3 Literature from English-speaking Countries
Analyze literary texts from various English-speaking cultures.
55 min
6 oppgaver
Literary analysisAuthorsGenres
Din fremgang i kapitlet
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Exploring World Literature in English
Litteratur fra engelskspraklige land gir oss vindu inn i ulike kulturer, historier og perspektiver. Fra Shakespeare til moderne forfattere, fra klassikere til samtidslitteratur - engelsk litteratur er rik og mangfoldig.
Why Study Literature?
- Develops empathy and understanding
- Expands vocabulary and language skills
- Provides cultural and historical insight
- Encourages critical thinking
- Offers entertainment and aesthetic pleasure
Literary Periods Overview:
- Renaissance (1500-1660): Shakespeare, poetry, drama
- Romantic (1785-1830): Nature, emotion, individual
- Victorian (1837-1901): Social issues, realism
- Modernist (1900-1945): Experimentation, stream of consciousness
- Postmodern (1945-present): Fragmentation, diversity
Literary Genres
Fiction:
- Novel: Extended narrative (Pride and Prejudice, 1984)
- Short story: Brief narrative (The Lottery, The Tell-Tale Heart)
- Novella: Medium-length narrative (The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm)
- Novel: Extended narrative (Pride and Prejudice, 1984)
- Short story: Brief narrative (The Lottery, The Tell-Tale Heart)
- Novella: Medium-length narrative (The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm)
Poetry:
- Sonnet: 14 lines, specific rhyme scheme (Shakespeare's sonnets)
- Free verse: No fixed meter or rhyme (Walt Whitman)
- Epic: Long narrative poem (Beowulf, Paradise Lost)
Drama:
- Tragedy: Serious, usually ends in death (Hamlet, Death of a Salesman)
- Comedy: Humorous, usually happy ending (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
- Tragicomedy: Mix of both (The Merchant of Venice)
Non-fiction:
- Essay: Short analytical piece
- Autobiography/Memoir: Personal life story
- Biography: Someone else's life story
Key Authors by Region
United Kingdom:
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet
- Jane Austen (1775-1817): Pride and Prejudice
- Charles Dickens (1812-1870): Oliver Twist, Great Expectations
- George Orwell (1903-1950): 1984, Animal Farm
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet
- Jane Austen (1775-1817): Pride and Prejudice
- Charles Dickens (1812-1870): Oliver Twist, Great Expectations
- George Orwell (1903-1950): 1984, Animal Farm
United States:
- Mark Twain (1835-1910): The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940): The Great Gatsby
- Harper Lee (1926-2016): To Kill a Mockingbird
- Toni Morrison (1931-2019): Beloved
Other Regions:
- Chinua Achebe (Nigeria): Things Fall Apart
- Margaret Atwood (Canada): The Handmaid's Tale
- Salman Rushdie (India/UK): Midnight's Children
- Peter Carey (Australia): True History of the Kelly Gang
✏️Example: Analyzing a Poem
Analyser dette diktet av Langston Hughes:
"Dreams"
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Structure:
- Two stanzas, four lines each (quatrains)
- Simple, repetitive structure reinforces message
- Anaphora: "Hold fast to dreams" repeated
- Two stanzas, four lines each (quatrains)
- Simple, repetitive structure reinforces message
- Anaphora: "Hold fast to dreams" repeated
Imagery:
- "Broken-winged bird" - helpless, grounded, unable to reach potential
- "Barren field frozen with snow" - lifeless, cold, unproductive
Literary Devices:
- Metaphor: Life without dreams = broken bird / frozen field
- Repetition: Emphasizes importance of the message
- Contrast: Dreams = life and movement vs. No dreams = death and stillness
Theme:
The poem argues that dreams are essential for a meaningful life. Without them, we become stuck and lifeless.
Context:
Langston Hughes was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. For African Americans facing discrimination, dreams of equality and opportunity were crucial for survival and resistance.
📝Oppgave 1
Match the author with their work:
a
George Orwell
b
Harper Lee
c
Chinua Achebe
d
Margaret Atwood
📝Oppgave 2
Identify the literary genre:
a
A 300-page story following a family over three generations
b
A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme
c
A play ending with the death of the main character
📝Oppgave 3
Read the following excerpt from "Animal Farm" by George Orwell and answer the questions:
a
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - What literary device is used here?
b
What is the book satirizing?
c
Why is this quote still relevant today?
📝Oppgave 4
Compare and contrast two literary works from different English-speaking countries. Choose from your syllabus or personal reading.
📝Oppgave 5
Write a short poem (8-12 lines) inspired by one of the literary movements discussed. Explain which movement inspired you and why.
📝Oppgave 6
Book presentation: Prepare a 5-minute presentation about a book you have read from an English-speaking country. Include:
a
Title, author, and brief summary
b
Analysis of one key theme
c
How the book reflects its cultural context
d
Your personal response and recommendation