Frequent Questions
683 questions
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How much weight is given to authors' intentions in literary analysis?
When people analyze literature, one of the first things people seem to do is look for interviews or quotes from the author where the author describes the meaning they intended their text to have.
My ...
user111
40
votes
7
answers
10k
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The author of a literary work disagrees with critics about meaning—who's right?
I've just come up with a conjecture on what a piece of literature means, but the author has said that they didn't mean for their work to suggest that.
For example, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is ...
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16
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2
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How much weight should we give authors' declarations of their intent after the fact?
Very closely related: How much weight is given to authors' intentions in literary analysis?
Related (as an example of what I'm talking about): Is there any textual evidence to support that ...
29
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1
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Why are place names obscured in Charlotte Brontë's The Professor?
All place names in Charlotte Brontë's The Professor appear to be obscured. A few examples from the novel's first chapter:
That gentleman and Lord T. knew well enough that the Crimsworths were an ...
user8
14
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3
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Were all of Shakespeare's plays fully in iambic pentameter?
Were the plays within The Complete Works of Shakespeare entirely in iambic pentameter? I seem to recall singing bits (when there were lyrics) from Twelfth Night and definitely from Much Ado About ...
- 315
27
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7
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What is the benefit in the Prologue "spoiling" the play in Romeo and Juliet?
In the Act 1 Prologue to the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where ...
- 575
13
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1
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In what order should Rick Riordan's mythological series be read to make the most sense, and what is the chronological order?
As established in this question, all of Rick Riordan's mythological series take place in a single universe. I have not read any of his books, but this gave me a question. If I were to read the books ...
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2
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Catalectic trochaic tetrameter or acephaleous iambic tetrameter? Scanning "Kubla Khan"
I'm currently teaching myself to scan, and I'm practicing with Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" at the moment. You can read the entire poem online. I've arrived at line 32: "Floated midway on the waves;" and ...
user111
27
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2
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979
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Translation: Why are parts of the original language kept?
Inspired by this question.
In many translated works (the first to come to mind are translations by Richard Pevear and the English versions of Isaac Bashevis Singer's writings) there are elements of ...
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23
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1
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Can the Count of Monte Cristo's calculation of poison dosage be explained?
In Chapter Fifty-Two of The Count of Monte Cristo there is a discussion between the titular count and Madame de Villefort about exposing oneself to poisons:
“Well,” replied Monte Cristo “suppose, ...
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20
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2
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What is the origin of this contradictory poem?
Does anyone know where this poem originates from:
One fine morning in the middle of the night,
Two dead men got up to fight,
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew their swords and shot one another....
- 3,173
18
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7
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What did O'Brien mean when he said "They got me a long time ago" in the book 1984?
The boots were approaching again. The door opened. O'Brien came in.
Winston started to his feet. The shock of the sight had driven all
caution out of him. For the first time in many years he ...
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16
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1
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Why did iambic pentameter become so 'standard' in classical English poetry?
Iambic pentameter is probably the most prevailing and widely used meter in classical English poetry, and it's the 'standard' form of verse in many forms of poetry such as sonnets. From Wikipedia (...
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15
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1
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What is close reading?
What exactly is "close reading"? How does it relate to the study of literature? Are there any instructions about how to do a close reading of a text/passage?
user111
13
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2
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3k
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Do we have any solid evidence for how much material Middleton contributed to Macbeth?
In verbose's question How close to actual incantations are the witches' spells in Macbeth? he says
It is worth mentioning that the latter [the witches' incantation from Act IV scene i] was possibly ...
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