Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays

Judith Stanford is Professor of English at Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire, where, for the past fifteen years, she has taught courses in literature and writing. She has also taught at Cape Cod Community College, Merrimack College (North Andover, Massachusetts) and the University of California at Santa Barbara. She received the B.A. degree from Colby College (Waterville, Maine) and both the M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Professor Stanford's books include Connections, now in its third edition, Developing Connections, now in its second edition, and Guidelines for Writers, all published by McGraw-Hill.

PrefaceAlternate Contents by GenreAlternate Contents Additional ThemesCHAPTER 1. Why Read Literature?ExerciseWhy Do You Read Literature?Why Do We Read Literature?Bridging the GapResponding to What You ReadExerciseROBERT FROST, The Road Not TakenSample Student Response to “The Road Not Taken”CommentaryExerciseConsidering Evidence to Support Your ResponseClose Active ReadingSample Oral Response to “The Road Not Taken”CommentaryExerciseKeeping a Reading JournalGuidelines: Keeping a Reading JournalCHAPTER 2. Joining the Conversation: Ways of Talking about LiteraturePATRICIA GRACE, Butterflies (short story)Responding to “Butterflies”LANGSTON HUGHES, Theme for English B (poem)Responding to “Theme for English B”WENDY WASSERSTEIN, The Man in a Case (play)Responding to The Man in a CaseE. B. WHITE, Education (essay)Responding to “Education”The Vocabulary of LiteratureActions and EventsPlotStructureConflictIrony of Situation Box: Terms Related to Actions and Events Exercises: Actions and EventsPeopleCharacters: Listening and Observing Listening ObservingCharacters: Growing and ChangingCharacters: Point of View Author and Speaker Narrator People in Nonfiction Box: Terms Related to People Exercises: PeoplePlaces and TimesTime and Place: The Cultures of the Work, the Writer, and the Reader Place Time Box: Terms Related to Places and Times Exercises: Places and TimesWords and Images, Sounds and PatternsStyleToneDictionSyntaxRhythm and RhymeFigurative LanguageVerbal IronyAllusions Box: Trems Related to Words and Images, Sounds and Patterns Exercises: Words and Images, Sounds and PatternsIdeasExercises: IdeasCHAPTER 3. Continuing the Conversation: Considering Genre and Listening to Other VoicesExpectations: Short Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction Distinctions: Short Fiction and Drama Distinctions: Poetry MARGARET ATWOOD, you fit into me Distinctions: NonfictionAn Introduction to Short FictionEarly Forms of Fiction Allegory Myth Legend Fairy Tale Fable ParableModern Short Fiction The Realistic Short Story The Nonrealistic Short Story A Word about Fiction and TruthGuidelines: Short FictionAn Introduction to PoetrySuggestions for Reading PoetryTypes of PoetryGuidelines: PoetryAn Introduction to DramaSuggestions for Reading DramaTraditional Forms of DramaModern Forms of DramaTypes of DramaGuidelines: DramaAn Introduction to NonfictionSuggestions for Reading SpeechesSuggestions for Reading LettersSuggestions for Reading DocumentsSuggestions for Reading Journals and DiariesSuggestions for Reading EssaysGuidelines: NonfictionConsidering Other VoicesAuthors’ Commentaries and InterviewsReviewsScholarly CriticismCHAPTER 4. Writing About Literature DYLAN THOMAS, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good NightResponding to “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” JOAN ALESHIRE, SlippingResponding to “Slipping”Preparing to Write About LiteratureUnderstanding the AssignmentThinking about the AssignmentAssignment Topics Writing to Respond Topic 1Discovering Ideas: Journal EntriesConsidering