Foundation of Literature

Summary

A. What is Literature?
Literature is piece of writing, value as work of art compared to the technical language.

B. What do you study literature for?
1. For improving our knowledge.
2. For improving our vocabularies.
3. For improving our pronunciation.
4. For improving our skills (listening, Reading, writing, speaking).
5. For improving the culture perspective.
6. For building our character.
7. For understanding moral value.
8. For learning the historical background.
9. For communicating our idea relation history work.
10. For appreciating the literary work.
11. For having entertainment.

C. History of Literature
Long time ago(8th or 9th Century) in Britain there were people lived they called Celt, they speak Celtic, this area was very wide and this information listened by King of Roman Empire (Julius Cesar) till he expanded the Roman territory to Celtic. When he led there the culture language was added with Roman (Latin) Language, and he introduced:

a) Architecture (Arsitektur)
b) Public Bath (MCK)
c) Garrison (Asrama Tentara)
d) System of Road (Sistem Jalan)

Afterwards, came Anglo Saxon (a Germany) he introduced the literary works (Beowulf, The Legend King Arthur) when he came there, the language culture was added anymore, it was German Language.

And last who visited to expand the territory was William from Normandy (French). And with his expansion the culture language added for anymore it was France Language. And he also introduced about Feudalism Catalogue.


D. Why do you study history of English Literature for?
1. For learning the development of English language.
2. For learning the historical background of English people.
3. For improving our English knowledge.
4. For learning the outstanding people.
5. For learning the old literary.

E. The period of Literature
a. Old English Literature / Anglo Saxon (B.C – 1100s)

Epic Poem (Beowulf: The Legend King Arthur – knight against the demon)

b. Middle English Literature (Medieval) (1100s – 1470s)

· The Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
· Robin Hood

c. Renaissance Literature (Early Modern Period)

i. Elizabethan Era (1470s – 1600s)
Hamlet & Romeo and Juliet (Drama): William Shakespeare.

ii. Restoration Literature (1600s – 1700s)
Paradise Lost (1667): John Milton

iii. Augustan Literature (1700s – 1780s)
Gulliver’s Travel (1772): Jonathan Swift

d. Romanticism (1780s – 1837s) (18th Century)

· The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Narrative Poem): Samuel Taylor Coleridge
· Frankenstein (Novel): Mary Shelley

e. Victorian Literature/Novel Era (1837 – 1900) (18th Century)

· Charles Dickens
· Dracula (1872s) (Horror Fiction): Bram Stoker
· Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide: Robert Louis Stevenson

f. English Literature since 1900 – until now (19th Century and early 20th Century)

· Das Capitalist: Karl Marx
· Psychoanalytic theories of subconscious: Sigmund Freud
· The Lord of the Ring: J.R.R Tolkien
· The Chronicles of Narnia: C.S Lewis
· James Bond (thriller) (1952): Ian Fleming’
· Satanic Verses: Salman Rushdie
· Harry Potter: J.K Rowling
· And so on.

F. Kind of Literature
1. Poetry/Poem

According to William Wordsworth Poem is the spontaneous over flow of the powerful feeling recollected in tranquility.
(luapan perasaan yang sangat kuat yang diungkapkan secara spontanitas dan disusun dalam keadaan yang tenang)

2. Prose

Piece of writing in oral or written uses the simple language (ordinary ways) isn’t limited by rules compare to poetry.

3. Drama/Play

Piece of writing, written to be performed on the stage. Or play for the theater, radio or television.

G. The way to appreciate the literary work
1. Applying Abram's Approach

According to Abram's approach, we can analyze the poem based on its intrinsic value and extrinsic value.

Intrinsic value, it relates to the elements of literary works.

Extrinsic value, it relates to the author's biography.

2. Applying Reader's Response Strategies / Criticism  

Reader's response strategies is Reader's response/reactions to literary works (poem, prose, and script play) to interpret the meaning of the text.

The appreciation of the short story applies 7 reader's response strategies posted by Beach and Marshall (1990). they are

Engaging/Include, is a steps for getting the involved.

Describing/Detailing, is a step to describe the content of literary work (Plot, Theme, etc)

Conceiving/Understanding, is a step for scanning and skimming the content of literary works.

Explaining,is explaining the characteristics of each character, vocabulary, expression used, etc.

Interpreting, is step which are focusing on the text (Phrases, Expressions and Verbs).

Connecting, is a step for comparing to our own experiences or to other literary work.

Judging/Assess, is a step to put our judgement (comment, conclusion.. etc)