With that quote in mind, consider this definition:
The Western canon is a canon of books and art (and specifically a set with very loose boundaries) that has allegedly been highly influential in shaping Western culture. The selection of a canon is important to the theory of educational perennialism. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_canon)
American literary critic Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (1994) is his attempt to define the Western Canon. People will always argue as to what works should or should not be part of the canon. Some people will also argue that there is no need for a canon. Nevertheless, here is a link to a copy of the appendices to Bloom's book (NB: I have cut and pasted the parts you will need for your assignment further down in this post):
http://www.literarycritic.com/bloom.htm
Assignment details:
- Research any three books in section A or B. I have provided this below.
- Do not use a book that anyone else in our class has used.
- Explain why they are part of Bloom's canon.
- Do not use texts listed in sections C or D.
A. The Theocratic Age
"Since the literary canon is at issue here, I include only those religious, philosophical, historical, and scientific writings that are themselves of great aesthetic interest. I would think that, of all the books that are in this first list, once the reader is conversant with the Bible, Homer, Plato, the Athenian dramatists, and Virgil, the crucial work is the Koran....
"I have included some Sanskrit works, scriptures and fundamental literary texts, because of their influence on the Western canon. The immense wealth of ancient Chinese literature is mostly a sphere apart from Western literary tradition and is rarely conveyed adequately in the translations available to us." (p. 531)
The Ancient Near East
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Egyptian Book of the Dead
Holy Bible (King James Version)
The Apocrypha
Sayings of the Fathers (Pirke Aboth)
Ancient India (Sanskrit)
Mahabharata
Bhagavad-Gita
Ramayana
The Ancient Greeks
Homer. Iliad; Odyssey
Hesiod. Works and Days; Theogony
Archilochos
Sappho, Alkman
Pindar. Odes
Aeschylus. Oresteia; Seven Against Thebes; Prometheus Bound; Persians
Aeschylus. Suppliant Women
Sophocles. Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone; Electra
Sophocles. Ajax; Women of Trachis; Philoctetes
Euripides. Cyclops; Heracles; Alcestis; Hecuba
Euripedes. Bacchae; Orestes; Andromache; Medea; Ion; Hippolytus; Helen; Iphigenia at Aulis
Aristophanes. The Birds; The Clouds; The Frogs; Lysistrata
Arisotophanes. The Knights; The Wasps; The Assemblywomen
Herodotus. The Histories
Thucydides. The Peloponnesian Wars
The Pre-Socratics (Heraclitus, Empedocles)
Plato. Dialogues
Aristotle. Poetics; Ethics
Hellenistic Greeks
Menander. The Girl from Samos
Longinus. On the Sublime
Callimachus. Hymns and Epigrams
Theocritus. Idylls
Plutarch. Lives; Moralia
Aesop. Fables
Lucian. Satires
The Romans
Plautus. Pseudolus; The Braggart Soldier; The Rope; Amphitryon
Terence. The Girl from Andros; The Eunuch; The Mother-in-Law
Lucretius. The Way Things Are
Cicero. On the Gods
Horace. Odes; Epistles; Satires
Persius. Satires
Catullus. Attis and Other Poems
Virgil. Aeneid; Eclogues; Georgics
Lucan. Pharsalia
Ovid. Metamorphoses; The Art of Love; Heroides
Juvenal. Satires
Martial. Epigrams
Seneca. Tragedies, particularly Medea and Hercules Furens
Petronius. Satyricon
Apuleius. The Golden Ass
The Middle Ages: Latin, Arabic, and the Vernacular Before Dante
Augustine, Saint. City of God; Confessions
The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Nights
The Poetic Edda
Snorri Sturluson. The Prose Edda
The Nibelungen Lied
Eschenbach, Wolfram von. Parzival
Troyes, Chrétien de. Yvain: The Knight of the Lion
Beowulf
The Poem of the Cid,
Pisan, Christine de. The Book of the City of Ladies
Pedro, Diego de San. Prison of Love
B. The Aristocratic Age
"It is a span of five hundred years from Dante's Divine Comedy through Goethe's Faust, Part Two [1321-1832], an era that gives us a huge body of reading in five major literatures: Italian, Spanish, English, French, and German. In this and in the remaining lists, I sometimes do not mention individual works by a canonical master, and in other instances I attempt to call attention to authors and books that I consider canonical but rather neglected. From this list onward, many good writers who are not quite central are omitted...." (p. 534)
Italy
Dante. The Divine Comedy; The New Life
Petrarch. Lyric Poems; Selections
Boccaccio, Giovanni. The Decameron
Boiardo, Matteo Maria. Orlando Innamorato
Ariosto, Ludovico. Orlando Furioso
Buonarroti, Michelangelo. Sonnets and Madrigals
Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince; The Mandrake, a Comedy
Vinci, Leonardo da. Notebooks
Castiglione, Baldassare. The Book of the Courtier
Stampa, Gaspara. Sonnets and Madrigals
Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Painters
Cellini, Benvenuto. Autobiography
Tasso, Torquato. Jerusalem Delivered
Bruno, Giordano. The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast
Campanella, Tommaso. Poems; The City of the Sun
Vico, Giambattista. Principles of a New Science
Goldoni, Carlo. The Servant of Two Masters
Alfieri, Vittorio. Saul
Portugal
Camoëns, Luis de. The Lusiads
Ferreira, Antònio. Poetry
Spain
Manrique, Jorge. Coplas
Rojas, Fernando de. La Celestina
Anonymous. Lazarillo de Tormes.
Quevedo, Francisco de. Visions; Satirical Letter of Censure
León, Fray Luis de. Poems
Cross, St. John of the. Poems
Góngora, Luis de. Sonnets; Soledades
Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote; Exemplary Stories
Vega, Lope de. La Dorotea; Fuente Ovejuna; Lost in a Mirror; The Knight of Olmedo
Molina, Tirso de. The Trickster of Seville
Barca, Pedro Calderón de la. Life is a Dream; The Mayor of Zalamea; The Mighty Magician; The Doctor of His Own Honor
Cruz, Sor Juana Inés de la. Poems
England and Scotland
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales; Troilus and Criseyde
Malory, Sir Thomas. Le Morte D'Arthur
Dunbar, William. Poems
Skelton, John. Poems
More, Sir Thomas. Utopia
Wyatt, Sir Thomas. Poems
Surrey, Henry Howard, Earl of. Poems
Sidney, Sir Philip. The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia; Astrophel and Stella; An Apology for Poetry
Brooke, Fulke Greville, Lord. Poems
Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene; The Minor Poems
Ralegh, Sir Walter. Poems
Marlowe, Christopher. Poems and Plays
Drayton, Michael. Poems
Daniel, Samuel. Poems; A Defence of Ryme
Nashe, Thomas. The Unfortunate Traveller
Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedy
Shakespeare, William. Plays and Poems
Campion, Thomas. Songs
Donne, John. Poems; Sermons
Jonson, Ben. Poems, Plays, and Masques
Bacon, Francis. Essays
Burton, Robert. The Anatomy of Melancholy
Browne, Sir Thomas. Religio Medici; Hydriotaphia, or Urne-Buriall; The Garden of Cyrus
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan
Herrick, Robert. Poems
Carew, Thomas. Poems
Lovelace, Richard. Poems
Marvell, Andrew. Poems
Herbert, George. The Temple
Traherne, Thomas. Centuries, Poems, and Thanksgivings
Vaughan, Henry. Poetry
Rochester, John Wilmot, Earl of. Poems
Crashaw, Richard. Poems
Fletcher, Francis Beaumont and John. Plays
Chapman, George. Comedies, Tragedies, Poems
Ford, John. 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
Marston, John. The Malcontent
Webster, John. The White Devil; The Duchess of Malfi
Rowley, Thomas Middleton and William. The Changeling
Tourneur, Cyril. The Revenger's Tragedy
Massinger, Philip. A New Way to Pay Old Debts
Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress
Walton, Izaak. The Compleat Angler
Milton, John. Paradise Lost; Paradise Regained; Lycidas, Comus, and the Minor Poems; Samson Agonistes; Areopagitica
Aubrey, John. Brief Lives
Taylor, Jeremy. Holy Dying
Butler, Samuel. Hudibras
Dryden, John. Poetry and Plays; Critical Essays
Otway, Thomas. Venice Preserv'd
Congreve, William. The Way of the World; Love for Love
Swift, Jonathan. A Tale of a Tub; Gulliver's Travels; Shorter Prose Works; Poems
Etherege, Sir George. The Man of Mode
Pope, Alexander. Poems
Gay, John. The Beggar's Opera
Boswell, James. Life of Johnson; Journals
Johnson, Samuel. Works
Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful; Reflections on the Revolution in France
Morgann, Maurice. An Essay on the Dramatic Character of Sir John Falstaff
Collins, William. Poems
Farquhar, George. The Beaux' Strategem; The Recruiting Officer
Wycherley, William. The Country Wife; The Plain Dealer
Smart, Christopher. Jubilate Agno; A Song to David
Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield; She Stoops to Conquer; The Traveller; The Deserted Village
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley. The School of Scandal; The Rivals
Cowper, William. Poetical Works
Crabbe, George. Poetical Works
Defoe, Daniel. Moll Flanders; Robinson Crusoe; A Journal of the Plague Year
Richardson, Samuel. Clarissa; Pamela; Sir Charles Grandison
Fielding, Henry. Joseph Andrews; The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
Smollett, Tobias. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker; The Adventures of Roderick Random
Sterne, Laurence. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman; A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy
Burney, Fanny. Evelina
Steele, Joseph Addison and Richard. The Spectator
France
Froissart, Jean. Chronicles; The Song of Roland
Villon, François. Poems
Montaigne, Michel de. Essays
Rabelais, François. Gargantua and Pantagruel
Navarre, Marguerite de. The Heptameron
Bellay, Joachim Du. The Regrets
Scève, Maurice. Délie
Ronsard, Pierre. Odes, Elegies, Sonnets
Commynes, Philippe de. Memoirs
d'Aubigné, Agrippa. Les Tragiques
Garnier, Robert. Mark Antony; The Jewesses
Corneille, Pierre. The Cid; Polyeucte; Nicomède; Horace; Cinna; Rodogune
Rochefoucauld, François de La. Maxims
Fontaine, Jean de La. Fables
Moliere. The Misanthrope; Tartuffe; The School for Wives
Moliere. The Learned Ladies; Don Juan; School for Husbands; Ridiculous Precieuses; The Would-Be Gentleman
Moliere. The Miser; The Imaginary Invalid
Pascal, Blaise. Pensées
Bosuet, Jacques-Bénigne. Funerary Orations
Boileau-Despréaux, Nicolas. The Art of Poetry; Lutrin
Racine, Jean. Phaedra; Andromache; Britannicus; Athaliah
Marivaux, Pierre Carlet de. Seven Comedies
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Confessions; Émile; La Nouvelle Héloïse
Voltaire. Zadig; Candide; Letters on England; The Lisbon Earthquake
Prevost, Abbe. Manon Lescaut
Fayette, Madame de La. The Princess of Cleves
Chamfort, Sébastien-Roch Nicolas de. Products of the Perfected Civilization
