Critical Paper #1 assignment

CRITICAL PAPER #1: THE JOURNEY TO ITHACA

“If a literary work is conceived as a succession of actions upon the understanding of a reader, then an interpretation of the work can be a story of that encounter, with its ups and downs...To interpret a work is to tell a story of reading” (Culler 63).

“When you set out on the journey to Ithaca,/pray that the road be long,/full of adventures, full of knowledge” (Cavafy, “Ithaca”).

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Reader Response Criticism (discussed by Culler above) suggests that interpretation is about the journey readers take with a given text, and in college, that journey occurs in the classroom. How we read a work is shaped, in large part, by how we first experience it. In this class, I consciously paired the poems of Sappho and Cavafy to influence your reading/interpretation of each one. There are many similarities, after all: both were Greek poets, both drew on mythology and the tropes of Greek civilization, and both were exiles of a sort, far from the center of their civilizations and the norms of cultural acceptance. Reading the two poets together is illuminating, as they often seem to express similar ideas and perspectives about the world. For me, reading Cavafy makes me a better reader of Sappho, and reading Sappho makes me more appreciative of Cavafy.

For your first Critical Paper, I want you to choose ONE poem by either Sappho or Cavafy to use as a “theory.” Your paper will then consist of two parts: (a) explain how this poem can be read as a theoretical work that has implications beyond the work itself; in other words, how could this poem illuminate other aspects of life and thought? Use close reading and poetic analysis to bring this out, as well as Culler’s text. (b) For the second part, I want you to apply this poem/theory to at least 3-4 poems of the other poet (either Sappho or Cavafy). Find a few related poems that seem to benefit from reading them in the light of this poem and its theoretical view of the world. This part will also rely heavily on close reading, but you will consciously read each poem in the terms/language of your chosen theoretical poem. You can also use Culler to help, of course.

FOR EXAMPLE: I really like the poem “Ithaca,” so I would write an analysis that illustrates how it represents Cavafy’s worldview and how it relates to a general view of life and experience. Then I would find a few Sappho fragments that make more sense when you read it through the lens of “Ithaca.” How does Cavafy’s poem seem to ‘complete’ these fragments in a way that gives them meaning, purpose, and perspective? Remember, you don’t have to prove that one poem explains another—you merely have to be as persuasive as possible and suggest that this could work or is beneficial to the reader. It doesn’t have to be bulletproof, just plausible and (of course) interesting. I’m more interested in the voyage—not the ultimate destination. J

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 5-6 pages, double spaced
• Extensive close reading of the poems in question
• Use of Culler’s text to assist you, preferably more than once
• All sources cited according to MLA format
• DUE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th BY 5pm (no class that day)