Literature for Composition: Essays, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama

by Sylvan Barnet, William E. Cain, William E. Burto

One of the first anthologies designed specifically for writing courses, Literature for Composition continues to offer superior coverage of reading, writing, and arguing about literature and a deep anthology of readings presented in Sylvan Barnet’s signature accessible style.  Literature for Composition opens with several chapters that provide uniquely helpful strategies and models for reading, thinking, and writing critically about literature.  The first text to link argument and literature, the eighth edition provides earlier discussions of arguing about literature as part of the writing process.  A diverse anthology of selections is organized around seven engaging themes, and nine compelling case studies help launch research projects.  The text's 200 images, a 4-color insert, and special chapters on visual literacy and literature on film add another appealing dimension to the study of literature.

Genres: Literature, Writing, Anthologies, Textbooks, Reference

1448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Sylvan Barnet is an American literary critic and Shakespearean scholar. He is a Fletcher Professor of English Emeritus at Tufts University.

Barnet is the author of numerous books and articles on Shakespeare. He is the general editor of the Signet Classics Shakespeare,[1] the author of A Short Guide to Shakespeare,[2] and has written many textbooks. He is the co-author with William Burto of occasional essays on aspects of Japanese art.[3] He has also written books about the art of writing.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the Hamlet section. Good footnotes.

[Meltha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this books does have some great literature in it, the explanations are by turns cloyingly paternalistic and almost purposefully obtuse. Why on earth does the text refer beginning writing students to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Midsummer Night's Dream when they are present nowhere in the book, yet barely mention Hamlet, which is? Why on earth did they use Antigone for Greek drama rather than Oedpius Rex, which they use in nearly all their examples and which has no filmed version in English that tries to approximate what Greek theatre might have looked like? Why is there only one poem from Yeats and next to nothing by Whitman? Why do they define a term and then turn around and state that while that's the normal definition, the writers of the text plan on using it in a completely different way? Plus there are plenty of misspellings, missing words, and incorrect line numbers throughout.

The two stars are there because I can't bear to give lower than that to an anthology that includes so many geniuses, but the actual explanatory text gets a big fat one star.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book and I think it's a poor choice for English 102. There is little to no discussion of important literary terms and concepts, which I guess just pisses me off because I have to do a little more leg-work to teach said concepts. But how can I teach poetry without "Jaberwocky"? Boringly, that's how. And I don't love Ezra Pound, but I sure could use his poetry to demonstrate Imagery. I'd much rather use Kirzner and Mandell's Literature text (when given the option).

[Josette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent anthology and introduction into literary criticism. It has old standards in poetry and fiction as well as new stories and poems. It provides definitions of critical terminology and student sample essays. I wish I had this as an undergraduate rather than stumbling through the first dozen or so essays I wrote.

[Alexa Segur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: Cat in the Rain (Ernest Hemingway), Salvation (Langston Hughes), Boys and Girls (Alice Munroe), The Two (Gloria Naylor), Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? (Joyce Carol Oats), Revelation (Flannery O'Connor), Samuel (Grace Paley), The Red Convertible (Lyman Lamartine), Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (William Shakespeare),The Man Who Was Almost a Man (Richard Wright).

[Marichee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good tips on all sorts of writing and excellent material by other authors to read and think about.

I know, I have been come and old fuddy duddy who reads text books but sometimes they're just good reads!

[Carly Moreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

for one of my classes, I really enjoy reading short stories.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm liking this book because it agrees with me on the relationship between reader and writer. I haven't gotten very far, but the class I'm reading it for starts on Tuesday.