Diderot, Denis. Rameau's Nephew
Laclos, Choderlos de. Dangerous Liaisons
Germany
Erasmus. In Praise of Folly
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Faust, Parts One and Two; Dichtung und Wahrheit; Egmont
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Elective Affinities; The Sorrows of Young Werther; Poems; Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship; Wilhelm Meister's Years of Wandering
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Italian Journey; Verse Plays; Hermann and Dorothea; Roman Elegies
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Venetian Epigrams; West-Eastern Divan
Schiller, Friedrich. The Robbers; Mary Stuart; Wallenstein; Don Carlos; On the Naïve and Sentimental in Literature
Lessing, Gotthold. Laocoön; Nathan the Wise
Hölderlin, Freidrich. Hymns and Fragments; Selected Poems
Kleist, Heinrich von. Five Plays; Stories
36 comments:
I will be doing:
Ancient India (Sanskrit)
Mahabharata
Bhagavad-Gita
Ramayana
I will be doing:
Aeschylus- Prometheus Bound
Sophocles- Oedipus the King
Sophocles- Antigone
I will be doing:
Aesop- Fables
Homer- Odyssey
Homer- Illiad
i will be doing:
Beowulf
Euripedes - Helen
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
1.Pope, Alexander. Poems
2.Milton, John. Paradise Lost; Paradise Regained; Lycidas, Comus, and the Minor Poems; Samson Agonistes; Areopagitica
3.Kleist, Heinrich von. Five Plays; Stories
I will be doing:
1. Apuleius. The Golden Ass
2. Castiglione, Baldassare. The Book of the Courtier
3. Erasmus. In Praise of Folly
i will be doing:
More, Sir Thomas. Utopia
Plato. Dialogues
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan
I call:
Dante - The Divine Comedy
Aristole - Ethics (Nicomachean and Eudemian. It is not specified so I will write about both)
Bacon - Essays (particularly Meditationes Sacrae)
I will be doing:
1) Poetic Edda
2) Ferreira. Antonio. Poetry
3) Camoens, Luis de. The Lusiads
I will be doing:
1)Shakespeare, William. Plays and Poems
2)Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress
3)Erasmus. In Praise of Folly
“Many marvels walk through the world, / Terrible, wonderful, / But none more than humanity”—Sophocles
Rudyard Kipling once said, “What should they know of England who only England knows?” When one wants to see oneself in perspective—to enquire about the fundamentals of our human reasoning, predicaments, and the various possibilities we encounter daily, we must compare another society with a decisive intelligence which we confront in our indulgence with a variety of literary pieces of work—in this situation the articulate works of Aeschylus and Sophocles. When one begins to understand the phenomena of how the intricate threads of Greek literature connect to our sense of the world, we our then clad with the steel armor of an enlightened level of self-understanding which overwhelms one’s secularist philosophies with an innate notion of understanding the classical mechanics of the demands our world makes upon us and vice versa. Western civilization is indebted to the Greeks for the timeless influence on humanity’s aspirations that take root in Greek thought. The influence of Greek contribution is evident ranging from the first democratic constitution to Euclid’s geometric axioms. As Whitney J. Oates once said, “In the interval between the epics of Homer…and the age of the three great tragic poets—Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides…who looked deeply within their own natures, and through the vehicle of their poetry made abundantly evident how thoroughly they understood the essential character of man’s inner being.”
When one tries to grasp the archaic declamation of Aeschylus’s ‘Prometheus Bound’, one should understand Aeschylus’s complex motivations of understanding the unknown limited repertoires and confinements of humanity with a candid ineluctable logic intertwined with a slight degree of neurotic lateral thinking. The ultimate grandeur of Aeschylus is defined when the profound moral issues of our century and his are inescapably linked. Even if an individual is equipped with a brief synopsis of the ‘Prometheus Bound’, the play resonates in splendid grandeur of a brilliantly structured legend of the mighty Titan—Prometheus, who takes pity on the doomed and helpless state of mankind. Prometheus’ sorrow results in a beautiful relentless desire to help mankind and gives us the precious gift of fire, which was stolen from the confines of Mount Olympus. Prometheus’ gift improves mankind’s knowledge and civilization but intervenes on Zeus’ plans on destroying mankind. ‘Prometheus Bound’ entails with the unfortunate echo of Zeus’ punishment because Prometheus is now considered a subject with a lack of respect and encompasses the epitome of rebellion. When one reads brief excerpts of the play, one realizes the in-depth power, complexity, and rich literary technique, which swallows the play in the concepts of moral values and rules that is astonishingly intrinsic to our Western beliefs. In a literal sense, one ponders on what is the main allegory of this play or in Dr. Frye’s words, ‘man’s revelation to man’. One drowns in the deep abyss of pathos felt for Prometheus, which is the derivative of the same feeling when a brute and omnipotent force of a superior individual condemns a good individual. More importantly, how does Prometheus’ captivity blend into our beliefs? In our modern beliefs, one is thought to fear God, fear one who is superior, respect one in a higher state of well being, if this is not accomplished, mankind will then travel is a steady path toward damnation. In today’s modern beliefs one never questions the nature of the divine unknown power, which is the hidden paradox of our universe. The preliminaries of the play not only deal with the notion of a higher power but also get integrated and is backed up by years of opposition against someone skilled in the arts of intimidatory tactics. One tries to understand the essence of Aeschylus’ analogy of humankind, one gets trapped in the intractable problem of where humanity is heading—and then it dawns on the reader that every now and then, our race is blessed with an ingenious and intrepid human, capable of propelling humanity to a new edge of existence but eventually deals with an introspection in their environment and gets trapped in a personal and public interwar period. Our Western beliefs are now more inclined for the betterment of our humanity even though a strong opposition is always felt. What one should retain from the play, is the marvelous feeling of accomplishment one can achieve by helping ones fellows even though mordant criticism is always encountered at every other junction. The characters in the play are immortal and divine but the reader should impose their characteristics to our reality and should grapple at the fruit of effort. As Dr. Frye once said, “And because with all his superhuman strength he’s still up against something he can’t understand, there’s and ironic perspective too. Nobody cares now about the historical Achilles, if there ever was one, but the mythical Achilles reflects a part of our own lives.”
Aristotle’s famous definition of a tragic hero states that, “A man who is highly renowned and prosperous, but one who is not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice and depravity but by some error of judgment or frailty.” Sophocles’ masterpiece, ‘Oedipus the King’, resonates practically unrivalled as the epitome of dramatic tragic irony laced with an underlying universal appeal. The creative literary writing of Sophocles recedes and basks in a great mound of infinite difficulties which endeavors an understanding of how moral destruction, tragedy, misery—all have the common denominator of the human element. Whitney J. Oates once said, “There seems to be two fundamental aspects of Sophocles’ view of life: man the marvel working out his own destiny, making his own choices, but under the guidance of Heaven and its everlasting laws.” When reading the play, unknowingly the reader contemplates their own perception of self-worth and what encompasses their dignity. The story opens with an oracle which warns Laius, Oedipus’ father, that a son would be born to him that would eventually kill him in due time. Laius decides to kill his newborn son, an attempt to destroy the oracle’s prophecy. Miraculously the newborn son is rescued and is raised by Polybus and Merope, the King and Queen of Corinth. Unfortunately, the story then takes the tragic twist when Oedipus, now a young man, in search of an adventure, slays Laius, comes to the city of Thebes, solves the riddle of the sphinx and then lifts the curse on Thebes. Oedipus is now the renowned hero and is proclaimed King of Thebes and marries the widowed Queen, Jocasta, who is actually his mother. Together they have four children but then chaos drenches Thebes when a plague nearly destroys the city and eventually the fast paced action, reveals to Oedipus, the dramatic morally emphasized repelling truth that leads to his terrible demise. The story is at first incomprehensible when the reader is preoccupied and fixated on the morally repelling actions of Oedipus. The true utopian influence arises when one comprehends and imposes the moral issues imposed to one’s own world. The play gives birth to many timeless unanswered questions such as, ‘Is fate responsible for one’s destiny or one’s actions?’ The play’s ending provides a possibility to this sentimental question. Oedipus does not allow himself to plead that it was fate’s fault but accepts full responsibility for the tragic act which eventually constructs why this play has a significant appeal. One has to iron out the creases caused by the uneasy fusion of human and divine elements. One has to ponder whether one of the functions of tragedy is to promote responsibility coupled with the pangs of fear and pity—which eventually caves the reader to assume a cathartic state of mind. In today’s Western civilization, if one if found guilty, one faces certain repercussions. Oedipus tends to be an allusion that tends to tarnish the odd moments of repose where one realizes that one’s actions and conduct is the most rehensible and no one else can replenish this mould. One’ sudden mordant understanding of oneself tends to under mine the morale of their own existence which could result in lamentations. As Eugene O’ Neill states, “Sophocle’s tragedy is serious and elevated. It involves emotions of a particular sort. It looks at a man and his states, in a world in which there is an element of chance or fate, but in which, at least so far as man himself is concerned, there is a definite moral order in some sort, and not moral chaos.”
