Relates a literature class's analysis of a work. Notes student discovery that meaning in a fantasy work resided in a matrix of the author's structuring of the text, the reader's re-creation of that structure internally, and the subsequent development of agreed upon meaning within the group. (MM)

Argues that paragraph form congruent with the patterns and habits of thinking develops from the writer's sensitivity to the impact of visual images on the reader's mind. (MM)

In their anthology, Guth and Rico cite as preface to Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," a student paper saying: "The mere doubt of the existence of good and the thought that other human beings are evil can become such a corrosive force that it can eat out the life of the heart." This is what happens to Brown. In the…

The first step in learning to appreciate art is learning to classify a work according to its primary purpose. The artist creates art for one of three reasons: to recreate the physical world (Imitationalism); to express an idea or feeling (Emotionalism); or to create an interesting design (Formalism). A classified work may then be critiqued by: (1)…

Describes in detail an elective unit that used novels, plays, films, and historical texts to engage student interest in a difficult and relevant topic. (JL)

Examines patterns of instruction in literature, particularly the transactional strategy proposed by Louise Rosenblatt, that emphasize the reader's immediate experience with the text. Illustrates the effective application of response-based teaching of literature. (RL)

Suggests ways to get students interested in talking seriously about comedy. (RL)

Discusses reading and teaching Renaissance poetry in terms of the poem's "resonance," its capacity to speak to contemporary readers directly and draw them into its historical world. Advises teachers to expand the resonance to illuminate the poem's background, as exemplified by the poetry of Thomas Wyatt in the court of Henry VIII. (DF)

Discusses how the use of writing in the classroom before, during, and after reading of a particular work can help students with critical inquiry, emotional commitment, and reader contribution while studying the work. (HTH)

A multiple choice exercise, in which students choose personality characteristics, brief lines of dialogue, and action is presented as a method for teaching students unfamiliar with literary devices or critical reading. (HTH)

Points out the sometimes excessive lengths that authors carry the suspension of reality in children's fiction. Advocates a more disciplined imagination, and rejection of untrue or impossible worlds. (HTH)

Applies Ferdinand de Saussure's linguistic theories on the construction of a text to the literary analysis of texts. Recounts the use of this derivation in a literature class, showing that sensitivity to student experiences facilitates their understanding and appreciation of literary works. (RL)

Outlines a procedure for helping mature students learn the art of textual analysis. Notes the advantages of problem solving in small groups as a means of developing skills for literary analysis. (RL)

Argues for the experiential study rather than the solely critical analysis of literature. Shows how to add to student enrichment and student appreciation for literature by exploring literature through body movement, the senses, voice and speech, the emotions, the imagination, and the intellect. (RL)

Describes the use of the proverb "a watched pot never boils" to help students make the relationship between literal statements and the reader's own experience. (MKM)