A Short Guide to Writing About Literature

by SylvanBarnet (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1986

  $113.31

  This guide aims to ease the path of the beginner student of literature and to help the more experienced to improve both the style and the presentation of their written work by giving a thorough treatment of each step in the writing process and by use of many examples. Part One starts from first principles - why write about literature? how do I choose a topic and organize my material? - and moves on to detailed consideration of style, structure and presentation, concluding with advice on preparing essays and writing examinations. Part Two deals with the specific requirements of writing the three major divisions of literature - fiction, drama and poetry - and also about film, since other media are now often considered in literature courses. An appendix covers the treatment of non-fictional prose. The examples used are carefully chosen and are taken from a wide variety of English and American works. Sample analyses are provided to show possible methods of approach, and student essays are printed in full with accompanying commentary. The author has taught at Tufts University, Massachusetts since 1954 and he is currently director of the freshman English programme. He serves as general editor of the Signet Classic Shakespeare, is co-author of several textbooks and co-editor of some anthologies.