Sophocles’ preceding play to Oedipus is the ‘Antigone’ where the central conflict revolves between Antigone and Creon. The newly crowned King of Thebes is Creon after both the sons of Oedipus—Eteocles and Polyneices die in combat after fighting each other for royal power. Creon was on Polyneices’ side and after both their deaths, Creon ordered a royal procession for Polyneices but ordered that Eteocles shouldn’t even be buried—a taboo in Greek ritual burial acts. The struggle occurs when Antigone defies Creon’s orders. The characterization of Creon is an individual who holds strongly to his beliefs and views and is contrasted with his son, Haemon, who criticizes vividly. The play inflicts a sense of choosing as Eugene O’ Neill puts it, “Creon endeavors to impose him human law on Antigone, who disobeys out of respect for a higher divine law.” The reader now gets entangled in a web of comprehending which law has to be followed. It also emphasizes how one can be used as a puppet but what makes one superior, is to get rid of this characterization and stands up for one’s own beliefs. This also emphasizes on the relationship between family and an everlasting commitment to those who care. The reader understands that when one is enveloped into man’s inner being only guarded with a heightened sense of self-consciousness that uniquely unveils the mass potentials of our race. The following is an excerpt from the play that proves how enlightening and articulate our race is when we obtain an imagination which is educated,
The breath of his life
He has thought to be language
The spirit of thought
The play makes the reader contemplate and enquire about one’s human reasoning—whether it is intuitive or is calculated with evidence and an equal ratio of certainty. Our Western civilization has always set a standard for how one should act—a conventionalized society which controls the mere operation of thought without the ability to use a decisive independence which makes reality conformable. It is when this social conformity degenerates, an individual is ejected from the decadence of modern society and attains the ability to decipher the fulcrum of human nature.
Michael Grant once said, “Epic and lyric poetry, medicine and history, criticism and philosophy, even the novel—all of these major genres of Western literature takes their inspiration from the Greeks.” It emphasizes the mere fact that Greek literature is encompassed with power and an ingenious touch of looking within human nature. What is amazing about Greek literature is that even though the time interval widens, its impact on a writer strengthens. The Greek legacy is uniquely articulate and has a precision that does justice to every subject considered. The reason it touches a reader so personally is because the proficiency of its dramatic usage of words sparks the same aspirations and longings as it did in the past centuries. To understand where one is heading, one must understand where they came from. As Whitney J. Oates once said, “ It is the miracle of the Greek tragic poet’s genius which has enabled him to express this interpretation of life, so deep and comprehensive that is has rarely if ever been equalled in the creative literature of Western Europe.”
Works Cited
J. Oates, Whitney, and O’ Neill Eugene. 7 Famous Greek Plays. New York: Random House, Inc., 1938.
“He is but a man, and never once claims to be divine” -Rama
Blooms Canon talks about how books aid in shaping Western Culture. What we read in books help us to shape our imagination and it also helps shape society. Some individuals have their own preconceived opinions about which books are good or bad and which should be inputted in the Western Canon. Other individuals will say that we do not need a canon because everyone can think for themselves. However, in order for you to know who you are and figure out your identity, you need to read a good book and continuous read a variety of books and get ideas from them. In Dr. Frye’s second talk, The Singing School, he states “After working in this convention for a while, his own distinctive sense of form will develop out of his knowledge of literary technique”. What he is trying to say is that we as individuals tend to imitate what we read in literature in our everyday lives.
The story of the Mahabharata is a form of literature. In Dr. Frye’s fourth talk, The Keys to Dreamland, he states “To bring anything really to life in literature we can’t be lifelike: we have to be literature-like”. Meaning, when we read literature, we may not realize that the characters are portraying the qualities of a human person. When we read the Mahabharata, we learn about a family who was first based on two paternal first cousins, sons and wives of many kings. When individuals grow up within the Hindu Culture, their parents would teach them the famous story of the Mahabharata. Brothers were murdered and one survived who had to go through a number of obstacles to test his virtue. What we read in this story may be shocking because we cannot relate ourselves to this type of epic story. We also cannot relate to the fact that two opposing sides would fight over and win “the common wife”. This epic story relates to Bloom’s Western Canon because when individuals were taught the moral of this story, they were taught what was right and what was wrong. This helped shape Western Culture because the more this story was known in the community, the more individuals tried to work together and help benefit one another. This story was about a lot of wars/ fights and solitary confinement. When the Pandavas were victorious, they had to leave and be hidden for 13 years because no one was allowed to find them. After those 13 years, they were entitled to half of their kingdom. Unfortunately, the leader of the “Dhartarashtra Party” did not want to see that happen and this is how another war took place. When people see an event similar to this occurs in their community, they will have an idea as to how it will end. That is one of the ways in which this epic story helped shape western culture. When individuals are taught about the moral of this story, they begin to stop taking things for granted. They can also use this story and compare it to others and see which ones are good and which ones are not. Individuals also learn the consequences of fighting and the relationship between family members.
The Ramayana is a poem that is found within the Hindu culture. A quote from Rama states “he is but a man, and never once claims to be divine”. Rama says this because an individual by the name of “Narada” had listed 16 qualities of a true man and Rama possessed all of these qualities. This poem is famous for the moral that it contains. The Ramayana poem is an ideal guideline as to the behavior of humans through the actions depicted by Rama: life can disappear before your own very eyes, meaning “live life to the fullest”. One of the main aspects taken from this poem and has influenced western culture is when one makes a promise to another individual, they must keep it no matter what because the consequences are severe. In the Hindu culture, Rama is considered to be “one of the most important avatars of Vishnu”. The character of Rama is depicted as an individual whom is human and overcomes a number of obstacles which gets in his way by basically turning to their “dharma” which is “the righteous way”. This has helped shape western culture because it teaches not only children but everyone about the benefits of religion. It does not matter what God you may or may not pray to, but the moral is to find a God in which you would like to pray to and spend a few minutes devoting your time to him. Many individuals do not realize that religion is an important aspect in a person’s everyday life. This poem is apart of Blooms Canon because it has made a difference in an individuals everyday life. It taught individuals to think about the disadvantages before making a commitment to something or someone because you always have to think about the positive and negative aspects of your decision. It also relates to western culture such that when an individual has to overcome obstacles in order to get what he or she wants, they need guidance in order to be successful. In this poem, Rama turned to his dharma in order to succeed and accomplish his mission. This poem is known worldwide and many individuals go to India, foot-by-foot and trace Rama’s path as he did in the poem.
The Bhagavad-Gita is an epic text which contains 700 verses. In Dr.Frye’s second talk, The Singing School, he states “We discovered that the language of literature was associative: it uses figures of speech, like the simile and the metaphor, to suggest an identity between the human mind and the world outside it, that identity being what the imagination is chiefly concerned with”. The verses that are contained in the Bhagavad-Gita contain a variety of texts including similes and metaphors which are found in literature. The majority of these verses are occurring on a battlefield between Krishna and Arjuna. This text also talks about warriors and the qualities that warriors should possess in order to be called a true warrior. This has helped shaped western culture because it was used in Hindu philosophy as a “guide to life” which is similar to the “bible”. Many use the bible as a guide to life while others may use the gita as a guideline to life. Another reason as to how it has shaped western culture is in relation to how some individuals are put on this earth to help their fellow people whom are in need of some assistance. Krishna begins to tell Arjuna about how he has lived through a numerous amounts of deaths and the one thing he kept on doing was teaching “Yoga” for protection.
There are a numerous amounts of novels that can be inputted into the Western Canon. It does not matter which ones they are because the more you read, the more you can compare a number of books with one another. Many individuals have their own preconceived opinions about books without realizing the theme in the book. These three Ancient India poems are all apart of the Western Canon because of the principles that are behind the texts. They range from realizing the consequences before you make a commitment, individuals in a community helping one another and how some individuals are put on this earth to help those in need.
