Engagements with Close Reading

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Engagements with Close Reading by Annette Federico, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Annette Federico ISBN: 9781317634119
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: October 8, 2015
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Annette Federico
ISBN: 9781317634119
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: October 8, 2015
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

What should we do with a literary work? Is it best to become immersed in a novel or poem, or is our job to objectively dissect it? Should we consult literature as a source of knowledge or wisdom, or keenly interrogate its designs upon us? Do we excavate the text as an historical artifact, or surrender to its aesthetic qualities?

Balancing foundational topics with new developments, Engagements with Close Reading offers an accessible introduction to how prominent critics have approached the task of literary reading. This book will help students

  • learn different methods for close reading
  • perform a close analysis of an unfamiliar text
  • articulate meaningful responses

Beginning with the New Critics and recent argument for a return to formalism, the book tracks the reactions of reader-response critics and phenomenologists, and concludes with ethical criticism’s claim for the value of literary reading to our moral lives. Rich in literary examples, most reprinted in full, each chapter models practical ways for students to debate the pros and cons of objective and subjective criticism. In the final chapter, five distinguished critics shed light on the pleasures and difficulties of close reading in their engagements with poetry and fiction.

In the wake of cultural studies and historicism, Engagements with Close Reading encourages us to bring our eyes back to the words on the page, inviting students and instructors to puzzle out the motives, high stakes, limitations, and rewards of the literary encounter under the pressure of this beleaguered and persistent methodology.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What should we do with a literary work? Is it best to become immersed in a novel or poem, or is our job to objectively dissect it? Should we consult literature as a source of knowledge or wisdom, or keenly interrogate its designs upon us? Do we excavate the text as an historical artifact, or surrender to its aesthetic qualities?

Balancing foundational topics with new developments, Engagements with Close Reading offers an accessible introduction to how prominent critics have approached the task of literary reading. This book will help students

Beginning with the New Critics and recent argument for a return to formalism, the book tracks the reactions of reader-response critics and phenomenologists, and concludes with ethical criticism’s claim for the value of literary reading to our moral lives. Rich in literary examples, most reprinted in full, each chapter models practical ways for students to debate the pros and cons of objective and subjective criticism. In the final chapter, five distinguished critics shed light on the pleasures and difficulties of close reading in their engagements with poetry and fiction.

In the wake of cultural studies and historicism, Engagements with Close Reading encourages us to bring our eyes back to the words on the page, inviting students and instructors to puzzle out the motives, high stakes, limitations, and rewards of the literary encounter under the pressure of this beleaguered and persistent methodology.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Blood of Martyrs by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Conserving Data in the Conservation Reserve by Annette Federico
Cover of the book The Economics of Containerisation by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Losing Site by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Parties, Conflicts and Coalitions in Western Europe by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Understanding Emotional Problems by Annette Federico
Cover of the book The Expansion of Central Europe in the Middle Ages by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Adapting King Lear for the Stage by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Arms Control and Iranian Foreign Policy by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Market-Driven Thinking by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Production Networks in Asia and Europe by Annette Federico
Cover of the book The Obesity Epidemic by Annette Federico
Cover of the book On the Human Condition by Annette Federico
Cover of the book Looking Through Freud's Photos by Annette Federico
Cover of the book James Joyce. Volume 2: 1928-41 by Annette Federico
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy