This book helps students analyze and write about literature through the introduction of contemporary critical theories.  Step-by-step applications of a particular theory give clear, practical examples of what other texts only cover in the abstract.  A wealth of writing strategies, examples, and practice materials enable students to understand the assumptions underlying these theories.

Table of Contents:
Preface   1. An Introduction, Theoretically Textual Tours Checking Some Baggage Anything to Declare Recommended Further Reading   2. Critical Worlds: A Selective Tour New Criticism             Brendan Gill, from Here at “The New Yorker” Reader-Response Criticism Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies Psychological Criticism Political Criticism Other Approaches Works Cited Recommended Further Reading   3. Unifying the Work: New Criticism The Purpose of New Criticism Basic Principles Reflected Archibald MacLeish, Ars Poetica                         Radicals in Tweed Jackets How to Do New Criticism                         Film and Other Genres             The Writing Process: A Sample Essay                         Gwendolyn Brooks, The Mother                         Preparing to Write                         Shaping                         Drafting             Practicing New Criticism                         Lucille Clifton, forgiving my father                         Questions                         Stephen Shu-ning Liu, My Father’s Martial Art                         Questions                         Ben Jonson, On My First Son                         Questions             Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading   4. Creating the Text: Reader-Response Criticism The Purpose of Reader-Response Criticism                         New Criticism as the Old Criticism                         The Reader Emerges             Hypertextual Readers             How to Do Reader-Response Criticism                         Preparing to Respond                         Sandra Cisneros, Love Poem #1                         Making Sense                         Subjective Response                         Receptive Response             The Writing Process: A Sample Essay                         Preparing to Respond                         Ernest Hemingway, A Very Short Story                         Preparing to Write                         Shaping                         Drafting             Practicing Reader-Response Criticism                         Michael Drayton, Since There’s No Help                         Questions                         Judith Minty, Killing the Bear                         Questions                         Caroline Fraser, All Bears                         Questions             Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading   5. Opening up Text: Structuralism and Deconstruction             The Purposes of Structuralism and Deconstruction             Structuralism and Semiotics             Post-Structuralism and Deconstruction How To Do Structuralism and Deconstruction             William Butler Yeats, Sailing to Byzantium The Writing Process: A Sample Essay             Amy Clampitt, Discovery             Preparing to Write             Shaping             Drafting Practicing Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism USC Continuing Education, Cut Through the Anxiety                         Questions                         William Blake, London                         Questions                         Linda Pastan, Ethics                         Questions                         Useful Terms for Deconstruction             Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading   6. Connecting the Text: Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies The Purposes of Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies             Biographical and Historical Criticism John Milton, When I Consider How My Light Is Spent             Cultural Studies             New Historicism             History as Text             Marxist Criticism             Postcolonial Studies How To Do Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies             The Writing Process: Sample Essays John Cheever, Reunion             A Biographical Essay                         Preparing to Write                         Shaping                         Drafting             A New Historical Essay                         Preparing to Write                         Shaping                         Drafting Practicing Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies Useful Terms for Historical, Cultural, and Postcolonial Criticism Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading 7. Minding the Work Psychological Criticism The Purpose of Psychological Criticism How to Do Psychological Criticism William Wordsworth, A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal The Writing Process: A Sample Essay                         William Shakespeare, from Hamlet Preparing to Write                         Shaping                         Drafting             Practicing Psychological Criticism             Emily Dickinson, A Narrow Fellow in the Grass                         Questions                         Marianne Moore, O to Be a Dragon                         Questions                         Matthew Arnold, DoverBeach                         Questions             Useful Terms for Psychological Criticism Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading   8. Feminist Criticism, Post-Feminism, and Queer Theory How to Do Feminist Criticism, Post-Feminism, and Queer Theory                         Mary Astell, from A Serious Proposal The Writing Process: A Sample Essay                         Samuel Johnson, To Miss ______ On Her Playing upon the Harpsichord…                         Preparing to Respond                         Shaping                         Drafting             Revision: Gay and Lesbian Criticism             Practicing Feminist, Post-Feminist, and Queer Theory Criticism                         William Shakespeare, Shall I Compare Thee…                         Questions                         Emily Dickinson, My Life Had Stood…                         Questions                         Tobias Wolff, Say Yes                         Questions             Useful Terms for Political Criticism Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading   9. Investigating the Work: Research and Documentation             The Purpose of Research             How to Do Research                         The Topic and the Task                         Finding and Using Resources             The Writing Process: A Sample Research Paper                         Getting Ideas                         Organizing                         Drafting             Works Cited             Recommended Further Reading   Appendix: John Donne, The Canonization Credits Index