Works Cited:
Mahabharata: http://web.utk.edu/~jftzgrld/MBh1Story.html
Ramayana: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana#Synopsis
Bhagavad-Gita: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita
Im doin
1)Lucretius: The Way Things Are
2)Juvenal: Satires
3)Martial: Epigrams
1)Lucretius: The Way Things Are
Lucretius work has been incorporated in Bloom’s Cannon because even though it was written many years ago it can still be related to life today within our western cultural society. The story talks about how some people become enlightened in the world and free themselves from their own desires and obsessions. They are then able to see from a point of view of how unfortunate humankind is, even if it’s themselves and with that they have deep sympathy. Now it’s their own responsibility of speaking and living personal truth in order to help make the world a better place for humankind to live on. Today we have many examples of people that follow this aspect of “the way thing are” such as Martin Luther King who spoke out the truth in speeches for equality to an ignorant audience in an attempt for people to hear and understand him. Then maybe someone might gain the seed of truth which Lucretius explained in his poem and learn from that experience in order to gain a better understanding of humanity itself and put it into the act of helping to improve the world in order to make it a better place for everyone to live in.
2)Juvenal: Satires
The Satires is collection of satirical poems by Juvenal and is in the Western Canon collection because it criticizes the actions and beliefs of many people, providing a deeper look into value systems and questions of morality and less into the realities of Roman life like how many people today do within our own cultures in the Western side of the world. Juvenal writes about Hypocrites are Intolerable, meaning hypocrites are people who pretend to have virtues and morals which today within society is looked upon as rude and inexcusable act. Wrong Desire is the Source of Suffering, this satire about having the wrong needs for things that’ll result you in your pain and agony afterwards. Today many people have desires for wrong and unquestionable needs that later result then in their suffering as there consequence.
3)Martial: Epigrams
Martial’s Epigrams are poems or his curiosity and his power of observation of Romans brutality and stories of the unjust system. He shows it’s through glimpses of his living conditions by showing us how awful society is. In his epigrams he talks of lewdness he experienced throughout his life and when people write books today they all write about observations form our own point of view like Martial does in his poems, all literature today forms from literature in the past. All these Roman books should go into the Weston Canon because there all literature from the past that make literature what it is now and thankfully for that we can even expand our mind even more and learn even a lot so that hopefully one day we can write our own magnificent piece of literature and maybe place it into the Western Conon Collection ourselves.
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Nature_of_Things
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satires_of_Juvenal
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial
Egypt one of the populous countries in Africa has had many histories for many generations.They believed in many stories and written many text.One of the famous one was the Book of the Dead.The book of the Dead was a name for the Ancient Egyptian text known as "Book of the Coming" or "Going forth by Day."The book of the dead was a description of the afterlife and a collection of hymns,spells,and instructions to allow the dead to pass through obstacles in the afterlife.The book of the dead was moslty written on a thick paper like material produced from papyrus plant,it known as a papyrus scroll.After it was written they would place the scroll in the coffins or chamber of the dead.The name "Book of the Dead" was invented by a German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, who published a selection of the text in 1842.When it was first discovered, the book of the dead was thought to be an ancient Egyptian bible.The book does not lead to religious beliefs and was not considered to be a product of devine revelation. The Book of the Dead was a long process of evolution from the Pyramid texts of the old kingdom to the Coffin texts of the middle kingdom.Pyramid texts were a collection of religious text carved on the walls of pyramids during the fifth and sixth dynasties.Coffin texts were a collection of Egyptians funerary spells written on coffins before they bury the dead.As you can see the coffin text were devrived from the pyramid texts.The Book of the Dead can be explained to Bloom’s Western Canon because he states that the Western canon is a canon of books and art that has allegedly been highly influential in shaping Western culture.Back then the Romans adapted the book of the dead and changed its name to the Book of Breathings.The Book of the Dead has influence in Western culture because the book are collections of spells,hymns, etc and so the Western Culture adapted and made changes and formed a new collection of stories called the Bible.
The Apocrypha or also called the Biblical apocrypha, comes from the Greek word απόκρυφος which means hidden. The Apocrypha are texts that are often printed as being part of the Bible. They are usually printed in the third section from the Old and New testement. These includes texts written in the Jewish and Christian religious tradtions that are either accepted into the biblical canon by Christian faith or those who are not yet certain to be accepted. The biblical canon or also known as canon of scripture were a list or set of Biblical books considered to be scriptures generally in Judaism or Christianity.Some believers consider these books to be inspired by God or to express the history of the relationship between God and his people.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia and it is one of the earliest known works of literary works.It is an essential story that revolves the relationship between Gilgamesh , a king who has become distracted and disheartened by his rule, and his friend, Enkidu, who is wild and takes dangerous quests with Gilgamesh.Much of the epic poem focuses on Gilgamesh’s thoughts of loss after Enkidu’s death. It is about them becoming human together, and having high emphasis on immortality. A large portion of the book shows Gilgamesh’s search for immorality after Enkidu’s death.It is a story about Gilgamesh going into the Cedar forst to kill the demon Humbaba for glory.Gilgamesh is an archytpal character where he is chosen to kill a monster, leave the world he knows and goes to a world of darkness,fights the monster and kills it, and goes back home with glory and pride for the people. This is also as a monomyth hero cycle.
The books that have been chosen, The Apocrypha, and the Epic of Gilgamesh , are all related to the Bloom’s Canon because Bloom says about ancient literatures being influenced in Western culture which is true because today we have poems, wrings, and movies that are connected to the book of the dead, the Aprocyphe, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. They have the same theme but with different stories or characters.
Works cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Epic_of_Gilgamesh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_dead
www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh
www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/index.htm
To Hate the Government or to Love it?
With the Cannon theory, it states that there are certain books that help to shape our culture into what is has become today. For books like Thomas More’s Utopia, Plato’s Dialogues and Hobbes Leviathan, they are all apart of the Cannon theory and its relationship to the government. These books all show that if there was no government, people would be unable to control ourselves and everything would be a mess.
In More’s Utopia, it talks about the island of Utopia, which is the perfect society. It follows a man named Raphael, and he talks about how perfect the society is and the political arrangements in it. This book illustrates how the perfect society is and points out the flaws in our own society, such as no private property and no religious practices. They all believe in God and he is the reason that people will not break the law. For people who did not believe in God, they could not be trusted because it means they believe they are higher then God and can find no further knowledge of themselves. The reason why people listen to the government is because they know God is making sure they behave.
Though Utopia talks mostly of God, Plato’s Dialogues discusses about many issues, such as love, government, justice and laws. It discusses the many types of government and how each of them work. The main dialogue is the Republic, in which Plato talks about the allegory of the cave. It talks about people being chained up in a cave and facing the wall of the cave. They are never able to actually see what is behind them, but can see the shadows of the objects. Eventually one of the people gets free and leaves the cave and gets to see the real world. It is a beautiful place and everything is full of colour and life. When the man gets back to tell all the others about what he has seen, they do not want to know about it and would rather stay in the cave and later on beat him to death so that they get rid of his ideas. This story shows that people are corrupt and that what they don’t know can not hurt them.
For Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, it concerns the structure of society and how people need a government because we are all animals and unable to take care of the world ourselves. He discusses establishment of societies and the types of government. It is one of the first works dealing with the Social Contract. People listen to the government because of the Social Contract, which is that people give up some of their rights in order to get protection from the government.
Though many books could fit the Cannon theory, More’s Utopia, Plato’s Dialogues and Hobbes Leviathan have shaped Western culture by the rules humans have made and the type of government people now have. Thought these books don’t agree on the types of governments used, they agree that without government, people would be unable to control themselves.
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato_Republic#Definition_of_justice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_More#Utopia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_%28book%29
Just the Classics...
To ensure survival, the human body needs food. If the human body does not receive the nutrients it needs, it will not function properly. Like the body needs food to function, the brain needs reading the same way. The Western canon is a collection of books which can aid in educating the brain. The literature which is included in this canon has greatly influenced Western culture. Harold Bloom is a literary critic who has put together his own list of books which he believes the Western canon should consist of. Three pieces of literature in his canon; The Golden Ass, The Book of the Courtier, and In Praise of Folly, are perfect examples of the type of works which should be included.
The Golden Ass is a Latin novel written by Apuleius. . The novel tells the story of Lucius, a Roman aristocrat, who is obsessed with magic. Lucius is so obsessed that he accidentally transforms into a donkey. This causes Lucius to be exposed to the horrid life of slavery. Lucius discovers the exploitation of the slaves by the rich land-owners, and sees that the life of a slave is nearly the same as that of a donkey. The Golden Ass is a picaresque novel, which means it tells a story of a hero who has low a social status and lives by his own wits in a humorous way (en.wikipedia.org). Because of its genre, the Golden Ass is included in the canon. This novel is the last piece of literature from the Greco-Roman era which provides insight on the lifestyle of the lower social classes. Although it talks about a very serious issue, Apuleius still manages to stay imaginative and witty (en.wikipedia.org). Apulieus’ Golden Ass is a ground-breaking novel, and has rightfully taken its place on the list of the Western canon.
The Book of the Courtier is a dialogue which consists of four books, based on real life experience from the author, Baldassare Castiglione. Castiglione was a courtier serving the Duchess Elisabetta Gonzaga. Castiglione wrote this dialogue in 1508, although it was not published until 1528. The dialogues describe the courtier, and gives insight on how to properly present yourself. Castiglione explains “the courtier is expected to have a warrior spirit, to be athletic and to have good knowledge of the humanities, classics, and how to draw and paint” (en.wikipedia.org). The courtier may also be referred to as a “Renaissance Man”, one who is skillful in many fields, and has in depth knowledge in several different areas. This dialogue is so important, and the reason for its place on the Western canon list may be because of its accuracy of the Renaissance court life (en.wikipedia.org). The Book of the Courtier is a fine piece of literature, and not only does it describe how to be a good courtier, but also teaches how to be a better man.
