them orally, “keep silent”, it is a discourse, every language you use it is to mean something.

Literature is used also for communication.

Literature also is both of connotation and fiction.

Connotation: it is a deep meaning.
E.g. the cat is an animal, but his deep meaning is a small fury animal.

Fiction: according to the imagination.



I. The renaissance: who were influenced by him, they tried to improve themselves (talent, genius).

· Elizabethan Era: Elizabeth was the queen at that time

· Ambition: the wish to go beyond the limit.

· Bust: you have never satisfy.

· Divine rule: for GOD.

· Tragedy: sadness

II. He produced the fact of his people, he was inter, he like that work become adopted by the stage.

· His work addressed to the intellectuals.

· Sonnet: is a short poem.

· He addressed a dark lady, mysterious

· he discussed much love and emotion

· he seem upset by time, he care about death.

· beauty was also discussed by him

III. We don’t know for who were addressed.

Amazing, it is very rich , and deep , thank you for providing us with such texts that help us understand the essence of Lit

you are welcome