Although professors don't often ask students to evaluate or judge the literary merits of a text (we spend most of our time trying to figure out what a text says), we still encounter many opportunities to evaluate literature. Book reviewers evaluate new books; teachers often choose one text over another because it's "better" than another; contests like the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, the Booker Prize, and countless regional and local presses reward texts for their literary merit. Clearly we care about the quality of our art, but how do we judge literary merit? We often say that a great book transcends time, has universal appeal, or teaches complex truths. Some argue that quality depends on what a book or poem says (content) while others focus on how the message is conveyed (style). Of course, some want both. Some insist that a sense of beauty is relative--it lies in the eye of the beholder. Others maintain that great texts transcend individual whim. Some point out that "personal" taste isn't personal at all, for educational and cultural institutions (along with friends and family) pass along cultural values. While there may be value in everything, we certainly don't have time to read everything. As a result, we have to make a choice, and our choice is often based on our sense of quality. However, evaluating texts is more complicated than we usually think. We need to resist easy, simplistic answers like "Beauty is relative" or "Great books withstand the test of time."

Monday: Reading

1. Horace "The Art of Poetry" Classical Literary Criticism
   

(The introductory material is helpful, too: xxxix-xliv).

Writing Assignment

Identify passages (and page numbers) where Horace lists qualities of literary merit that writers should display. Remember... "qualities" usually means adjectives.

Wednesday: Reading

1. Longinus "On the Sublime"
   

(The introductory material is helpful, too: xliv-xlix).

Keep in mind that for Longinus, great literature is "sublime," but locate definitions of the sublime and mark passages that explain how to achieve the sublime.

Writing Assignment

Identify passages (and page numbers) where Longinus lists qualities of literary merit that writers should display. Remember... "qualities" usually means adjectives.

Friday: Reading

1. Read selections by Arnold, Bloom, and Rorty via the link on the left. Be prepared to identify a work that serves as a "touchstone" in Arnold's sense of the term.
   

Essay #3: Is It Any Good?

Select me. I'm your assignment.pdf