In Praise of Folly was written in 1509 by Erasmus, a Dutch theologian. This essay is considered one of the most influential works of literature in Western Civilization, and a motivation for the Protestant Reformation (en.wikipedia.org). The essay paints a picture of praising self-deception and madness. It later assesses Catholicism and the corruptions in the Roman Catholic Church. This is what clearly provided the motivation for the Protestants to reform, and earn its spot on the list of book of the canon. The impact it had on such a historic event such as the Protestant reformation proves why it is extremely influential. In Praise of Folly is one of the greatest works of all time, and it has impacted the world, especially religiously.
As previously stated, reading is what keeps the brain going. The books presented in the Western canon are some of the best pieces of literature of all time. The styles of writing along with the great tales being told provide for great reading as well as influential. The themes written about are classic as they continue to be told over and over again. These pieces of literature have greatly impacted Western culture, and the influences it has provided has changed the world for the better.
Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Praise_of_Folly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Ass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Courtier
I will be using the works of:
Campanella, Tommaso. Poems; The City of the Sun
Goldoni, Carlo. The Servant of Two Masters
Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Painters
“My general principle, developed in my first four talks, is that in the history of civilization literature follows after a mythology. A myth is a simple and primitive effort of the imagination to identify the human with the non-human world, and its most typical result is a story about god. Later on, mythology begins to merge into literature, and myth then becomes a structural principle of story-telling.” – Northrop Frye
The theory of educational perennialism refers to specific principles which are of everlasting importance to all cultures-regardless of time period. The sole purpose of these principles is to contribute to one’s personal growth, with the ultimate goal of making the world a better place for all. The Western Canon is the particular embodiment of works of literature and art which take a paramount role in the development of western culture. In The Western Canon, American literary critic Harold Bloom compiled a list of literary texts which essentially influence Western culture, and fall under one of the following four categories: The Theocratic Age (2000 BCE-1321 CE); The Aristocratic Age (1321-1832); The Democratic Age (1832-1900); The Chaotic Age (20th Century). Among these epic pieces of literature include The Poetic Edda, the poetry of Antonio Ferreira, and Luis de Camoens’ The Lusiads.
Currently preserved in Iceland, The Poetic Edda was written sometime toward the end of the 13th century, therefore falling under the Theocratic Age during the Middle Ages. It is a collection of 34 Icelandic poems and prose which form the foundation for ancient Nordic mythology. The Poetic Edda is separated into two different sections: a mythical section, and a heroic section. An example of one of the mythical poems of The Poetic Edda, is known as Skirnismal, or “Sayings of Skirnir”. The plot consists of a man named Frey who falls in love with a woman named Gerd. Instead of pursuing Gerd himself, Frey sends his servant Skirnir to do it for him, Gerd then plays hard to get. Central themes of these poems can be related to storylines in literary works which were written after the 13th century. This demonstrates that The Poetic Edda certainly belongs the Western Canon, for the fact that it’s works have influenced the thoughts of future writers. As Northrop Frye states in talk two of The Educated Imagination, “…literature is still doing the same thing that mythology did earlier, but filling in its huge cloudy shapes with sharper lights and deeper shadows.” (Frye 32)
Antonio Ferreira’s work was completed during the 15th century during the Aristocratic Age in Portugal. Famous for his dramatic plays and poems, Ferreira was born in Lisbon Portugal in 1528, and died in 1569. His education began at Coimbra where he studied law, and soon after became a judge of the Portuguese poets of all time. He stood out from the other Portuguese poets of that time due to the fact that he refused to write in Spanish. Instead, he always wrote in his native language. Ferreira is often compared to poet Sa de Miranda, for they both furthered the Renaissance movement by leaving behind their native forms. Much of his work was influenced by his knowledge of Italian Renaissance poets, as well as Greek and Latin art. Antonio Ferreira paved the way for writers after him through his classic dramatic techniques with underlying themes of Portuguese history. He used the subject matter he was taught during his lifetime to create plays and texts of which the main ideas are still used today. “I have now tried to trace the progress of literary education to the point at which the student has acquired something if this vision and is ready to carry what he has of it into society.” (Frye 80).
Luis Vaz de Camoes is known as one of the greatest Portuguese poets ever, whose literary work was written during the 15th century during the Aristocratic Age. The text he is most famous for is known as “Os Lusiads”, translated into the English language as “The Lusiads”. This classic poem was written in 1572, and later translated in 1655. It is considered Portugal’s ‘national epic’, due to Camoes’ unique ability to create a masterpiece which joins two main themes: history and love. The Lusiads explains the Colonial history of the Portuguese, yet also tells the events of a romantic love story. Luis Vaz de Camoes attended the University of Coimbra before pursuing a career in the military where he was eventually sent to fight in India. Perhaps it was his experience sailing to India which inspired the plot of his famous piece, which theme focused on the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India. In addition to events in Portuguese history, references were also made to Christian and humanist concepts in Camoes’ writing. Due to the historical complexity of The Lusiads, it is often compared to Virgil’s Aeneid, written about the history of the Ancient Romans. This literary piece belongs in the Western Canon, for it represents key historical concepts, and reinforces that history does, in fact, repeat itself.
Therefore, The Poetic Edda, Antonio Ferreira’s poetry, as well as Luis de Camoens’ The Lusiads, are three literary texts which belong in Harold Bloom’s analysis of the Western Canon. Each of these pieces has strongly influenced Western culture by providing original key principles of everlasting importance, thus reinforcing the theory of educational perennialism. As Frye states in “The Keys to Dreamland”, “But Shakespeare’s plays weren’t produced by his experience: they were produced by his imagination, and the way to develop the imagination is to read a good book or two.” (Frye 61-62)
Work Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_perennialism
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/poetic_edda.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06049b.htm
http://arthistory.heindorffhus.dk/frame-LiteraturePortugalCamoes.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusiadas#Key_concepts
The Library of Literature Legends
“The Western culture is the set of literary, scientific, musical, and philosophical principles which sets it apart from other civilizations” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_culture). The emphasis of creativity, expression and development of the individual is put into focus by the culture as well as spreading the message to the world. Harold Bloom’s creation of The Western Canon (1994) brings forth a compilation of the influential works of literature and art that has shaped this culture into being from legends of literature such as Homer and Aesop.
Dr. Northrop Frye is the pride of Canada for his remarkable works on literary criticism. In his book, The Educated Imagination (1997), he states, “that every form in literature has a pedigree, and we can trace its descent back to the earliest times”(pg. 19). He goes on saying that everything in literature has derived and originated from myths. Myths are about identity and understanding one’s self, which traces back to the Ancient Greeks. Referring back to Bloom’s canon, several texts can be found by the ancient Greeks. Homer contributes two epic poems while Aesop contributes his fables collection, both bringing tremendous impact to western culture.
The Iliad, which literally means wrath or rage, is an epic poem in which all men can relate to. The focus is on the powerful warrior Achilles whose wrath is fuelled by the disrespect of Agamemnon, his commander, and the death of his beloved cousin, Patroclus. Frye emphasizes that the theme is the most important part of the book. In the Iliad, the themes of kleos, timê, wrath and fate are presented (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad).
Kleos is “glory that is earned through battle”. Achilles’ undeniable strength causes him to yearn for his kleos but is torn to choose between his nostos, or homecoming, and kleos aphthiton, or unending glory. His mortality moves him to stay and fight at Troy in order to attain his undying glory. In the western culture, we enjoy the praise that celebrates our best traits thus, we lust to leave our mark in this world, putting meaning into our lives.
Timê is “respect and honour”. Achilles is disrespected by Agamemnon by stealing his prized woman, Briseis. He, along with his rage, spites Agamemnon by leaving the warriors, bringing the defeat of the Greeks. But his wrath is soon fuelled after Patroclus’ death- he re-enters the war, with only the thought of a killing rampage to bring honour to his cousin’s death and express his rage. Despite his anger towards Hector, the Trojan prince who killed Patroclus, Achilles give his father respect and allows the funeral of Hector at the end of the poem. We, as humans, are all empowered by emotions that are attached to respect and honour, but when they are disregarded, trouble arises. Thus we must learn to be considerate with our actions since their effects affect not only ourselves but others as well.
Fate does not determine the actions of the characters of Iliad but determines their outcomes. It is the higher power that all characters, including the gods, must submit to. It is unchangeable and inevitable. The western culture is influenced by the values of Christianity and the belief that there is a God or a higher form of unknown power beyond ourselves. We entrust that in the end, His will be done and therefore we have a destined future. Our acceptance to our fate brings our peaceful salvation in the end.
. According to Frye, “Homer’s Achilles represents […] a hero, much larger than life. [He] is more than what any man could be, because he’s also what a man wishes he could be, he does what most men would do if they were strong enough. He’s a great smouldering force of human desire and frustration and discontent [which] reflects a part of our own lives” (pg.36). In other words, the character of Achilles is a perfect representation of human nature and the poem of the Iliad sets forth themes that teach desires, consequences and inevitability that all men go through giving Bloom a great reason to put Homer’s Iliad in the Western Canon.
