E. Schmuhl & R.C. Guches Fifth Edition 320 pages $37.95 ISBN 978-1-935770-01-5
A Handbook for the Critical Analysis of Literature
Level: High School IB/AP English and College.
There is no single, perfect way to interpret a work of art. This is especially true in literature, where what you are able to perceive, and then analyze, depends on knowledge of literary forms, elements, and techniques, as well as literary movements. Finding meaning is further enhanced by viewing works of poetry, fiction, and drama within the context of major analytical approaches. Sequel will develop the critical thinking and writing skills that will encourage a lasting appreciation of literature.
Sequel: A Handbook for the Critical Analysis of Literature provides a thorough introduction to the complexities of literature and its analysis. Literature is introduced in three parts:
- poetry
- fiction
- drama
With an understanding of literature’s basic forms, students are prepared for the analytical units:
- contextual
- formalist
- psychological
- archetypal
- feminist
A final unit takes students step-by-step through the process of writing a literary analysis essay. With a text and appendix full of classic and contemporary poetry and prose, Sequel not only works as a teaching guide, but as a reading resource. In addition to classics by Blake, Frost, Lowell, Dickinson, Sandburg, Lord Byron, Poe, Hawthorne, Chopin, and many others, the 5th edition includes works by Li-Young Lee, Sandra Cisneros, Saul Williams, Juhan Liiv, Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, T. S. Eliot, Sara Teasdale, D. H. Lawrence, Adrienne Rich, and Yasunari Kawabata.
Sequel can be used as a stand-alone text. Its samples are typically brief and used to illustrate points in the text. Anthologies and assigned readings can be excellent companions, providing opportunities to explore these literary concepts further.
A Teacher’s Guide is complimentary with class adoptions.