Western Literary Canon in Context. The Western literary canon has come to epitomize the officialand sometimes controversiallist of works that every educated person should know. Among its more than 3,0. Odyssey, Beowulf, Hamlet, and War and Peaceall of which have stood the test of time to become essential aspects of Western culture and our reading lives. Even if you havent read some of them, youve undoubtedly heard of themtheir mere titles are synonymous with greatness. But what exactly is the Western literary canonBrowse all Literature Study Guides on eNotes. Download Full Games and enjoy the game without any limitations Play Full Version games for PC,Mac, Iso, Android, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, XBox 360. Why does it contain certain works and not others What is its history What is its future Most important What do particular works in the Western canon tell us about the development of literature and civilizationYou explore these and other thought provoking questions in The Western Literary Canon in Context, a thorough investigation of more than 3. Western canon and the critical roles they playedand continue to playin the development of Western literature. Over the course of 3. John M. Bowers of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas takes you from the formation of the Bible to the postcolonial literature of the late 2. Its an insightful approach that will reshape your thoughts about the evolution of literature and will open your eyes to the hidden dialogue among Western civilizations most cherished and influential authors. Explore Key Influences. Great literature has always played a central role in Western civilization and our lives. It has given us creation myths, celebrated the glories of our past, shown us new ways to envision our future, helped us make sense of tragedy, inspired political movements, and instigated social change. The important role of books in our lives makes understanding canonic works all the more essential to understanding our culture. The various entries in the Western literary canon also encompass a wide variety of subjects, genres, themes, and literary styles that set the standards that todays authors follow. We study Beowulf to get the best example of epic Old English poetry we study Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway to understand stream of consciousness as a narrative technique and we study William Faulkners The Sound and the Fury to experience the complexity of the American South. In addition, studying these works in their various political, religious, and cultural contexts helps you see and appreciate the lively dialogue between authors and works within the Western literary canon. Free Downloads Dante`S Inferno ' title='Free Downloads Dante`S Inferno ' />As the poet and member of the canon T. S. Eliot wrote in a 1. You cannot value the artist alone. You must set him, for contrast and comparison, among the dead. The Western Literary Canon in Context is your opportunity to delve into hallmark works of the canon specifically chosen to exemplify its growth within a series of similar themes. You gain invaluable insights into the stories behind these masterpieces and some of the important elements involved in canon formation The influence of editors Canon formation, you discover, is a critical part of the Bibles enduring legacy to Western literature. In the 4th century, Eusebius of Caesarea sorted out the body of Christian scriptures and established 2. New Testament, acknowledging the Acts of the Apostles while rejecting the Gospel of St. Offers 50 GB of free storage space. Uploaded files are encrypted and only the user holds the decryption keys. Get everything you need for Video Games at the best price possible. Find the latest promo codes, coupons, sales and shipping offers. Thank us laterAnimeRush. Videos are compatible in all devices and free. We have links to thousands anime with over 40 000. Cheatbook your source for Cheats, Video game Cheat Codes and Game Hints, Walkthroughs, FAQ, Games Trainer, Games Guides, Secrets, cheatsbook. In The Western Literary Canon in Context, you journey from the ancient world to the 20th century and investigate the literary and historical significance of works. Thomas, for instance. Later that century, Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria issued a list of 2. New Testament books that would prevail as the standardhe even used the word canonized. The influence of culture You see how some of the Wests greatest cultures fostered the creation of key canonic works and how some works, in turn, became part of that cultures soul. Homers epic poem, the Odyssey, helped cement the idea of a Greek hero in its characterization of the crafty warrior Odysseus, while Virgils Aeneid, commissioned by the Roman emperor Augustus, celebrated the origins of the Roman Empire. The influence of education The best way to get into the canon is to get into the classroom, where we are first introduced to the Western canons great works. While teaching at Oxford, J. R. R. Tolkien pushed to get Beowulf on the required reading listand even today the college classroom remains the typical place readers first encounter the poem. The influence of controversy Many of the Western canons works were controversial upon their publication, drawing both the anger of religious and political establishments and the appreciation of literary critics. The racy elements of works like Ovids Metamorphoses and James Joyces Ulysses shocked contemporary readers but later were celebrated for their influence on Western storytelling techniques and the groundbreaking new ways they explored the human spirit. Movie Trailers The Book Of Life more. Participate in a Riveting Literary Discussion. The Western Literary Canon in Contexts approach to the masterpieces of Western literature focuses on the unique connections between each work and its predecessors. You follow and participate in a riveting literary discussion, witnessing how, through their works, historys great writers have talked with one another across time. You come to understand that the books in the Western literary canon were not created in a vacuum but instead were shaped by the literary traditions that came before them. As Professor Bowers emphasizes, the Western literary canon generates itself backward. For example When Virgil wrote the Aeneid, he echoed the Homeric epics the Iliad and the Odyssey to reflect the transition of power from the Greek to the Roman world and similarly the transition of culture from Greek literature to Latin poetry. In the Divine Comedy, Dantes Christian epic, Virgil would be portrayed as Dantes spiritual guide during his journey through Hell and Purgatory. Voltaires Candide contains numerous allusions and references to canonic authors and works. The Venetian nobleman Pococurante mocks authors like Homer and Milton when he gives Candide a tour of his library, while the hidden realm of El Dorado to which the title character flees bears a striking resemblance to the world in Sir Thomas Mores Utopia. Herodotus and Thucydides are considered the fathers of history, and their respective works The Histories and The Peloponnesian War provide us with the two major models for history writing. Herodotus sought to find the root causes to explain the military and national events of the Peloponnesian War, while Thucydides structured his history like an Athenian tragedy. John Miltons epic religious poem, Paradise Lost, is a catalog of the canonic works that precede it, from Platos The Apology of Socrates in Satans use of persuasion with rhetoric to William Shakespeares Hamlet in Satans motive of revenge against God. As you progress through The Western Literary Canon in Context, from the ancient Greek tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides to the multicultural themes of Herman Melvilles Moby Dick, you see that as the cultural landscape changes, so, too, does our reading of these works. Ponder the Western Canons Future. The Western canon continues to broaden its definitions in the 2. T. S. Eliots The Waste Land. As Western civilization expanded, its literature also expanded to encompass Eastern literary themes. What was once a canon dominated by Western themes and works started to become increasingly diverse. Many of the works and authors you examine in the final lectures of The Western Literary Canon in Context have not been touched on in previous Teaching Company literature courses. While the canonic status of these contemporary works is still up for debate, Professor Bowers makes convincing arguments for the worth of these recent novels Thomas Manns The Magic Mountain. Willa Cathers Death Comes for the Archbishop. J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Salman Rushdies Midnights Children. Analyzing these recent works gives you a wealth of ideas as to the possible future of the Western canon and offers you insights into works that may well be the canonic masterpieces of the next 1. Take a Panoramic Look at Literature.