The Odyssey is a epic poem about the voyage of Odysseus back to Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he continuously disguises himself and uses deceptive speeches that leads to his triumph in the challenges that he faces. His weakness is his arrogance and pride, bringing misfortune to his odyssey by the meddling gods that Odysseus can only concede to. Unlike Achilles, who is known for his strength, Odysseus is known for his mētis, or cunning intelligence. From this poem, the power of the mind is of importance. Homer allows us to view mankind with having different capabilities that help us succeed in life. Upon his most awaited return to Ithica, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar, deceiving everyone as well as the suitors of his wife Penelope. His plan is to be trapped in a room with them while he is armed and kill them all because of their greed to marry his wife. He is successful with his plan and returns to his rightful place as Penelope’s husband (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey).
The other theme present is the trials of temptations. Odysseus could not resist the feeling of kleos when he hears the story of the Trojan horse, of which he played a leading role during the war. The temptation of revealing his identity to attain the glory from the story brings his misfortune when he gives in, prolonging his completion of nostos. In western culture, there are various influences that lead us astray from our goals. This epic poem helps us realize about being aware of our surroundings and resisting temptations just like how the religion of Christianity teaches us.
The major theme that defines The Odyssey is nostos, or homecoming. Odysseus finally arrives home after 7 years of wandering and meddling with by the Gods. Humans have a longing to belong and thus, we all strive within all our capabilities to reach the point of belonging. Odysseus’ return to his family applies to the human need for love and togetherness. It is only when we feel complete and reunited that we become truly happy.
Homer’s poem sews together the aspects of life that humans experience. The journey of life is full of trials and temptations that we overcome through our own capabilities. We may get lost along the way, be we eventually find our ways back where we belong. This principle earns The Odyssey its rightful place in Blooms canon.
A fable is a short narrative which teaches a moral lesson by the end of the story. The characters are usually personified animals that reveal human characteristics. Aesop’s collection of fables is a great way to teach children important life lessons. The story of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ teaches children that any truth that you say will never be believed if you have constantly lied. The story of ‘The Goose Who Laid Golden Eggs’ teaches children to think before they act, and that greed destroys the source of good (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop%27s_Fables).
Aesop’s fables allow the development of morals and values of humans set on an early stage. His use of characters appeals to the younger audience, allowing their imagination to be able to relate because it is something that they like. Since Bloom’s canon is a collection of literature and art that sends out a universal principle and message to all, Aesop’s fables belongs in the canon.
Harold Bloom created The Western Canon based on the theory of educational perennialism. Perennialism focuses on personal development that is based upon the common and essential nature of all human beings. It aims to teach students to learn how to recognize issues and reach a reasoned, defensible conclusion. Perennialists urges students to learn through reading books, such as those in the Western Canon, in order to develop their meaningful and conceptual thinking and judgement since they contain the central human questions(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_perennialism).
In Frye’s The Educated Imagination, he also establishes that the purpose of reading is to help humanity find their identity through means of literature. The epic poems of Iliad, and The Odyssey, along with the fables are written with plentiful metaphors in which Frye believes help humans find their mode of identification since the metaphors unite the subjective and objective part of the mind into understanding the self. Not only the metaphors, but the recurring themes that are continuously derived from their stories continue to educate humanity and reveal their identity.
Relating to the development of proper thinking and judgement, Frye states, “Literature helps to give us [the] detachment [or tolerance, where things are removed just out of reach of believe and action], and so do history and philosophy and science and everything else worth studying”(pg. 46). Thus we learn that Bloom and Frye, as well as all authors of literature, has one objective that is best expressed by the educator, Robert Hutchins, “Great books are great teachers; they are showing us every day what ordinary people are capable of. These books come out of ignorant, inquiring humanity. They are usually the first announcements for success in learning. Most of them were written for, and addressed to, ordinary people” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_perennialism).
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop%27s_Fables
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_perennialism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_culture
Northorp, Frye. (1997). The Educated Imagination. House of Anansi Press
I will be doing:
Seneca (Medea)
Petronius (Satyricon)
Euripides (Cyclops)
Bloom’s Canon is a literary collection of historical works that has common themes such as religion, historical, philosophical and scientific.The Koran, the Bible and the Bhagavad-Gita are religious historical works that are universal read and considered a guide to for many groups of faith.
1) The Bible is a religious book that is considered a guideline for followers of Jesus Christ. t is a collection of writings of Christianity and Judaism. There are 66 books within the Christian Bible; 39 are in the Old Testament and 27 are in the New Testament. The Bible contains many stories, poems, songs, and parables. They all teach show or symbolize the meaning of being a follower of Christ.
The Bible is placed in Harold Bloom Canon because it is the foundation of all literature.
Northrop Frye speaks about the importance of the Bible and its use in literature in Talk 5, Verticals of Adam.
“And so the Bible forms the lowest stratum in the teaching of literature. It should be taught so early and thoroughly that it sinks straight to the bottom of the mind, where everything that comes along later can settle on it.” (Frye, 66).
The Bible is placed within Blooms Canon because it is the one of the earliest works that speaks about the human experience, which is literature.
“In other words, it’s the myth of the Bible that should be the basis of literary training, its imaginative survey of the human situation which is so broad and comprehensive that everything else finds it place inside it.” (Frye, 66)
2) The Koran is the most sacred text of the Islamic Religion. The word Koran means
“Readings”. The Koran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. It deals with all the subjects that concern all human beings: wisdom, beliefs, worship, and law. It focuses on the relationship between God and His creatures. It also provides guidelines for a just society, proper human relationships and equal divisions of power.
There is a clear link between the content of the Koran and talk 5, Verticals of Adam. The thesis of talk 5 is that the ideas which you obtain from reading literature, are imputed into you everyday life, and you are able to learn from them. “I have now tried to trace the progress of literary education to the point at which the student has acquired something of this vision and is ready to carry what he has of it into society.”(Frye, 80)
The ideas which are found within the Koran such as proper human relationships and the importance of wisdom can be imputed into everyday life, allowing the reader to better understand him / her self. In doing so the reader is able to have a better sense of identity, which is crucial to the complete understanding of literature. This is the reason Bloom placed the Koran into his Canon.
3) The Bhagavad-Gita is a Sanskrit text, which was drawn from the, Mahabharata epic. It contains 700 verses. The Bhagavad-Gita is considered sacred by the Hindu people. Especially the followers of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is the preserver of the Universe. This sacred text is a concise guideline to Hindu beliefs and ideas. It is also considered a guideline to the Hindu way of life. The Bhagavad-Gita is arranged with a variety of similes and metaphors. It is written in poetic form and are often chanted this is why Harold Bloom placed the Bhagavad-Gita in his Canon.
Metaphors, imagery and similes are important because they allow the reader to fully understand what they are reading; it also forces the mind to make association with things that are a part of the human experience. As mentioned before the Human experience is literature. “The motive for a metaphor, according to Wallace Stevens, is a desire to associate, and finally to identify, the human mind with what goes on outside it,”
(Frye, 16). Readers who are reading this work are forced to use their imagination and make association to things they know and recognize. If the reader did not do this it would be difficult for the to fully understand the concept and the content of the Bhavagad – Gita and any other literary work. This is because Literature is larger than ourselves and in order to understand it we must think “outside the box”.
Works cited :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible
http://library.thinkquest.org/28505/islam/koran.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08692a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/summary.asp
“If we don’t know the Bible and the central stories of Greek and Roman literature, we can still read books and see plays, but our knowledge of literature can’t grow, just as our knowledge of mathematics can’t grow if we don’t learn the multiplication table.” –Northrop Frye.
The Western Canon collects books, music and art that have been most successful in determining today’s western culture. The canon is particularly important to educational perennialism, which is the theory that educators should teach principals that have long-lasting importance to all of humanity. The themes that are prevalent in all literature were first fleshed out in the Bible and Greek/Roman literature. Today’s fiction is nothing but the old re-shaped; stories from the Bible that turn into Sunday evening’s Wonderful World of Disney. These themes that our ancestors felt were important enough to apply language to; they are themes that are embedded in all of humanity. Through reading a good book or two we as humans come to understand where we came from and who we are today. Although all literature does this to a certain degree the Western Canon collects the books that display this best.
