Oct . 27

Samuel Jonson
-Poetry: should be simple, easy to understand. Obscurity is pointless rambling.
-Biography: should be exactly the truth. It should only talk about who the man was. (should not praise)
-
-manuscript is both good and original. But the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.

Longinus
-the authentic aim that literature must be judged is whether or not it reaches suplime (nearest can be expressed in term….but is cannot be expressed because it is incredibly beyond anything else-like what we’d talk about anagoges in Frye.) It is possible you to exult in expression of language and control of metaphor.
-True writer: Homer and Poet Sophoe(?) because they have an elevation in certain moment with the memory grasps onto and just stays there, never go away. (like flash of lightening)

Michel Foucault
- French critic, critical studies in social institution, ~ power, relationship with modern world. / Post-structuralist. Archeology of knowledge.
- 3 volume modern history sexuality. Introduction/ Latin and Greek word history sexuality.
- Nothing should be categorized as one thing.

Julia Kristeva
- Psycho analyst. At the age of structuralism.
- Semiotics : have no absolute meaning. “How” the word is said like a rhythm.
Inner-textuality :following the meaning in the text.

Archetypal (myth)

p. 105

The archetypal critic studies the poem as part of poetry, and poetry as part of the totla human imitation of nature that we call civilization. Civilization is not merely an imitation of nature, but the process of making a total human form out of nature, and ir is impelled by the force that we have just called desire.


I thouth that the 'nature' which is imitated in the poem is indicating the whole nature. The word nature was not a specific one, so I had to understand as the word stands-the way I used to understand it. However, in this sentense, thanks to the world "civilization" I could have little more concept of the word nature. Civilization is process of making total human form out of nature, and that was what peotry imitated.

Apology for literature.

When I first heard the word ‘Criticism’, what I thought was something negative. I considered criticism as found something wrong in works and fixing etc. This is probably because I have seen ‘criticism’ which is used negative meaning- in magazine and newspaper, some people who are so called critic deal with certain works (movies, books, paintings) and point out what is wrong with the work. However, critic was not what I used to think. And especially about literature criticism, it was apologizing literature and studies the position of literature concerning with many social parts- politic, culture, society. Moreover, we might be able to think about our life or moral issues with criticism.
Aristotle’ is also literature criticisms against the anti-literatures of that society represented by Plato. Aristotle said that “Literature, especially tragedy, occurs fear and pity and brings catharsis of those feelings.” Against Plato who assert that tragedy gives people an impetus and make their morality go astray, Aristotle argued that tragedy rather improve people’s morality by achieve purification of mind. In other words, tragedy make people not do bad things by literature itself had done the bad things, so that, audiences do not need to do that. Therefore he saved literature from Plato’s argument.
I think apology of literature is worth when the point of view which consider literature as useless and immoral thing. These days in my country regard humanity study, including studying literature, is regarded impractical thing. Many high school students want to get practical major which can make them easy to have a job after they graduate. And this situation can be crisis of literature and its value. Similarly when Puritanism argued that literature made people immoral and even philosophy attacked literature reasoning its impracticalness, Sir Philip Sidney said the aim of literature is “teaching people and make them pleasure” in his .
In teaching, is function of instruction, which is not only moral but also help audience to have recognition by experience that literature gives. In Korea, when there was illuminism, literature is used to enlighten people. So, literature gives us instruction and leads us to have new or changed recognition. Literature also gives us pleasure which we can get when concentrating on the work. So, I thought about the meaning of “read for fun.” We have fun when we doing what we like. For example, we have fun when we enjoy sport or even gambling. But, the fun from literature is different kind of fun (and it should be). Pleasure from play is usually based on self-effacement, but pleasure from literature is based on self-perception. In addition, Aristotle said that we experience Catharsis through psychological comfort which came after conflict and tension that made by fear and pity. Though professional knowledge is very important these days, literature is also very important. This is because we need not only profound knowledge but also emotional mentality together. In Joseon dynasty, there was a state exam to become government official. And there, giving poetry exam was necessary. In my opinion, it might have been a reflection of thought that people who instruct and undertake administration should have intelligence, cultural background and humanness through the literature. In short, only people who have profound knowledge of literature (poetry) can be given opportunity to participate on politics.
Like above, literature is priceless even today which purchasing practical value. By literature, we can enrich our humanness, and achieve self-development. Literature, according to Plato and Aristotle, is mimicking of reality. We might see the poetry is not related to our lives but, in fact, it is mimicry of our lives. While reading, we agree or disagree with the action of character. In this way, we can share life experience, learn wisdom and finally can make our lives something worth.
There is British saying that “Shakespeare cannot be changes with India.” Through this saying, we can recognize British people’s thought about how worth literature is. And I hope people, who are now buried under practical values, can think about the worthy of literature.

( Because I refereed dictionary, and didn't write in one day.. it can be awkward to native English speaker )