I. What is (is not) literature, literary studies

Literature – general definition – two kinds:

1. Broader

2. Restrictive

• creative works in the form of poetry, fiction, and drama

• texts in which language is used in unique fashion

• (one of many) social practices which cannot be removed from the social and economic forces that govern society

• writing which employs and is occupied with the IMAGINATIVE, CREATIVE

 oscillation between the elitist and democratic approaches:

• elitist (Modernist) approach – canon

• ”mediocre” approach mainstream literature

• democratic/pluralistic (postmodernist) approach

Literary Study

• what is written

• how it is written

• why it is written

Aims of literary study:

• ”reading literacy”

• literary terminology

• creative/poetic language

Functions of literature:

1. cognitive

2. didactic

3. entertaining

4. aesthetic

II. Language of literature

language = material as well as outcome of literature  poetic (literary) language

 effect (vs. truth, accuracy, etc.)

1. language = a human construct  keeps developing, changing

b) not only a mediator of information but also a crucial means of expression

The basic distinction of signifying/meaning:

Denotation  connotation

literary language makes use of connotation which is often highly subjective

connotation in everyday use - specific purposes in our verbal environment

the degree of subjectivity makes the task of the work of art’s objective, univocal, definite evaluation and interpretation preposterous



criteria, scales/ladders for assessment

Choice of words in a literary work

literary work – 2 basic approaches:

1) Aesthetic

2) creative

II. Language of literature

language = material as well as outcome of literature  poetic (literary) language

 effect (vs. truth, accuracy, etc.)

2. language = a human construct  keeps developing, changing

b) not only a mediator of information but also a crucial means of expression

The basic distinction of signifying/meaning:

Denotation  connotation

literary language makes use of connotation which is often highly subjective

connotation in everyday use - specific purposes in our verbal environment

the degree of subjectivity makes the task of the work of art’s objective, univocal, definite evaluation and interpretation preposterous



criteria, scales/ladders for assessment

Choice of words in a literary work

literary work – 2 basic approaches:

1) Aesthetic

2) Creative

III. Categories of words

Synonyms - 3 sources:

GE GAL L-G

rise mount ascend

ask question interrogate

fear terror trepidation

holy sacred consecrated

Homonyms

3 kinds: pure

homophones

homographs or heteronyms

 rich source of puns:

One night a knight on a hoarse horse rode upon a road.

Antonyms

- also based on connotation

Oxymoron

e.g. old news, terribly beautiful, random order, public secret, inside out

meaning - changing, unstable character

(simplified) way of classification of new words:

1. affective words

2. figures

A. AFFECTIVE WORDS

- two large groups