Theories of Literature: From Classical Antiquity to Postmodernity

Investigates theories of literature in two self-conscious historical epochs: classical antiquity, represented by figures such as Plato, Aristotle, and Horace, and by practices such as marginal notation of texts, literary commentaries, and performance techniques; and the 20th century, represented by figures such as Adorno, Barthes, and Bahktin, with special attention to the intersections between philosophy and literature and poststructuralist conceptions of textuality. Enrollment limited to 15.