how to read literature like a professor essay

How to read literature like a proffesor?

How to Read Literature like a Professor

As a literature enthusiast, reading like a professor can be a fascinating and enriching experience. Professors, with years of studying and teaching, have developed a unique approach to reading literature that allows them to uncover hidden meanings, analyze subtle themes, and appreciate the literary device. In this article, we will explore the key techniques and strategies to help you read literature like a professor.

Step 1: Prepare Yourself

Before diving into a piece of literature, it’s essential to prepare yourself by:

• Clearing your mind : Leave your prior biases and preconceptions at the door. Approach the text with an open and receptive mind.
• Understanding the context : Research the historical, social, and cultural context in which the work was written. This will help you better understand the author’s intentions and the meaning of the text.
• Familiarizing yourself with literary devices : Familiarize yourself with basic literary devices like metaphor, simile, allusion, and symbolism , which will help you better understand the author’s use of language.

Step 2: Read Actively

When reading literature, it’s essential to read actively and not just passively. This means:

• Mark important passages : Highlight, underline, or annotate passages that stand out to you. This will help you retain information and refer back to key points.
• Take notes : Jot down questions, observations, and insights as you read. This will help you engage more deeply with the text and develop a deeper understanding.
• Pay attention to typography and format : Note the use of font, font size, and layouts . These can be significant in conveying meaning and highlighting important information.
• Read slowly and deliberately : Avoid rushing through the text. Take your time to absorb each sentence, phrase, and word.

Step 3: Analyze and Interpret

After reading actively, it’s time to analyze and interpret the text. To do this:

• Identify recurring themes : Look for repeated ideas, motifs, or imagery throughout the text. These can provide valuable insights into the author’s message.
• Examine character development : Analyze character motivations, actions, and relationships . How do these characters change or remain the same throughout the story?
• Explore symbolism and metaphors : Identify the use of symbols, metaphors, and other literary devices. What do they reveal about the characters, themes, or setting?
• Consider the author’s purpose : What is the author trying to say? What message or theme are they conveying through the text?

Step 4: Reflect and Synthesize

After analyzing and interpreting, take some time to reflect and synthesize your findings. Ask yourself:

• What did I learn? : Summarize the main points and insights you gained from reading the text.
• What connections did I make? : How do the themes, characters, and literary devices relate to each other? To the broader context?
• What questions do I still have? : Identify areas that are unclear or need further exploration.

Additional Tips and Strategies

• Use a annotated edition : Many classic works of literature come with annotations and commentary. These can provide valuable insights and help guide your reading.
• Join a book club or discussion group : Engaging in discussions with others who have read the same text can be a great way to deepen your understanding and gain new perspectives.
• Keep a reading journal : Record your thoughts, insights, and reactions to each book. This will help you track your progress and reflect on your own learning.
• Be patient and persistent : Reading literature like a professor requires time, effort, and patience. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time to develop your skills.

Reading literature like a professor requires a deliberate and intentional approach. By preparing yourself, reading actively, analyzing and interpreting, and reflecting and synthesizing, you can develop a deeper understanding of the text and uncover hidden meanings. Remember to use these strategies and tips to take your reading to the next level and become more engaged with the world of literature.

Recommended Reading List

• The Well-Educated Mind by Susan S. Langford: A comprehensive guide to reading and learning about literature.
• How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler: A classic guide to reading and understanding great literature.
• The Casual Ear by Mark Tredinnick: A practical guide to reading and analyzing literature.

Resources and Further Reading

• Literary Analysis by Dr. David M. White (online course)
• The Art of Reading by Harold Bloom (book)
• How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster (book)

Note: The above article is a comprehensive guide on how to read literature like a professor. The article provides step-by-step instructions, tips, and strategies to help readers develop a deeper understanding of literature. The article also includes recommended reading lists, resources, and further reading materials to aid in the process.

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines, Revised Edition Paperback – February 25, 2014

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A thoroughly revised and expanded edition of Thomas C. Foster’s classic guide—a lively and entertaining introduction to literature and literary basics, including symbols, themes and contexts, that shows you how to make your everyday reading experience more rewarding and enjoyable.