AudienceNarrowing the TopicDevising a Preliminary Thesis StatementPlanning and OrganizingDrafting“Changes,” KAREN ANGSTROM (draft student paper)Revising Focus: Titles, Openings, ConclusionsKaren Angstrom’s Revision ListEditing Focus: “To Be,” Expletives, Passive VoiceKaren Angstrom’s Editing ListProofreading Focus: Fragments and Comma SplicesExerciseFinal Copy: Writing to Respond“Changes: For Better or Worse?” KAREN ANGSTROM (Student Paper)ExerciseGuidelines: Writing a ResponseWriting to Compare Topic 2Discovering Ideas: Discussion and Collaboration Box: Strategies for Collaborative WorkConsidering Audience, Narrowing the Topic, and Devising a Preliminary ThesisDrafting “Responses: Raging Versus Slipping,” WALTER JOHNSON (draft student paper)Revising Focus: Transitions, Development of Ideas Workshop ExcerptEditing Focus: Nominalizations, Parallel Structure Workshop ExcerptProofreading Focus: Subject-Verb Agreement, Tense Agreement Workshop ExcerptExerciseFinal Copy: Writing to Compare“Responses: Raging Versus Slipping,” WALTER JOHNSON (student paper)ExerciseGuidelines: Writing a ComparisonWriting to Analyze Topic 3Discovering Ideas: Listing and Grouping Excerpt from Catherine Hupel's WorkConsidering Audience, Narrowing the Topic, and Devising a Preliminary Thesis Excerpt from Catherine Hupel's WorkPlanning, Organizing, and Drafting “Love and Loss in ‘Slipping’,” CATHERINE HUPEL (draft student paper)Revising Focus: Using and Explaining Examples Excerpt from Catherine Hupel's WorkExerciseEditing Focus: Word Choice Excerpt from Catherine Hupel's WorkExerciseProofreading Focus: Misplaced Modifiers Excerpt from Catherine Hupel's WorkExerciseFinal Copy: Writing to Analyze “Love and Loss in ‘Slipping’,” CATHERINE HUPEL (student paper)Guidelines: Writing an AnalysisWriting to Explicate Topic 4Discovering Ideas: ParaphrasingMatt Cejak’s Paraphrases (student work)Considering Audience, Narrowing the Topic, and Devising a Preliminary Thesis Excerpt from Matt Cejak’s WorkPlanning and OrganizingDrafting Excerpt from Matt Cejak’s WorkRevising Focus: Summarizing Versus AnalzyingGuidelines: Preparing for a Writing ConferenceExcerpt from Matt Cejak’s Writing ConferenceMatt Cejak’s Second Draft “Explication: ‘Do Not Go Gentle’,” MATTHEW CEJAK (draft student paper)Editing Focus: Conciseness Excerpt from Matt Cejak’s WorkExerciseProofreading Focus: Apostrophes, Quotation Marks to Indicate Words Used in a Special Way Excerpt from Matt Cejak’s WorkExerciseFinal Copy: Writing to Explicate “The Power of Sound and Sight in ‘Do Not Go Gentle’,” MATTHEW CEJAKExerciseGuidelines: Writing an ExplicationWriting to Evaluate Topic 5Discovering Ideas: Interviewing Joann Epstein’s Journal EntryConsidering Audience, Narrowing the Topic, and Devising a Preliminary Thesis Excerpt from Joann Epstein’s WorkPlanning and Organizing Excerpt from Joann Epstein’s WorkDraftingRevising Focus: Logic Excerpt from Joann Epstein’s WorkEditing Focus: Integrating and Punctuating Quotations Excerpt from Joann Epstein’s WorkProofreading Focus: Pronoun Reference, Pronoun Agreement, Treatment of Titles Excerpt from Joann Epstein’s WorkFinal Copy: Writing to Evaluate “Love and Strength,” JOANN EPSTEIN (student paper)ExerciseGuidelines: Writing an Evaluation of Beliefs and Values5. Argument, Critical Thinking, and ResearchArgument and Critical Thinking Definition of Argument Purpose for Argument "The Storm" Kate Chopin Argument and ControversyDetermining a Thesis for ArgumentTopics for ArgumentConsidering AudienceExploring Ways to Refine the Thesis and Support the Argument Close Reading Discussion and Interviews Library and On-line ResearchArgument and ResearchThe Research QuestionThe Persuasive Research PaperExploring the Research Question Resources for