Course Title: Foundations of Literary Theory & Criticism

Course Code: ENG-509
Credit Hours: 3(3-0)

Course Contents:

Aristotle to Modern Times

The Greek Critics

• Plato (427-347 BC) – Selections from The Republic (c. 380 BC)
• Aristotle (394-322 BC) – The Poetics (c. 335 BC)

Renaissance to Eighteenth Century Critics

• Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) – An Apology for Poetry (1595)
• John Dryden (1631-1700) – Essay on Dramatic Poesy (1668)

The Romantic Critics

• William Wordsworth (1770-1850) – Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1798-1802)

The Victorian Critics

• Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)
  • The Study of Poetry (1880)
  • Function of Criticism at the Present Time (1865)

Modern Critics

• T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) – Tradition & the Individual Talent (1921)

A Brief Introduction to Contemporary Literary Theories

Foundation of Literary Theory & Criticism

• Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi
• AL Ghazali
• An Apology for Poetry
• An Apology for Poetry Pdf
• Aristotle as a Philosopher
• Aristotle Poetics Pdf
• Averroes Ibn Rushd
• Biography of Aristotle
• Critics
• Essay on Dramatic Poesy
• John Dryden
• Larkin’s Poetry Agnosticism
• Plato Philosophy
• Poetics
• Republic of Plato Pdf
• Sir Philip Sidney
• The Republic of Plato

Recommended Books:

• Barry, P. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester: Manchester UP, 1995.
• Booker, Keith M. A Practical Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism. New York: Longman Publishers, 1996.
• Kamran, Robina and Farrukh Zad (Eds.). A Quintessence of Literary Criticism. National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad.
• Leitch, Vincent B. (General Editor). The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. New York & London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2001 (or later editions).
• Lodge, David (Ed.). Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader. Longman, 1988.
• Newton, K. M. (Ed.). Twentieth Century Literary Theory: A Reader. Second Edition. New York: St. Martin’s, 1998 (or later editions).
• Selected Terminology from any Contemporary Dictionary of Literary Terms.
• Selden, R. & Widdowson, P. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory (3rd Edition). New York: Harvester, 1993.