While many books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings interwoven in these texts. How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the eyes—and the literary codes—of the ultimate professional reader, the college professor.

What does it mean when a literary hero is traveling along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he’s drenched in a sudden rain shower?

Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices and form, Thomas C. Foster provides us with a broad overview of literature—a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower-and shows us how to make our reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.

This revised edition includes new chapters, a new preface and epilogue, and incorporates updated teaching points that Foster has developed over the past decade.

• Part of series How to Read Literature Like a Professor
• Print length 336 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Harper Perennial
• Publication date February 25, 2014
• Dimensions 1 x 5.2 x 7.9 inches
• ISBN-10 9780062301673
• ISBN-13 978-0062301673
• Lexile measure 1150L
• See all details

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From the back cover.

A thoroughly revised and updated edition of Thomas C. Foster's classic guide—a lively and entertaining introduction to literature and literary basics, including symbols, themes, and contexts—that shows you how to make your everyday reading experience more rewarding and enjoyable.

While many books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings interwoven in these texts. How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the eyes—and the literary codes—of the ultimate professional reader: the college professor.

What does it mean when a literary hero travels along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he's drenched in a sudden rain shower? Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form, Thomas C. Foster provides us with a broad overview of literature—a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower—and shows us how to make our reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.

This revised edition includes new chapters, a new preface, and a new epilogue, and incorporates updated teaching points that Foster has developed over the past decade.

About the Author

Thomas C. Foster is the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, How to Write Like a Writer, How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor , and other works. He is professor emeritus of English at the University of Michigan, Flint, where he taught classes in contemporary fiction, drama, and poetry as well as creative writing and freelance writing. He is also the author of several books on twentieth-century British and Irish literature and poetry.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0062301675
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Revised edition (February 25, 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780062301673
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062301673
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1150L
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1 x 5.2 x 7.9 inches
• #4 in Literary History & Criticism Reference
• #10 in General Books & Reading
• #11 in Literary Criticism & Theory

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About the author

Thomas c. foster.

Thomas C. Foster is a professor of English at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he teaches classic and contemporary fiction, drama, and poetry, as well as creative writing and composition. In addition to How to Read Novels Like a Professor, he is the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor and several books on twentieth-century British and Irish fiction and poetry. He lives in East Lansing, Michigan.

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Customers find the book instructive, insightful, and opinionated. They describe it as delightful, interesting, and eye-opening. Readers also find the humor highly entertaining, funny, and witty. Opinions are mixed on the pacing, with some finding it clever and exciting, while others say it's repetitive and slow.

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Customers find the book instructive, insightful, and relevant. They say it brings up a lot of elements they would have never considered. Readers also mention the book is interesting and illuminating. They also say the literary references form a wonderful reading list.

"...5 because it was entertaining, accessible and it has improved my understanding and appreciation of subsequent books I've read and even films I've..." Read more

"...do intend their symbolism, and his book is a well-written, easy-to-read traipse through dozens of symbols and a multiplicity of possible meanings..." Read more

"...One of his great strengths is his frequent and diverse examples : from Faulkner, Brookner, Auden, Kingsolver, Nabokov, Stoker, Woolf—and even several..." Read more

"...It actually forces the reader to be aware , and awareness as youprobably know is the basic stuff of life. Read like a professor and..." Read more

Customers find the book delightful, interesting, and great for those looking to learn more about symbolism. They say it makes for a challenging but eye-opening assigned reading. Readers also mention the essays are each a fun and enjoyable guide to what they've been reading. They describe the book as a valuable resource and an excellent primer on how to read.

"... No book is perfect , and I suppose the professor would enjoy that some readers do criticise his ideas!..." Read more

"...It makes for a challenging but eye-opening assigned reading , as well as a resource for examples of difficult-to-spot symbolic gestures in assigned..." Read more

"... Truly a good book , and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone that’s interested. Definitely a great book that is worth your time reading." Read more

"...or even Tom Clancy, Foster's collection of essays are each a fun and enjoyable guide to what you've been reading, and what you will read, when you..." Read more

Customers find the humor in the book highly entertaining, funny, and interesting. They also say the plot is full of twists that keep them in suspense. Readers mention the book has a great atmosphere and is written in a non-intimidating style.

