Literary Visions
Literary
Visions brings students face-to-face with the rich diversity of
fiction, poetry, and drama. An introduction to literature and literary
analysis, this series lets students hear first-hand the insights
of contemporary writers, critics, scholars, and actors on both classic
and contemporary writing. Compelling dramatizations and readings
of poetry, plays, and short fiction help students focus on basic
elements of writing such as characterization and plot, and encourage
students to develop their own interpretations. This series is an
invaluable resource for teachers who stress critical thinking and
writing.
Course Themes
- Language,
literature and written expression provide meaning, understanding
and order to experience.
- Literature
and its genres are forms of expression that are a vital part of
culture.
- The
study of literature — its creation, texts and interpretation
— develops interpretive and analytical skills.
- A
literary text and its reader exist within historical, social and
cultural contexts.
- Becoming
a skilled reader and writer motivates a person to read and write
further and to enjoy literature.
Episode Descriptions
Introduction
1 First Sight: An Introduction to Literature — Introduces
the course content and approach.
2 Ways of Seeing: Responding to Literature —
Focusing on critical approaches to literature the program previews
selected dramatic scenes and author interviews from upcoming highlighted
programs.
3 A Personal view: The Art of the Essay — Traces
the development of the formal essay and the birth of printing technology
and their impact on the growth of political democracy. An interview
with essayist Willie Morris focuses on the informal essay.
Short Fiction
4 Reflected Worlds: The Elements of Short Fiction —
A dramatization of Frank O'Connor's First Confession and an
interview with Ernest Gaines demonstrate the element of fiction.
5 The Story's Blueprint: Symbolism and Structure in Short
Fiction — Stephen Crane's The Blue Hotel exemplifies the
relationship of plot, structure and conflict.
6 Telling Their Tales: Character in Short Fiction —
Techniques of characterization and the importance of point of
view emphasized in a dramatization of Tillie Olsen's I Stand Here
Ironing.
7 In That Time and Place: Setting and Character in Short
Fiction — Setting reveals character in Susan Glaspell's
A Jury of Her Peers while it magnifies meaning for writer Stephen
Dixon.
8 The Author's Voice: Tone and Style in Short Fiction —
An interview with Maxine Hong Kingston highlights this examination
of the impact of style on meaning.
9 Suggested Meanings: Symbolism and Allegory in Short Fiction
— Symbolism is prominent in a dramatization of D. H. Lawrence's
The Horse Dealer's Daughter, while myth predominates in the work
of Native American writer N. Scott Momaday, who is interviewed.
10 The Sum of Its Parts: Theme in Short Fiction — Multiple
themes are uncovered in "Everyday Use," a dramatization
of Alice Walker's short story.
Poetry
11 The Sacred Words: The Elements of Poetry — Visual
essays suggest the role of poetry for the individual and the culture.
James Dickey reads and analyzes one of his poems The Performance
and The Lifeguard.
12 A Sense of Place: Setting and Character in Poetry —
The historical setting of My Last Duchess, Theme for English
B, and Dover Beach convey much about the characters and ideas of
these poems. The New England landscapes of Maxine Kumin echo the
themes of her poetry.
13 Tools of the Trade: Words and Images in Poetry —
Poetry readings, visualizations of poems, and an interview with
Lucille Clifton, who reads two of her favorite poems, This Morning
and Homage to my Hips, reveal the beauty and the working of poetic
language and imagery.
14 Seeing Anew: Rhetorical Figures in Poetry — The
power of metaphor, simile and other figures of speech through dramatizations
of Anne Bradstreet's The Author to Her Book, Nikki Giovanni's Woman
and Daniel Halpern's Snapshot of Hue. Gary Soto is interviewed and
comments on his poem Oranges.
15 An Echo to the Sense — X.J. Kennedy discusses
and demonstrates the importance of rhyme and meter. Dramatic readings
of poems by Shakespeare, Dickinson and Hopkins and contemporary
poets like Dudley Randall and Leonard Adame are analyzed to show
how prosody and form contribute to meaning.
16 Distant Voices: Myth, Symbolism and Allusion in Poetry
— Four poetic versions of the Icarus myth—those of
Sexton, Spender, Williams, and Field—are dramatized and compared.
Marge Piercy discusses the role of myth in her poetry.
17 Artful Resonance: Theme in Poetry — Dramatizations
of six poems on the same subject help clarify the difference between
subject and theme. Close analysis of poems by John Donne and Donald
Hall explore the interrelationship between poetic form and meaning.
Drama
18 Images of Reality: The Elements of Drama — Dramatizations
of selected scenes from Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and The Glass Menagerie
and an interview introduce the origins, structure and purpose of
drama.
19 Playing the Part: Characters and Actors in Drama —
The development of dramatic character by playwright and by actor
is illustrated through several interpretations of a single scene
from Hamlet.
20 Patterns of Action: Plot and Conflict in Drama —
Dramatist A.R. Guerney discusses conflict and plot in contemporary
American theater. A dramatization of Oedipus Rex demonstrates Classical
plot structure.
21 Perspectives on Illusion: Setting and Staging in Drama
— An interview with a set designer and a documentary of
types of theaters demonstrate the intertwining of text and technique
in dramatic setting.
22 Speech and Silence: The Language of Drama — The
artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger demonstrates
interpretation of dramatic language with actors. Director Emily
Mann discusses her work with contemporary texts, particularly a
production of The Glass Menagerie.
23 The Vision Quest: Myth and Symbolism in Drama — Alaskan
playwright David Hunsaker's dramatizations of Eskimo myth and his
productions of Eskimo translations of Greek tragedies, together
with scenes from Oedipus Rex , demonstrate the enduring power and
meaning of myth in drama.
24 A Frame for Meaning: Theme in Drama — Dramatist
David Hwang discusses the themes and structure of his plays, which
include M. Butterfly. Scholars consider thematic interpretations
inherent in Hamlet.
Conclusion
25 Casting Long Shadows: The Power of Literature — This
summary of major series themes reviews the impact of literature
on the individual through excerpts of series dramatizations and
interviews.
26 Continuing Vision: The Uses of Literature — Explores
the impact of literature on society and culture in the past and
present and looks at what forms literature may take in the future
and possible influence on society.
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