In 1667 John Milton published Paradise Lost, which was his own take on the fall of man. The story of Adam and Eve is possibly the most important tales all of all time. The themes that are expressed through Satan, Christ, Adam and Eve are themes that can never die, nor can man ever run away from. In Milton’s epic ten book poem, written in blank verse, we see the Fall of Man re-told. Book I begins with Satan already cast from hell, and Milton states his aspiration; “to justify the ways of God to men.” (Milton 1674, 4:26). Lucifer debates with his fellow fallen angels and decides that it is he must destroy the newly created paradise of Adam and Eve. Milton here applies his knowledge of Greek literature to his character of Satan; he turns him into a man on a quest, who must reach his goal by himself, a quest much like that of Greek hero Odysseus. On his way to earth Lucifer passes through the realm of Chaos where he gives birth to Sin. Sin is a beautiful woman who resembles Lucifer, they then have sex and Sin gives birth to Death. Satan eventually completes his goal by using his rhetoric to persuade Eve to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Adam, after witnessing Eve’s sin, knowingly commits the same deed as her. Michael the angel then takes Adam on a journey into the future where he sees the faults of man as well as the great flood. Adam also sees Christ, the figure who takes the fall for his sin and gives hope to all humanity through eternal salvation. Milton being a prominent political figure witnessed a failed cause. He took part in the rise and fall of the Commonwealth of England. Lucifer left heaven because he denied the fact he was created by God. Lucifer tried to wage a war on heaven that failed and in this way Milton and Lucifer were not all different. If the characters of Milton’s Paradise Lost are examined we can see similarities between them and all literary figures. Satan is probably the earliest example of the anti-hero. He is a protagonist who directly opposes the traditional traits of the hero. Lucifer has many faults and does not display any want or need for redemption. The Lucifer of Paradise Lost has influenced many works of literature today, weather the author was conscious of it or not. The most modern example he can be compared to would be the character of Mark Renton from the novel Trainspotting by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. Mark is the protagonist of Welsh’s novel but he is a mess, he is addicted to heroin, involved in criminal behavior and has horrible social skills. The most important figure of Milton’s poem would be Adam. The character of Adam represents every character in literature ever because he possesses two essential traits of every man: free will and sin. There is no character is literature that is perfect, even the son of God has been known to sin at least once. Sin is the natural counter part to man’s greatest gift free will. Just as Adam grapples with the flaws of his own free will so does Jules of Quintin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction. Although Jules commits sin (knowingly committing multiple murders) he seems redemption in himself by becoming a “walking man”. Adam see’s redemption through Jesus. Eve, the subject of Adam, is so beautiful that she is transfixed by herself. She commits the first sin and so prejudice against women stems from her, all women in literature have elements of eve. They all at one time held paradise in their hands (through birth) but eventually destroyed it by committing sin. Eve is also the reason the philosopher Mary Daly claims the church can never achieve a state of gender-equality. The amount of influence Milton’s Paradise Lost has on any modern day work of literature is astronomical. Paradise Lost should remain a part of Bloom’s Western Canon because Lucifer as well as Adam and Eve set the example for every literary character to come.
The Wikipedia page on Alexander Pope asserts that he “holds an acknowledged place in the canon of English literature, although his work has gone in and out of fashion. One edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations includes no fewer than 212 quotations from Pope.” An Essay on Criticism is the first major poem by Pope, it examines his literary opinions. Many of the verses in Pope’s poem are embedded deeply into the English language. “To err is human, to forgive, divine” is a common saying that most people have heard, yet it can have a great influence regardless if that person knows of Pope’s works. Pope just as any other great writer takes his influence from the stories of the bible and Greek/Roman literature and filters them through his own imagination to produce some of the greatest poems of all time. Just as Milton’s works show their influence on modern literature so does Pope’s. A line from one of his Poems was even selected for the title of a movie made in 2004. Pope’s words spoke so greatly to the author of the movie that he chose to title his own personal work with words from a 17th century poet. If we examine the poem “Eloisa to Abelard” we can understand why the words fit so well with the film.
“How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd”
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a film that celebrates the positives and negatives of the ignorant mind, as well as conquering love, morality and everything else common to literature. Two lovers desperately erase each other’s minds in an effort to achieve happiness, which is something that Pope’s poem tries to do. Pope’s innovative use of verse is something that set him apart from other 17th century poets. He re-invented stories of old in order to show that a human being is capable of understanding oneself and one’s motives. He influence is something that will never cease to be.
Henrich Von Kleist was a German poet, novelist, and play write as well as a very interesting and strange character. Kleist was born in 1777 in Frankfurt, Germany. He sought to change the dramatic arts by putting together his influences to create something innovative and new. Elements of Aeschylus and Shakespeare are found through all of Kleist’s dramatic works. His first work Die Familie Schroffenstein and his proceeding dramatic works all dealt with themes of sexual deviance, as well as the common themes of literature (love, death, morality, etc.). Kleist took his stylistic approach from his predecessors. His novels as well as his plays asked fundamental existentialist questions. Kleist is an example of the human mind’s progression to great philosophical heights. He added elements of his own life to every piece of literature he wrote. The Bible and Greek/ Roman literature set the foundations for Kleist’s literary career; however his ability to mold themes in literature made his works worthy of the Western Canon. An author that he influenced greatly was Franz Kafka and the similarities between their literary works are greatly enhanced through the likeliness of their personalities. Kafka’s works such as The Trial bring up questions of morality, as well as inquiries into the fundamentals of existence. Dark imagery is prevalent in both author’s works, something that seems to be important to most German literature. Just as Milton and Pope did, Kleist greatly influenced any modern literature to come. He reshaped human questions to make them more relatable to his society.
The Western Canon celebrates literary works that display the bare bones of human existence most effectively. Milton, Pope and Kleist poured out their souls to make language that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads their work.
http://www.monadnock.net/poems/eloisa.html
http://www.theatrehistory.com/german/kleist001.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/die-familie-schroffenstein
http://www.theatrehistory.com/german/kleist001.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Kleist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_lost
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihero
The Influences of Western society
The western canon is collection of books with very little limitations in what they contain that have a great influence on shaping the Western culture. Today's society is a place where not many boundaries are set on the content in varying types of literature or the images and languages used in public and on television. Northrop Frye states in his essay The Educated Imagination that "Literature is a human apocalypse, a man's revelation to man, and criticism is not a body of adjudications, but the awareness of that revelation, the last judgment of mankind." In simpler terms literature reveals everything about men and women of any culture or religion.
In the plays and poems by the famous William Shakespeare are contained the themes of tragedy and love. The play “Hamlet” is about a young prince that has lost a chance at becoming King as his uncle occupies the position instead. Finding out that this uncle of his isn’t only greedy enough to steal a position but also greedy enough to murder the King to get what he wants. Having to deal with the loss of his father and having the murderer as a father figure there are many emotions Hamlet feels and bottles in as he is the only one with knowledge of the King’s murderer. The relatable thing about this play is the fact that the behaviour, feelings and questions of every character are the same of us human beings. What are the values in watching characters experience what real humans being go through? Watching yourself in a play will teach people lessons about themselves and show them the consequences of certain actions. Shakespeare’s poem A Lover’s Complaint, describes a woman who has been tricked by deceptive wooer and only falls into the trap of another seducers’ good looks and sweet words. The description of a man’s tempting words and attractive appearance show readers how tricked they can become if ones’ focus while searching for love is the appearance seductive words.
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is about a man by the name of Christian that sets out on a journey towards Paradise. As he travels he encounters various temptations and people that impact his life in different ways. The city of vanity and the river Christian must come across represents the temptations people of all religions face and the moments of doubt people sometimes feel as they question faith and convert to different beliefs. This is a useful and effective literary piece seeing that the experiences are those many people presently deal with in today’s world.
Lastly, Desiderius Erasmus’s In Praise of Folly, the consequences of foolish actions are described. This piece of literature is an influence on Western culture but also on the world. Newspapers and television and books depict the foolish acts of many people and shows that wisdom teaches many lessons and leads to a better quality of life as oppose to folly. It is true that these lessons address Christians but they are useful to any one that wants to reap the rewards offered to those who will obey the instructions of wisdom.
As Frye explains the way to develop the imagination by reading books, it would only be effective mankind if the books they read contain relevant issues and topics. Shakespeare’s plays and poems allow people to watch their own habits and emotions and where they lead. John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress shows the relations people of different beliefs have as every religion strives towards the same goal of reaching Paradise and the obstacles encountered in order to accomplish their goal. In Praise of folly simply compares what man can reap in choosing to live by the commands of wisdom or folly. The political issues and controversial topics in today’s western society are covered in these books and poems and is explains why they are included in The Western Canon by Harold Bloom. With documents depicting what it is to be human, lessons teaching mankind about themselves and others, what value isn't there in having literature such as these?
Works Cited:
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim's_Progress
http://individual.utoronto.ca/hayes/survey2/erasmus.htm
Making the Cut
Our literature has been recreated over and over again through the time of man. One who possesses the ability to reflect on his/her own findings, such as a novel, has the capability to have an imagination. In Harold Bloom’s, The Western Canon, he decides, on his own opinion, what types of literature has the relative importance towards our Western society. The Aristocratic Age, one of four historical ages of western civilization, is the time where superiority established as the highest rule over the western social order. Through the Italian works of The City of the Sun, A Servant to Two Masters and The Lives of the Painters these writers found their own fresh imaginative voice through the inspirations development of their precursors and that is why these writers made the Western Canon list.
The City of the Sun is an imaginative work by, Italian theorist, Tommaso Campanella. Tommaso’s book was one of the earliest works describing a utopian society. “It describes a theocratic society where goods, women and children are held in common.”. This was Tommaso’s vision of a united and nonviolent civilization. Although he created an idea about a utopian society he did not come up with this idea just out of the blue. As a theorist and philosopher, reading other pieces of works helps enable the human mind to expand on their own thoughts from all views. “I said earlier that there’s nothing new in literature that isn’t the old reshaped”. This is in fact true because Tommaso’s work was inspired by the Plato’s Republic. In one part of Plato’s work he describes the ideal community, a utopia, as a part to help people understand what justice is, in his opinion. Harold Bloom included Tommaso Campanella’s work because he found his interest in philosophy and expanded this study with his own vision of a western utopian society and shared it into his work. So not only did Tommaso share his idea but he also educates the person that is willing to read his idea and that is why he is included into the Western Canon list.
