Literary history

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Studying the development of literature over time, analyzing the works of different periods and movements, and tracing their influences.

Classical literature: The literature of ancient Greece and Rome, including works such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid.

Medieval literature: Literature from the Middle Ages, including works such as Beowulf, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and Dante's Divine Comedy.

Renaissance literature: Literature from the 16th and early 17th century that was marked by a revival of interest in classical forms, including works such as Shakespeare's plays and Milton's Paradise Lost.

Enlightenment literature: Literature from the late 17th and 18th century that was marked by an emphasis on reason, science, and progress, including works such as Voltaire's Candide and Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws.

Romantic literature: Literature from the late 18th and early 19th century that was marked by an emphasis on emotion, individualism, and the natural world, including works such as Wordsworth's poetry and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Realism and Naturalism: Literature from the mid to late 19th century that was marked by a concern for the realistic depiction of everyday life and often explored social issues and class struggle, including works such as Flaubert's Madame Bovary and Zola's Germinal.

Modernism: Literature from the early 20th century that was marked by a rejection of traditional values and forms, including works such as James Joyce's Ulysses and Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway.

Postmodernism and Contemporary Literature: Literature from the mid to late 20th century that was marked by a rejection of the idea of a single, unified narrative and an emphasis on fragmentation and multiple perspectives, including works such as Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Toni Morrison's Beloved.

What is literary criticism?

"Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, a genre of arts criticism, evaluation, and interpretation of literature."

What is the relationship between literary criticism and literary theory?

"Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods."

How are literary critics and theorists related to each other?

"Though the two activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always been, theorists."

Is literary criticism a separate field from literary theory?

"Whether or not literary criticism should be considered a separate field of inquiry from literary theory is a matter of some controversy."

How does the Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism approach the distinction between literary theory and literary criticism?

"The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism draws no distinction between literary theory and literary criticism, and almost always uses the terms together to describe the same concept."

What do some critics argue in favor of considering literary criticism as a practical application of literary theory?

"Some critics consider literary criticism a practical application of literary theory because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works, while theory may be more general or abstract."

In what formats is literary criticism often published?

"Literary criticism is often published in essay or book form."

Where do academic literary critics typically publish their work?

"Academic literary critics teach in literature departments and publish in academic journals."

Where do more popular critics usually publish their reviews?

"More popular critics publish their reviews in broadly circulating periodicals such as The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the Dublin Review of Books, The Nation, Bookforum, and The New Yorker."

What influences modern literary criticism?

"Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory."

What aspects of literature does literary criticism evaluate?

"Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, a genre of arts criticism, evaluation, and interpretation of literature."

What is the role of literary theory in literary criticism?

"Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods."

How do literary critics differ from literary theorists?

"Though the two activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always been, theorists."

What sources are commonly used by popular critics?

"More popular critics publish their reviews in broadly circulating periodicals such as The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the Dublin Review of Books, The Nation, Bookforum, and The New Yorker."

What is the academic background of most literary critics?

"Academic literary critics teach in literature departments."

Is literary criticism limited to academic journals?

"Academic literary critics teach in literature departments and publish in academic journals."

How does literary criticism differ from literary theory in terms of focus?

"Because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works, while theory may be more general or abstract."

How can literary theory be described?

"Literary theory... is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods."

Are literary criticism and literary theory always used interchangeably?

"The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism draws no distinction between literary theory and literary criticism."

How does literary criticism contribute to the understanding of literature?

"Because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works."