Ms .

Mengouchi

Literary Studies.

LMD1 Course summaries (1st Semester)

1 What is Literature
2 British Literature
2.1. Old English Literature
2.1.1.

Beowulf

2.2 Middle English Literature

2.2.1

Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales , The Wife of Bath

2.3 Elizabethan Period

2.3.1 William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice

1. What is Literature:
Literature is hard to define. It changes through time and place, which makes it hard to give it
one fixed definition. What may be considered as literature in one society, may be seen as an
offenseor sinin another; thus, literature escapes the fixed definition (therefore preserves its
freedom). Literature, though it may seem easy to define, is not simple to introduce clearly: but it
is possible to approach the meaning including the main important genres literature comprises
(Serir 10). It is yet possible to recognize a literary text from the style and the form in which is it
written. Some theorists argue that for a text to be considered literature; it has to display excellence
in form and style.
1.1. How to recognize a Literary Text:
Literature is an art that comprises different forms through Poetry, prose and drama. [it is then]
a work of art. It is not journalism or technical book: it is rather fictional or imaginative (Serir 10).
Literature can be oral and written. It has three major forms that are:
Prose: a: the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing. b : a literary medium
distinguished from poetry (Merriam-webster.com). There are types of prose witing, like: novels,
short stories, letters, reports, accounts, etc.
Poetry: is a genre of literature written in verses, and contains a musical intonation. It
relies on good word choice, and imagination (Serir 11).
Drama: is a type of fiction represented in performance, i.e: in plays.
Literature is due to a gifted inspiration. It is characterized by its deep and particular use of the
language. It has a beauty of style, and it is often rich in proverbs, riddles, songs, poetry and stories.
1.2. The language of Literature:
Literature uses language in an artistic way, but still very manipulative manner. Literature can
be creative of new meanings and affects, as well as new words. Terry Eagleton describes the
relationship of literature and language as follows: literature transforms and intensifies ordinary
language, deviates systematically from everydays speech (2).
1.3. Oral Literature: Before the invention of writing all literature was oral, in forms of poetry,
songs, myths, legends, dramas, rituals, proverbs, riddles, etc transmitted by word of mouth (orally)
(Thompson, Encyclopedia Britannica).

Literary terms:

Narration: a story is told by a narrator and the narration is the development of the
story as described or reported by the main speaker (narrator)

Plot: the point in the story where events start to become complicated or unusual.
It begins with a complication and progresses to reach the climax, which is the
most complicated point in the story, then resolves to a solution.

Theme: the inherent message, or the moral meant by the author. The authors
message to his readers.

Characters: the different figures and personalities in a story.

Bibliography:
Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1983. Pdf.
Serir. Mortad, Ilhem. Analysing English Poetry: an Overview. Oran: Dar el Adib. 2011.Print
"folk literature". Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online.
Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016
<http://www.britannica.com/art/folk-literature>.
Merriam-webster.com,. 'Prose - Definition And More From The Free Merriam-Webster
Dictionary'. 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prose>

2. British Literature:
British Literature Timeline:

2.1. Old English Literature:

Early British Literature was oral, told in the form of songs, stories, proverbs and riddles; it was
recorded and transmitted from one generation to another. Often told by a scope to entertain a
group of people, generally the king and his court. Beowulf for example is an epic poem, which
was told orally before the arrival of the anglo-saxons to England. It was told in Scandinavia,
where the events of the story happen. When the poem is finally inscribed, it is written by a
Christian person (while it was told by a paganist scop at the beginning). Thus, the poem
Beowulf contains both Christian and paganist streams.
The arrival of the Anglo-Saxons to England brought their folk tales and songs, but also their
Germanic language. The Anglo-Saxon language is also referred to as Old English Language. It
is a dead language, which is no longer in use today, and which does not resemble todays
English language in any manner.
Epic Poetry was the major genre of literature used during this period. There are two major
themes in Epic poetry and which are both recurrent in Beowulf: religion, and adventure.
Old English literature is characterized by the use of the:

Alliteration, which is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of each word of

the same verse.

Caesura, which is a short pause that divides the verse into two lines.
Rhetorical Devices: they are ornaments meant to make the language more beautiful and
more amusing like the kenning, which is the use of a statement to refer to a specific
thing or person, like: the sea-rider instead of the ship.

Example: Firum foldan,

frea almihtig

caesura
Alliteration
2.1.1. Beowulf:
The poem deals with questions of heroism, bravery, love of the land, and glory. Beowulf, warrior
of warriors fights for a king he loves and for the glory of his people. He personifies all the values
of the heroic culture, and proves a wise and effective ruler. The poem is specifically interesting for
its use of rhetorical devices, especially the metaphors and the kenning.
References:
http://www.shmoop.com/beowulf/summary.html

Watch Videos:
Introduction to Medieval Literature_ Old English, Middle English and
Historical Context: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9S7mp8slR0>
Introduction to Chaucer: Middle English and the Canterbury Tales:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSLaGOSuCUw>
History of English in Ten Minutes: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SfKhlJIAhew>
The Merchant Of Venice 2004 Shylock speech) (racism over the jews):
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7euZ30wDE>

2.2. Middle English:

In 1066 the Normans invaded England led by William the Conqueror. They brought the French
language. The aristocratic class and the court started using the French language as an official
language, while the peasants and the commons used Anglo-Saxon. Furthermore, the Norman
Conquest allowed the creation of the city and the university, thus providing a better lifestyle to
England. The mingling of the French language and the Anglo-Saxon gave the birth of the Middle
English, which is the first form of todays English language. This language was used by the
commons (the middle and low classes) and was used by Geoffrey Chaucer in his poetry and prose
fiction. Chaucers works of art were read in the court since he worked for the king which
formalized Middle English and made it an official language. For this reason, G. Chaucer is
regarded as the father of English Literature.
2.2.1.

The Canterbury Tales:

A collection of over 20 stories told by 29 pilgrims in their road to the city of Canterbury for
pilgrimage. The stories were collected and inscribed by Chaucer and published in one book. The
book contains short stories written in the form of narrative poems and prose fiction. They
discuss mostly social issues like love, marriage, loyalty, betrayal, etc.
2.2.2. The Wife of Baths Tale: short story told by a woman who married five different men.
The story starts with a prologue in which she speaks about her appreciation of marriage
and of what she wants from a man. The story itself, tells what the wife of bath really
wants from her husbands. It is characterized by the use of rhetorical devices like the
assonance, which is the repetition of the same vowel sound or syllable at the end of the
words of the same sentence: the she whispered in his ear, be glad have no fear.

2.3. Elizabethan Literature:

The late middle ages and the beginning of the renaissance; this was the era of Queen Elizabeth
I, but also the era of the genius of English literature, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote
both poetry and Drama (plays). His plays were performed in his theatre (the Globe) by a set of
actors whom he referred to as the Company. He wrote Tragedy (like Hamlet) and Comedy
(like A Midsummer nights Dream). His plays and sonnets tackle all sorts of themes, which is
why he is often referred to as genius.
2.3.1.

The Merchant of Venice: (Summary distributed and studied in class)

2.3.2. Themes and Characters:

The characters in The Merchant of Venice contribute in making the themes possible. Like
Bassanio and Antonios strong friendship, Love between Portia and Bassanio. Racism and antiSemitism in Antonio, Portia and some other characters like the Duke, religious intolerance
embodied both in Antonio and in Shylock, finally, greediness in Shylock.