A Servant to Two Masters is a play written by, Italian writer, Carlo Goldoni. The main theme of the play was the search for love through one of the characters. Truffaldino is the main character of the play where he is hungry for love. “The allusiveness of literature is part of its symbolic quality, its capacity to absorb everything from natural or human life into its own imaginative body”. As a play writer, Carlo Goldoni must have been a very good observer or experience the likeness of the play, just like William Shakespeare, in order to create his playwright. In fact Carlo found an interest in the theatre works at a young age. “Goldoni was deeply interested in theatre since his earliest years, and all attempts to direct his activity into other channels were of no avail: his toys were puppets, and his books, plays.” As his interest grew he became a student of this work as he took the time to read Greek and Latin comedy plays. Harold Bloom included Carlo Goldoni’s work because he expanded and educated the minds who read and watched his play through his skill to relate pieces of his imaginative characters to each of his observers.
The Lives of the Painters is a collection of artist biographies written by, Italian painter, Giorgio Vasari. Giorgio biographies give other art historians a sense of what famous artists went through in their lives in order to become who they were. “He did not research archives for exact dates, as modern art historians do, and naturally his biographies are most dependable for the painters of his own generation and the immediately preceding one.” This is very interesting because Northrop Frye states “Nobody cares now about the historical Achilles, if there ever was one, but the mythical Achilles reflects a part of our own lives”. Giorgio did not care for the real dates and exact time the only thing he cared about was to make his own art; his art to tell tales of the most famous artists of humankind. Harold Bloom included Giorgio Vasari’s work because he found an interest in art and expanded his own idea of art by educating the minds who are also interested in art through his imaginative tales of famous artists.
Through the Italian works of The City of the Sun, A Servant to Two Masters, and The Lives of the Painters these writers found an interest in their lives through the inspirations of their precursors and added their own fresh imaginative voice just like what Harold Bloom is carrying out in his interest of literature and that is why these writers made the Western Canon list. A student will always have a teacher to guide that students’ interest in life because the teacher knows that the human mind has the capability to have an imaginative thought and if properly assisted can evolve into a greater perspective to educate other minds and that is what is most important in our lives.
Work Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lives_of_the_Painters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Goldoni
Frye, Northrop The Educated Imagination
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_of_the_Sun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommaso_Campanella
Throughout time, mankind has evolved in various ways. Enormous strides in science, technology, and philosophy have helped form the world we live in today. Our world did not merely exist as it does now, because a world of this nature requires evolution, and evolution has forced mankind to learn more about ourselves. Literature has been a key tool that has been used throughout time to assist humanity in learning more about themselves by relating the stories found in literature to their own lives. Literature has evolved over the ages, becoming more complex as time passes. There are, however, a select number of stories that are paramount in the advancement of literature. These stories, original and brilliant in their nature, have shaped literature into what it is today, providing molds of archetypical characters, plots, and themes for modern-day writers to follow. The most important and influential stories of all time are referred to as the Western Canon; novels, poems, art, or music that has helped shape Western Culture as a whole. The Western Canon includes stories such as Gaius Petronius’ Satyricon, and Euripides’ Medea and the Cyclops, which include important archetypes and stories that are central to Western Culture.
Satyricon is a poem, presumed to be written by Gaius Petronius. The story is about the journey of Encolpius, an ex-gladiator as he adventures through his life, including mishaps and mistakes. The book is considered part of Bloom’s canon because it showcased Roman life in its entirety. At the time that Satyricon was written, writers were fading away from portraying reality in their novels, and it is this fact that holds Satyricon as a truly influential book in the shaping of western culture and literature. The novel was one of the first to accurately portray Roman life, using real Roman names for characters, as well as real towns and happenings.
The Cyclops is a play that was written by Euripides, and is a play on a story told in Homer’s The Odyssey. The play is about Odysseus, as he has lost his way home after the Trojan War has ended. He and his crew find themselves on an island inhabited with Cyclops. This play showcases the archetypical feud between a hero and a monster, and for this reason is a large influence on our modern western culture. A large portion of modern novels and movies are based on the same archetypical characters that The Cyclops created in the past. The brave hero, Odysseus; imprisoned by a ruthless monster, the Cyclops, must overcome the many obstacles in front of him. Odysseus must outsmart this monster and escape from his grasp; a story most common throughout all time due to the heroic satisfaction obtained from reading such a storey.
Euripides’ Medea is a play that told the story of Jason and Medea. The play revolves around an unfaithful husband and his vengeful bride, a story that when told today may seem cliché. The simple fact that this play concerns adultery and revenge is enough to deem this book fit for Bloom’s canon. This archetype of the distraught wife – jealous and furious of her lover’s affair with another woman is seen so often in movies or novels that the origin of the story is lost in translation. Bloom’s canon would not be completely without the addition of the gripping Medea.
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyricon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medea_%28play%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops_%28play%29
http://www.southwestern.edu/~carlg/Latin_Web/satyricon
Literature; The Greatest Teacher
“When we accept the world as it is, we deny our innate ability to see something better, and hence our ability to be something better. We become what we behold.…”
- Robert E. Quinn
This quote comes from Quinn’s most acclaimed novel Building The Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide For Leading Change. Although the book focuses mainly on leadership, this specific quote can significantly relate to literature. Many people deny their ability to read and learn from literature, which also denies them the ability to be something better. The Western canon allows people to study and compare a list of literature with their own lives. Obtaining the knowledge and understanding of these pieces of literature enables them to better themselves. Three pieces of literature from the Western canon that allow people this opportunity are poetry of Thomas Campion, John Milton’s speech Areopagitica, and The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
Thomas Campion began publishing poetry in the late fifteen hundreds. Many of his religious poems were transformed into song, which made his poetry well-known. Similarly to Northope Frye’s reference to Shakespeare’s quote in the Educated Imagination, “Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament / And only herald to the gaudy spring”, Thomas Campion’s poetry can be metaphorically used to express feelings of passion towards another. In his most favored poem “Cherry Ripe” the opening line says, “There is a garden in her face / Where roses and white lilies blow; / A heavenly paradise is that place, / Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow”. One can only imagine the beauty of both the women mentioned in Shakespeare and Campion’s poetry. One of Frye‘s theories help explain why Thomas Campion‘s poems fit into the Western canon, they use metaphors that enable people to make associations between two things that are identical, as expressed in the first line of “Cherry Ripe”. The reader does not know the woman in the poem but they can just imagine how amazing she must be simply by reading it because it creates a vivid mental image, almost like a picture, for the reader. According to Frye, “the language of literature is associative: it uses figures of speech, like the simile and the metaphor, to suggest an identity between the human mind and the world outside it…” What this means is that everybody, including poets, use metaphors in literature to help readers understand exactly how they are feeling by using a comparison between two identical objects. Many people who read poetry will agree that a metaphor is the strongest way to understand feelings that they cannot feel. As well as making this agreement towards Thomas Campion’s poems, society can agree that John Milton’s speech, Areopagitica, can be used to identify with one’s thoughts on freedom of speech.
Areopagitica was published on November 23, 1644. It was created so that the Parliament of England gained the freedom to distribute unauthorized literature. The speech was delivered in pamphlet format and mainly portrays a theme of God. “As good almost kill a man as kill a good book: who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were, in the eye.” Milton is making a comparison between books and human beings, saying that they are similar in all aspects. Since man writes the books that are being destroyed, and since all contents of the book are created by man in the image of God, man is destroying God’s image by destroying or denying the publication of such books. Milton disputes not only the freedom of speech but also a search for the truth of God told through literature. This speech is a part of the Western canon because fundamentally every human searches for a truth of some sort. Milton’s speech argues that people should have the right to convey truth because ultimately it is God’s truth. Frye says, “You see, freedom has nothing to do with lack of training; it can only be the product of training. You’re not free to move unless you’ve learned to walk, and not free to play the piano unless you practice.” Since we can never know the truth of God, we must allow the practice of truth through literature, even if some despise or disagree with it, to bring us closer to the truth of God. Another book that may bring us closer to this reality is The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
The Book of One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of tales told by a young mistress to her King. The main story features a Persian King, who one day discovers his wife has been unfaithful to him. He has her executed and her infidelity causes him to proclaim all women untrue. This King begins marrying virgin women and has them executed the next morning. This becomes a way of life for the King, until his helper can no longer bring him virgins to marry. The helper’s daughter offers herself to the King and the night of their marriage, she begins telling him a tale but does not finish. Every single night, for one thousand and one nights, the mistress finishes the previous tale but begins another one, which remains unfinished until the next night. This enables her to remain alive for as long as she wishes, she knows the King’s curiosity will prevent him from having her killed. It is necessary to say that this book is important to the Western canon because within these tales, there are many themes that are applied in every human’s life. One could say that the book is a collection of human qualities, experiences, and feelings. There is a wide variety of themes that develop in the tales including love, tragedy, comedy, erotica, religion, and criticism. Frye states that, “We find rhetorical situations everywhere in life, and only our imaginations can get us out of them.” The tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights demonstrate human experience which people can relate to and use imaginatively to overcome their own situations. It is important to consider how society is drastically changing, but as a society, everyone can agree that all the themes portrayed through the tales are common themes occurring in the lives of people everyday.
The Western canon is an important part of Western culture and should also be deemed important to all cultures. The literature included helps people understand what they cannot feel using metaphors, brings them closer to a universal truth, and shows them characteristics and themes of human nature. Literature is important for everyone so they can understand who they are and who they want to become. If people don’t have the experience that literature provides, they can never make comparisons and everything in their life will appear the same. And if people don’t stretch their imaginations by reading literature, they can never become more than what they know.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Campion
http://www.poemhunter.com/thomas-campion/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_One_Thousand_and_One_Nights
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