The Harper Handbook to LiteratureRevised to meet the changing literary interests and emphases of the twenty-first century, the second edition of The Harper Handbook to Literature adds, augments, and clarifies definitions. Arranged in alphabetical order, this Handbook aims to satisfy curiosity about terms such as syzygy or zeugma, concepts such as structuralism or phenomenology, and literary genres and movements such as Drama or Goliardic verse. Over 100 items are new to this edition, including Queer Theory, Reader-Response Theory, Cultural Studies, Anxiety of Influence, Logocentrism, Orientalism, and Saussurean Linguistics, to name only a few. Entries generally range from a few words to summary essays with bibliographies for further study, and cross-references lead from definitions to larger concepts. A practical "Chronology of Literature and World Events", at the end of the text presents a comprehensive timeline from the earliest cities of Mesopotamia to contemporary names and titles. |
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American ancient audience BALLAD Bible BOOK SIZES CAESURA century B.C. characters Charles Chaucer Christian classical comedy comic COUPLET CRITICISM DEISM drama early eighteenth century England ENGLISH LITERATURE epic especially ESSAY example fiction free verse French frequently genre George Greek Henry hero human iambic iambic pentameter images imitation irony James James Joyce John King language later Latin lines literary lyric meaning medieval metaphor METER metrical foot Middle English modern moral movement NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE narrator nature nineteenth century novel Old English originated pattern period phrase play plot poem poetic poetry poets popular POST-STRUCTURALISM printed prose QUATRAIN reader realism References Reign Renaissance rhetorical rhyme Robert ROMANCE satire Scottish SCOTTISH LITERATURE sense Shakespeare short story SLANT RHYME social sometimes song sonnet stage STANZA stress structure style syllable T. S. Eliot tale term theater Thomas tion traditional tragedy translated trochee twentieth century William word writers