Lesson 1: Introduction and Epic - Heroic lit.

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Lesson 1:

Introduction

Epic - Heroic Literature

Literature is storytelling in language

It is written

to entertain

to convey beauty (literature is Art)

to understand life

What do you remember of last week's class?

I read books for my own pleasure

Never

1-2 a year

3-4 a year

5-6 a year

1-2 a month

3-4 a month

I always carry a book with me

Literature is Art, it meets with other fine arts:

- with Music in song

- with the Visual arts in Sequential Art (comics, graphic novels)

Literature is about universal truth and absolute beauty.

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

   That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

   That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

   So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

   Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

   And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;

I will love thee still, my dear,

   While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

   And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

   Though it were ten thousand mile.

Is there a difference between reading a poem and listening to a song with the same text? Explain.

Throughout time the main forms of literature have been

Epic poetry – Europe: 800s BCE, English: 900s CE

Lyrical poetry - Europe: 600s BCE, English: 940 CE

Drama (plays) - Europe: 500s BCE, English: 1200s

The Novel – 1700s

Short stories – 1800s

The graphic novel – 1980s

Other forms of texts that may be literature are travel writing, (auto)biography, history, journalism, interviews.

The novel has been a very productive format, from which genres have sprouted such as: 

Romantic fiction, Children’s literature, the Mystery Novel, the Thriller, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Sports Books, Young Adult fiction and more recently New Adult fiction. 

As most popular form of storytelling, literature is in creative competition with movies, tv-series, games, vlogs and podcasts. All these owe their basis to techniques developed in literature.

Over time there have been works that have stayed with the English-language cultures, either because their truth and beauty have been so strong they have stood the test of time, or because they have become representative of the various English-speaking cultures. These works are called Classics and the collection of the Classics is called the Canon.

Please note that both Classics and Canon are subject to change. Aging may occur when implicit ideas in stories become outdated.

Intertextuality, the connection between texts, figures largely in literature.

Our orientation is on the cultures of England and the United States of America.

In the literary tradition techniques (literary movements) were developed which still define how stories are told nowadays. The most important ones will be treated below:

Epic/Heroic Poetry

Epic – heroic: a celebration of the achievements of one or more heroic characters. This is still by far the most popular form of storytelling, from MCU, through ESPN and games to influencers: action, “Thank you for living my dream.”

From times immemorial.

Classic works in English: Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Grab your hand-out and discuss:

Anything recognisable? 

Any other languages you can detect?

Can you make sense of it?

Compare...

Hwæt! Wé Gárdena in géardagum

þéodcyninga þrym gefrúnon·

hú ðá æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Oft Scyld Scéfing sceaþena þréatum

monegum maégþum meodosetla oftéah·

egsode Eorle syððan aérest wearð

féasceaft funden hé þæs frófre gebád·

wéox under wolcnum· weorðmyndum þáh

oð þæt him aéghwylc þára ymbsittendra

ofer hronráde hýran scolde,

gomban gyldan· þæt wæs gód cyning.

Compare...

SIÞEN þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye,

Þe borȝ brittened and brent to brondeȝ and askez,

Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt

Watz tried for his tricherie, þe trewest on erthe:

Hit watz Ennias þe athel, and his highe kynde,

Þat siþen depreced prouinces, and patrounes bicome

Welneȝe of al þe wele in þe west iles.

Fro riche Romulus to Rome ricchis hym swyþe,

With gret bobbaunce þat burȝe he biges vpon fyrst,