Literary Criticism (II):

Language and Society

Starting Questions:

• What are the artistic components of a poem? And of a short stories?

• How about language components? • Social components?• How is language/literature related to

society?– Reflection? Criticizing? Constructing?– Society’s structure? Cultures? Views and

Biases?

Example I: “The Long Enchantment”

1. Structuralist • Sender of message: Pony

Receiver: Flora• Subject (Heroine) of a Quest: Flora

Object: Pony • Helper: Flora & Pony Themselve

s• Opponent: Wizard

Not a Fairy

Not a Prince

Example I: “The Long Enchantment”2. Sociological:

• Flora’s class background? – Why is the pear so important? • Who is the real villain?

3. Deconstruction: – The Wizard’s message. What does t

he pear represent in this text?

Example II: Milton’s Sonnet 19

When I consider how my light is spentEre half my days in this dark world and wide,And that one talent which is death to hideLodg'd with me useless, though my soul mor

e bentTo serve therewith my Maker, and presentMy true account, lest he returning chide,"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent

Example II: Milton’s Sonnet 19

That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts: who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speedAnd post o'er land and ocean without rest:They also serve who only stand and wait."

Questions about the sonnet:

• New Critical approach:

What are the poetic techniques used? What are the tensions and ironies in this poem? And how are they resolved?

• Structuralist approach:

How does the syntax help convey the contradictions? Is there a resolution syntactically?

Questions about the sonnet(2)

• Marxist approach:

What are the ideologies conveyed in this poem? Does the poet fully support the Puritan idea of predestination?

• Deconstruction:

Again, the central contradiction, can it be resolved?