Research: Reference Works Monographs and Other Books Printed Periodicals Online ResourcesGuidelines: Locating Online ResourcesGuidelines: Evaluating Internet ResourcesPlanning an Argument and Formulating the ThesisDrafting an ArgumentGuidelines: Rational AppealsRevising an ArgumentUsing and Documenting SourcesTaking Notes Organizing Your Notes Summarizing and Paraphrasing Copying Quotations Sample NotecardsDetermining What Needs to be Documentated What Does Not Need to Be Documented Avoiding Plagiarism Exercise Using and Documenting Quotations from Literary Works: MLA Style Quoting from Poems Quoting from Plays Quoting from FictionIncorporating Material from Sources into Your PaperCompiling a List of Works Cited Print Resources Oral Communication Media and Performance Sources Online SourcesGuidelines: Preparing the List of Works CitedSample of a Completed Researched Argument“A Closer Look at Bobinôt,” JOSH LACHANCE (student paper)Note: Selections that are new to the fifth edition are indicated with an asteriskCHAPTER 6. Innocence and ExperienceOn Reading Literature Thematically: Critical Thinking Fiction [Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to its theme] [“Considerations” questions follow each selection] [“Connections” questions, “Suggestions for Connections Across Chapters,” and “Suggestions for Collaborative Learning” conclude each chapter]FICTIONNATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, Young Goodman BrownJAMES JOYCE, ArabyWAKAKO YAMAUCHI, And the Soul Shall DanceLOUISE ERDRICH, The Red ConvertibleW.D. WETHERELL, The Bass, The River and Sheila Mant<
B>POETRYWILLIAM BLAKE, LondonGERARD MANLEY HOPKINS, Spring and FallA.E. HOUSMAN, When I Was One and TwentyCOUNTEE CULLEN, Incident*GWENDOLYN BROOKS, We Real CoolJOHN UPDIKE, Ex-Basketball PlayerSEAMUS HEANEY, Mid-Term BreakGARY SOTO, Oranges*NAOMI SHIHAB NYE, RainDRAMAWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, HamletCommentary: CAROLYN HEILBRUN, The Character of Hamlet’s Mother*Commentary: LAURA BOHANNAN, Shakespeare in the Bush*Photo Essay THEN AND NOW : Images of Hamlet*Film Connection: HamletESSAYSLANGSTON HUGHES, SalvationMAYA ANGELOU, Graduation in StampsChapter 7. Roots, Identity, and CultureFICTIONRICHARD WRIGHT, The Man Who Was Almost a Man (moved from Ch. 6 in Responding 4th Ed.)JAMES BALDWIN, Sonny’s BluesRAYMOND CARVER, CathedralJOSE ARMAS, El Tonto del BarrioTONI CADE BAMBARA, The LessonPOETRYPAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR, We Wear the MakLUCILLE CLIFTON, Quilting*LUCILLE CLIFTON, in the inner cityWOLE SOYINKA, Telephone ConversationMARTIN ESPADA, Coca-Cola and Coco FrioCATHY SONG, The Youngest DaughterJUDITH ORTIZ COFER, Latin Women Pray*N.SCOTT MOMADAY, New World*SHERMAN ALEXIE, EvolutionDRAMAATHOL FUGARD, “Master Harold”…and The BoysCommentary: *ERVIN BECK "Fugard's 'Master Harold' …and The Boys *BRIAN SUTTON "Fugard's 'Master Harold' …and The Boys (A RESPONSE TO ERVIN BECK)ESSAYSCHIEF SEATTLE, My PeopleFREDERICK DOUGLASS, Learning to Read and WriteChapter 8. Love and HateFICTIONCHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN, The Yellow WallpaperCommentary: CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN, Why I Wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper”EDITH WHARTON, Roman Fever*SUSAN GLASPELL, A Jury of Her PeersNADINE GORDIMER, Town and Country Lovers RITA DOVE, Second Hand ManPoetrySAPPHO, To Me He Seems Like a GodWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Let me not to the marriage of true mindsJOHN DONNE, The Sun RisingANDREW MARVELL, To His Coy MistressAPHRA BEHN, The Willing MistressCHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, The Passionate Shepherd to His LoveSIR WALTER