Reflecting the reader-response theory of literature--a theory suggesting that literature is made dynamic through interaction between reader and text--this report presents ways of extending high school students' imaginative grasp of human experience. Using three works--Randall Jarrell's poem, "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," Ambrose…

This teaching model, involving character analysis in literature, illustrates effective instruction that engages students in an interpretive problem, helps them make complex interpretations, and enables them to transform their conclusions into effective literary analysis. The introductory activity in the model is a discussion of a student…

In an effort to learn more about the teaching of reading and interpretation of poetry, a structured experiment was devised whereby college English majors used a combination of reading, writing and discussion to study James Wright's poem "A Blessing." The primary aim was to involve the students emotionally in a poem. Students were…

The honors program described in this language arts curriculum guide has three components: language study, literature, and composition. The first section of the guide describes the language study component, which deals with content areas, general objectives, and performance strategies. The second section discusses the combination of literature and…

Stressing the importance of choosing either a child-centered or a subject-centered orientation in developing a children's literature program, this paper discusses the characteristics of child-centered and subject-centered approaches to literature and then focuses on the dominant literary theories of structuralism and revisionism. Maintaining that…

The seven major articles in this journal issue are devoted to literature and to literary analysis. The articles deal with the following topics: (1) collapse and regeneration in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," (2) freedom and identity in "Invisible Man," (3) the character of St. John Rivers in "Jane Eyre," (4) integrating poetry study and…

"MORE THAN THE COMMON ELEMENT IN COMPOSITION AND LITERATURE," LANGUAGE IS A SUBJECT APPROPRIATE FOR STUDY IN THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM. HERETOFORE, THE TEACHING OF LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION HAVE SUFFERED FROM TEACHERS' AND STUDENTS' INADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF RECENT LANGUAGE DISCOVERIES, AND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION HAS BEEN INCOMPLETE AND DISORDERLY.…

The possibility that many English teachers take their subject too seriously should be considered. The assumption that literature can to any degree either improve or adversely affect students is doubtful, but the exclusive study of "great literature" in our secondary schools may invite basic reflections too early: a year's steady diet of "King…

The articles in this publication consider the way in which freshman English students can gain insights into both the reading of literature and the workings of the mind by discussing and writing about their dreams; the function of names in Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"; folklore and…

The speeches in this collection on English instruction are by (1) Walker Gibson, who discusses the teaching of responsibility to the young by making them responsible for clear writing; (2) Hart D. Leavitt, who describes the ways in which many possible subjects for composition can be seen in the collection of pictures, "Stop, Look, and Write"; (3)…

The unreliability of first impressions and subjective judgments is the subject of both Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and Lionel Trilling's "Of This Time, Of That Place"; consequently, the works are worthwhile parallel studies for high school students. Austen, by means of irony and subtle characterization, dramatizes the…

For college or college-bound youth, introductory drama courses must utilize a number of approaches to equip students with a minimal understanding of the various schools and styles of drama. Emphasis should be placed on first-hand experiences (seeing a play or listening to a recorded performance), thus developing in students the ability to view a…

The main section of this 10th-grade teaching unit on Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" consists primarily of sample dialogue, between the teacher and students, which attempts to lead the students to think critically about values. Other sections list questions on the novel, major events of the plot, and page references for descriptions…

Developed for a high school quinmester unit on existentialism, this guide is designed to help students examine the philosophy and life style of the existentialist. Performance objectives for the course include defining the human capability of choice, analyzing existential works that reflect attitudes of philosophical disorientation and literary…

The purpose of this state-of-the-art monograph is to describe the nature of oral interpretation of literature and to suggest contributions which can be made through this channel to the study of literature in high school. A comprehensive treatment and a qualitative assessment of the published and unpublished material on the topic are attempted and…