"...Still, I give the book 5 out of 5 because it was entertaining , accessible and it has improved my understanding and appreciation of subsequent books I..." Read more

"...I really enjoyed the plot . The 4 stories of different families intertwined with each other kept me reading and reading...." Read more

"...The first chapter was absolutely repugnant , and hearing the phrase "there's only one story" drove me insane...." Read more

"... It's fun . A lot of fun. Even just reading the book itself is fun...." Read more

Customers appreciate the value for money of the book. They mention it's a great book at a great price.

"...I consider this book a well-worth the money buy . It is not difficult to read and quite witty and amusing at times as well...." Read more

" Good price for the book I" Read more

" Excellent purchase , price, great experience. Exactly what I expected." Read more

"...This is the 2nd copy, hard bound. Well worth buying a second time as it will be used as a reference book for college papers." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it's clever and witty, while others say it's repetitive, slow, and drawn out.

"...("Every meal is communion") and that the material is repetitive ...." Read more

"...but at least the idea seems exciting instead of dull . Thanks, Professer Foster." Read more

"...It has very casual , almost simple rhetorical questions like "Just what do up and down mean?" and "`Who ya gonna call?'"..." Read more

"...has good charecter development, has a great atmosphere and tries to do something new , rather than a straight adaptation of tried and true tropes...." Read more

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor

By thomas c. foster.

• How to Read Literature Like a Professor Summary

How to Read English Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines is a nonfiction literary guide that aims to assist readers and students in their engagement with literature. The book identifies certain literary conventions that guide literature; knowledge of and familiarity with these conventions would enable a beginner reader to become a professional one, and read literature as professors do. A basic premise of the book is that there are different reading levels that range from basic response level to more in depth analysis. Becoming a professional reader entails learning how to read analytically, and the author Thomas C. Foster sets out key characteristics of literature that can aid in developing these analytical skills.

These characteristics - or literary elements - are numerous and while Foster doesn't purport to present all in his guide, he highlights ones that are believed to be most essential. Thus, the book identifies traditions and older texts that literature borrows heavily from and contains allusions to such as Shakespeare, the Bible, Greek mythology, and Fairytales. In addition to considering external influences, How to Read also focuses on elements within the text such as setting, weather, organizational structure (Sonnet), as well as particular themes including blindness, food, supernatural creatures, flight and irony. Thus the conventions considered by the book range from external historic texts, to thematic concerns and finally to text specific features.

Along the way the author also considers broader questions of what literature is, how and why we react to it, the creative process, and the purpose of reading itself. He concludes by an analysis of Katherine Mansfield's short story, " The Garden Party ," to provide, by way of example, professorial reading and analysis - a practical application of the points set forth in the book.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for How to Read Literature Like a Professor is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What does the cave symbolize?

Foster identifies caves as a prime example of symbols in E.M. Foster's A Passage to India . Here caves can take on multiple meanings according to various characters' interactions with them. Possible meanings include: a means of accessing innermost...

in chapter 5, what does Foster mean by the term intertextually?

Interextuality simply means the connection between all texts (especially works of literature) across history. Throughout the book, Foster wants the reader not to think of literary texts as existing in an isolated vacuum, rather having connections...

How does Foster sum up irony?

Foster sums up irony as “deflection from expectation” (p. 256) and concludes that irony trumps everything.

Study Guide for How to Read Literature Like a Professor

How to Read Literature Like a Professor study guide contains a biography of Thomas C. Foster, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About How to Read Literature Like a Professor
• Character List

Essays for How to Read Literature Like a Professor

How to Read Literature Like a Professor essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster.

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Lesson Plan for How to Read Literature Like a Professor

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to How to Read Literature Like a Professor
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• How to Read Literature Like a Professor Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for How to Read Literature Like a Professor

• Introduction