RALEIGH, The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd*W.S. MERWIN, Separation*KRISTINE BATEY, Lot's WifeDONALD HALL, The Wedding CoupleTESS GALLAGHER, The Hug*KITTY TSUI, A Chinese BanquetDramaHENRIK IBSEN, A Doll’s House*SUSAN GLASPELL, TriflesEssaysC.S. LEWIS, We Have No “Right to Happiness"*JOAN DIDION, Marrying AbsurdChapter 9. FamiliesFictionTILLIE OLSON, I Stand Here IroningJOYCE CAROL OATES, ShoppingALICE WALKER, Everyday Use MARY HOOD, How Far She Went*GISH JEN "Who's Irish?"PoetryTHEODORE ROETHKE, My Papa’s WaltzSHARON OLDS, The PossessiveSYLVIA PLATH, MetaphorsDONALD HALL, My Son, My ExecutionerNEAL BOWERS, Driving LessonROBERT HAYDEN, Those Winter SundaysCommentary:DAVID HUDDLE, ‘The Banked Fires’ of Robert Hayden’s ‘Those Winter Sundays’*URSULA K. LEGUIN, The Old Falling Down*LOUSE GLÜCK, Terminal Resemblance*GAIL MAZUR, Family Plot, OctoberDramaSOPHOCLES, Oedipus Rex*LANGSTON HUGHES, Soul Gone HomeEssays*RAYMOND CARVER, My Father's Life*JUDITH ORTIZ COFER, A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican ChildhoodPHOTO ESSAY: THEN AND NOW: Images of Families*Chapter 10. Nature Fiction*STEPHEN CRANE, The Open BoatERNEST HEMINGWAY, Hills Like White ElephantsEUDORA WELTY, A Worn PathCommentary:EUDORA WELTY, Is Phoenix Jackson’s Grandson Really Dead?*LESLIE MARMON SILKO, The Man to Send Rain CloudsPoetryHaikuMoritake, Fallen Petals RiseSo Kan, If Only We CouldMeisetsu, City PeopleKyoshi, The Snake*WILLIAM BLAKE, The TygerWILLIAM WORDSWORTH, The World Is Too much With Us*JOHN KEATS, La Belle Dame Sans MerciGERARD MANLEY HOPKINS, God’s Grandeur*JEAN TOOMER, November Cotton Flower*H.D. (HILDA DOOLITTLE), Sheltered GardenELIZABETH BISHOP, The FishWILLIAM STAFFORD, Traveling Through the DarkMARY OLIVER, A Certain Sharpness in the MorningDrama*JOHN MILLINGTON SYNGE, Riders to the SeaEssaysBARRY HOLSTUN LOPEZ, Landscape and Narrative*ANNIE DILLARD, The Deer at Providencia*VIRGINIA WOOLF, The Death of a Moth”Chapter 11. War and PowerFictionAMBROSE BIERCE, An Occurrence at Owl Creek BridgeFRANK O’CONNOR, Guests of the NationCommentary: STANLEY RENNER, The Theme of Hidden Powers: Fate vs. Human Responsibility in “Guests of the Nation”CYNTHIA OZICK, The ShawlTIM O’BRIEN, The Things They Carried*BHARATI MUKHERJEE, The Management of GriefPoetry*PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY, Ozymandias*WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS, The Second ComingTHOMAS HARDY, The Man He KilledWILFRED OWEN, Dulce et Decorum EstRANDALL JARRELL, GunnerDENISE LEVERTOV, What Were They LikeYUSEF KOMUNYAKAA, Facing ItCAROLYN FORCHE, The ColonelSTEPHEN DUNN, On Hearing the Airlines Will Use a Psychological Profile to Catch Potential Skyjackers (Moved from Ch. 6, Responding 4th ed)*GALWAY KINNELL, When the Towers FellDramaSOPHOCLES, AntigoneEssaysANDREW LAM, Goodbye, Saigon, FinallyBARBARA KINGSOLVER, And Our Flag Was Still There*NAOMI SHIHAB NYE, To Any Would-Be Terrorists*PHOTO ESSAY: THEN AND NOW: Images of War*FILM CONNECTION: Three KingsChapter 12. Technology and EthicsFiction*NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, The BirthmarkKAY BOYLE, The Astronomer’s Wife (Moved from Chapter 8, Responding 4th ed)*B. TRAVEN, Assembly Line *DON DELILLO, Videotape*GEORGE SAUNDERS, My Flamboyant GrandsonPoetry*EMILY DICKINSON, I like to see it lap the Miles*WALT WHITMAN, When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer*WILLIAM JAY SMITH, Galileo Galilei*ADRIENNE RICH, Power*MARGARET ATWOOD, The City Planners*CHARLES BUKOWSKI, maybe we'll see . . .