1. Introduction to Literature What is literature? Class 2

2. Definition  vague  etymology  cultural and historical phenomenon  conditions of production and reception

3.  oral origins  bard, minstrel  Audio dimension of modern literature?

4.  Visual dimensions of literature – any?  drama union between spoken and written expressions  film

5.  literary history vs. poetics  genre

6. 3 kinds  epic – drama - poetry

7. Sources  primary vs. secondary

8. Distinguishing features of literary works  Enormous variety of literary forms, styles, variations and examples  Impossible to find common (connecting features in such richness)

9. Historical evolution of “literature”  Before 1800  LITERATURE = PRINTED / WRITTEN TEXT  Literature: speeches, sermons, history, philosophy...  Examples of best application / use of a given language.  Before 1800  LITERATURE = PRINTED / WRITTEN TEXT  Literature: speeches, sermons, history, philosophy...  Examples of best application / use of a given language.

10. Literature as imaginateve writing  German Romanticism (18th /19th century)  Work of imagination

11. Literature as a weed

12. Context  Types of context  Author  Text  Time  Place  Reader

13. A special kind of attention  Text elicits special kind of attention  Something suggests it is not ordinary use of language (no ordinary act of communication).  How you can suggest that.  In a special place  Text arranged in a special way (graphically or through articulation)

14. Aspects of literature 1. Part of a long historiacl tradition (institution). 2. Special use of language. 3. Form of expressing ideas: rallying, opposing, contesting, advancing etc.