Difference between revisions of "What is literature?"
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*'''literature''' = learning, learned publications | *'''literature''' = learning, learned publications | ||
| − | :: discussed in histories of literature and journals reviewing latest | + | :* materials: predominantly scholarly publications |
| + | :* discussed in "histories of literature" and in journals reviewing latest events in the republic of learning | ||
| + | :* geographical scope: competition of the nations | ||
| + | :* historical scope: progress in learning and comparison of ancient and modern learning | ||
*'''belles lettres''' = all fashionable and elegant pieces of learning including poetry, fiction | *'''belles lettres''' = all fashionable and elegant pieces of learning including poetry, fiction | ||
| − | :: discussed mainly in prefaces to elegant works, exceptionally also in works of literature | + | :* materials: all fashionable publications such as novels, poems, plays, memoirs, (scandalous) histories |
| + | :* discussed mainly in prefaces to elegant works, exceptionally also in works of literature | ||
| + | :* geographical scope: European market, main language French | ||
| + | :* historical scope: comparison of ancient and modern elegance | ||
| − | *'''poetry/poesy''' = language | + | *'''poetry/poesy''' = artful compositions of language - mainly versified |
| − | : | + | :* materials: poetic genres including prose comedy and all works performed with music as operas, cantatas, masks, ballets |
| + | :* discussed in poetological works with a view on beauties of language and the observation of rules every art and genre has to follow | ||
| + | :* geographical scope: mostly on the main languages of poetry: (due to Opera) Italian and French | ||
| + | :* historical scope: search for the ultimate work in each language | ||
| − | *'''fiction''' = a story to be read for its instruction and entertainment even if it should be feigned | + | *'''fiction''' = a story to be read for its instruction and entertainment even if it should be feigned |
| − | : | + | :* materials: '''romances''' = fictional prose histories of love and/or adventure presented in a series of adventures; '''novels''' = short stories related for the sake of its (new) example, ending with a surprising point |
| + | :* interpreted - after Huet’s ''Treatise on the Origin of Romances'' (1670) as a cultural indicator | ||
| + | :* geographical scope: all cultures united by a world wide transmission of stories and fashions - great interest in foreign tastes | ||
| + | :* historical scope: all periods - growing interest in lost concepts | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Period of Transition: 1750-1850== | ||
| + | * The debate of learning adopts and approriates discussions of the belles lettres, poetry and fiction - it | ||
| + | :* focusses on the "poetic" genres after Aristotle (and thus excludes the opera) | ||
| + | :* accepts a reformed novel as a "literary" genre as long as one can read this novel as a cultural indicator and with a special interest in the nation (a step designed to exclude the European chronique scandaleuse) | ||
| + | :* develops new journals of a broader appeal devoted on these new debates of literature | ||
| + | :* offers its expertise to the nation in a process in which literature can become a national topic to be taught at secularised schools | ||
| + | :* calls for authors to write works to be reviewed within the new debates of literature | ||
| + | :* divides the preceding markets into | ||
| + | ::*a "high" segment of literary works - worthy to be analysed and discussed | ||
| + | ::*a mass market of materials not worthy to notice | ||
Revision as of 17:52, 4 April 2007
The Landscape of Discourses until 1750/1850
- literature = learning, learned publications
- materials: predominantly scholarly publications
- discussed in "histories of literature" and in journals reviewing latest events in the republic of learning
- geographical scope: competition of the nations
- historical scope: progress in learning and comparison of ancient and modern learning
- belles lettres = all fashionable and elegant pieces of learning including poetry, fiction
- materials: all fashionable publications such as novels, poems, plays, memoirs, (scandalous) histories
- discussed mainly in prefaces to elegant works, exceptionally also in works of literature
- geographical scope: European market, main language French
- historical scope: comparison of ancient and modern elegance
- poetry/poesy = artful compositions of language - mainly versified
- materials: poetic genres including prose comedy and all works performed with music as operas, cantatas, masks, ballets
- discussed in poetological works with a view on beauties of language and the observation of rules every art and genre has to follow
- geographical scope: mostly on the main languages of poetry: (due to Opera) Italian and French
- historical scope: search for the ultimate work in each language
- fiction = a story to be read for its instruction and entertainment even if it should be feigned
- materials: romances = fictional prose histories of love and/or adventure presented in a series of adventures; novels = short stories related for the sake of its (new) example, ending with a surprising point
- interpreted - after Huet’s Treatise on the Origin of Romances (1670) as a cultural indicator
- geographical scope: all cultures united by a world wide transmission of stories and fashions - great interest in foreign tastes
- historical scope: all periods - growing interest in lost concepts
Period of Transition: 1750-1850
- The debate of learning adopts and approriates discussions of the belles lettres, poetry and fiction - it
- focusses on the "poetic" genres after Aristotle (and thus excludes the opera)
- accepts a reformed novel as a "literary" genre as long as one can read this novel as a cultural indicator and with a special interest in the nation (a step designed to exclude the European chronique scandaleuse)
- develops new journals of a broader appeal devoted on these new debates of literature
- offers its expertise to the nation in a process in which literature can become a national topic to be taught at secularised schools
- calls for authors to write works to be reviewed within the new debates of literature
- divides the preceding markets into
- a "high" segment of literary works - worthy to be analysed and discussed
- a mass market of materials not worthy to notice
