complete introduction to the study of literature, focusing almost exclusively on selections with brief discussion of writing about fiction, poetry, and drama. "Writing About Fiction, Poetry, and Drama" sections offer a brief overview of organizational strategies, research methods, style and MLA style citation. "The Telling of the Tale" is a discussion of the oral roots of short fiction. "The Short Story Genre" an account of the development of the modern short story. "Reading and Analyzing Short Fiction" a presentation of John Cheever's brief story, "Reunion," followed by a discussion of how the elements of fiction-plot, characterization, point of view, theme, setting, style-relate to this and other stories in the book. "An Anecdote: Where Poetry Starts" is a narrative account of a campus poetry reading with a discussion of poetry as oral performance art. "A Brief Note: Literary History and Poetic Conventions" a discussion of how schools of poetry have dominated during certain historical periods. Index of critical terms provides a cross-referenced list of terms covered. For anyone interested in literature.

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