Welcome
A Little about Me & Basic English Literature
Hello, I am Kristin Wu. I am a student myself, and I design this website to share what I have learned in class at school with more people who are willing to learn about some basic knowledge about English literature. I hope you can enjoy yourself here and manage to learn about what you want to know. : )
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In order to give better understanding, this website is divided into five sections: memoir, short story, poetry, novel, drama. Each section is helpful independently. You can choose whichever section you like to study.
Have a good time here! |
Attention!
Because I hope each section can be studied independently, there are some knowledge may be repeated in different sections, especially those about literary terms, which are universal for nearly every genre of literature.
Because I hope each section can be studied independently, there are some knowledge may be repeated in different sections, especially those about literary terms, which are universal for nearly every genre of literature.
A General Introduction of Literature
Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, "literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry,drama, fiction, and nonfiction.
Why do we study literature?
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"Every man's memory is his private literature." |
Tips for learning literature
- Look for figurative language. Many authors use techniques such as metaphors, similes, and personification to emphasize their points. These may be crucial to understanding the literary work you’re reading.
- Consider the structure of your text. The way that an author expresses her or his ideas is often as important as the ideas themselves. In many cases, the form and structure of the text will have some kind of influence on its subject matter.
- Re-read passages you don’t understand. Particularly in poetry, authors may use language unconventionally in order to make a more powerful impact on the reader. This can be confusing at first, but re-reading the passage slowly and carefully will reward your attention.
- Avoid skimming material. Especially if you’re reading poetry or plays, reading everything is very important. Skipping things such as stage directions in a Shakespeare play can mean you miss out on crucial information. Language in poems is precisely chosen and structured to have a particular effect, so missing even a word or two could damage your understanding of the whole text.
Now it's the end of the introductory page for Basic English Literature. You should be ready to continue further learning now. Please go to the top of this page and choose a genre to start with.
Let's Explore!
Reference
Literature. WikiPedia. 22 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature>.
How to Study English Literature. WikiHow. 19 May 2015. <http://www.wikihow.com/Study-English-Literature>.
Literature. WikiPedia. 22 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature>.
How to Study English Literature. WikiHow. 19 May 2015. <http://www.wikihow.com/Study-English-Literature>.