*MARGE PIERCY, The Market Economy*ELLEN WOLFE, Amniocentesis*MICHAEL RYAN, TV Room at the Children's HospiceDrama*MARGARET EDSON,WitCommentaries:*LLOYD ROSE, Review of Wit*ALVIN KLEIN, A Professor's Passions in Life and DeathEssays*REBECCA MEAD, Eggs for Sale*LOGAN HILL, Racial Digital Divide [?]Chapter 13. DeathFictionCHEWING BLACKBONES, Old Man and Old WomanEDGAR ALLAN POE, The Black Cat KATHERINE ANNE PORTER, The Jilting of Granny WeatherallWILLIAM FAULKNER, A Rose for EmilyCommentary: WILLIAM FAULKNER, On the Meaning of “A Rose for Emily”ALICE WALKER, To Hell with DyingPoetryJOHN DONNE, Death Be Not ProudEMILY DICKINSON, Apparently With No SurpriseEMILY DICKINSON, I heard a fly buzz—when I died—EMILY DICKINSON, The Bustle in a HouseA.E. HOUSMAN, To An Athlete Dying Younge.e. cummings, Buffalo Bill'sLANGSTON HUGHES, Night Funeral in HarlemTHEODORE ROETHKE, Elegy for JaneDENISE LEVERTOV, During a Son’s Dangerous IllnessSEAMUS HEANEY, Punishment (Moved from ch. 6, Responding 4th edition)*WILLIAM TREMBLAY, The Lost BoyMICHAEL LASSELL, How to Watch Your Brother DieDramaHARVEY FIERSTEIN, On Tidy EndingsEssaysELIZABETH KUBLER-ROSS, On the Fear of DeathBARBARA HUTTMAN, A Crime of Compassion (Moved from Ch. 6, Responding 4th ed.)Chapter 14. Connections: Art and Poetry (color section) Topics for Discussion and WritingSample Assignment and Student PaperDeath’s Image, JANICE MOORE (student paper)RANDALL JARRELL, The Knight, Death, and the DevilAlbrecht Durer’s Knight, Death, and the Devil ANNE SEXTON, The Starry NightVincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night Pieter Breughel the Elder’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus W.H. AUDEN, Musee des Beaux ArtsWILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS, The Great FigureCharles Henry Demuth’s I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold DAVID RAY, A Midnight Diner by Edward HopperEdward Hopper’s NighthawksSAMUEL YELLEN, NighthawksEdward Hopper’s NighthawksDONALD HALL, The ScreamEdvard Munch’s The ScreamNATALIE SAFIR, Matisse’s DanceHenri Matisse’s DanceWALLACE STEVENS, The Man With the Blue GuitarPablo Picasso’s The Old GuitaristPATRICIA HAMPL, Woman Before an AquariumHenri Matisse’s Woman Before an AquariumADAM ZAGAJEWSKI, Edgar Degas: The Millinery ShopEdgar Degas’s The Millinery ShopJON STALLWORTHY, Toulouse-Lautrec at the Moulin RougeHenri de Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge*MARTHA HOLLANDER, The Phantom CartSalvador Dali, The Phantom CartEdward Hopper, Rooms by the Sea*JOHN HOLLANDER, Rooms By the Sea*KARL KIRCHWEY, DialogueAlbert Giacometti, Hands Holding the Void*MARILYN CHANDLER McENTRYRE, Jesus and theWoman at the WellRembrant van Rijn, Christ and the Woman of SamariaChapter 15. Four Poets, Then and Now Making ConnectionsTimeline: Key Events in the Lives of Three American PoetsEMILY DICKINSONBiographyIf I can stop on heart from breakingWild Nights – Wild NightsThere’s a certain Slant of lightI’m Nobody! Who are you?“Heaven” – is what I cannot reach!After great pain, a formal feeling comes--The Brain – is wider than the Sky –This is my letter to the WorldThe Soul selects her own Society –I felt a Cleaving in my Mind –Tell all the Truth but tell it slant –ROBERT FROSTBiographyMending WallHome Burial“Out, Out—“Nothing Gold Can StayStopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningAcquainted with the NightDesert PlacesA Critical Casebook on Robert Frost“Mending Wall,” DONALD CUNNINGHAMFrom The Figure a Poem Makes, ROBERT
FROSTFrom The Indispensable Robert Frost, DONALD J. GREINER“One Long, Wild Conversation”: Robert Frost as Teacher,” JAY PARINI*"The Place Is the Asylum": Women and Nature in Robert's Frost's Poetry*BILLY COLLINS*Biography*The History Teacher*Jack*Going Out For Cigarettes*My Life*The Names*RITA DOVE*Biography*Geometry *Adolescence—I *Grape Sherbert *Adolescence--II*Daystar *Poem in Which I Refuse Contemplation*MissingGlossary of Literary TermsCreditsIndex of First LinesIndex of Authors, Titles, and Subjects