I found Culler defining “literature” from the angle of it being an intertextual or a self-reflexive construct to be the most interesting. “Recent theorists have argued that works are made out of other works: made possible by prior works which they take up, repeat, challenge, transform.”(pg34) It seems obvious once said aloud; and certainly with respect to a purely educational piece, say an Emergency Medical Technician textbook, that most assuredly must be updated regularly. But Culler is specifically referring to “literary” works here.

What makes a poem a poem? Any poem worth its salt is something more than a mere collection of pretty words. Poems contain “figures of speech”, a distinctive tone, and they very often rhyme. They certainly say things in a more enticing manner than had they just said them plainly, in a more casual or informative way. And we know this only due to the countless poems that came before to inform us on what makes a poem. But the bumper stickers’ explanation is what really intrigued me.

In fact, I caught myself explaining it to a friend in a very similar manner to how Culler explains it here. “Nuke a Whale for Jesus!”(pg35) is a hilarious play on a combination of previous bumper stickers. However, if “No Nukes”, “Save the Whales”, and “Jesus Saves” had not existed, “Nuke a Whale for Jesus” would be utter, possibly insulting, nonsense on the back of someone’s car. Rather than the funny jab at bumper stickers, in general, that it serves to be.

After reading the nature of literature by Jonathan Culler, I found he mention literature as the ‘foregrounding’ of language, literature as the integration of language, literature as fiction, literature as aesthetic object and literature as intertextual or self-reflexive construct. I found literature as fiction most interesting and useful. Nothing could be more interesting as creative a novels by our imagination. A work of a fiction is a work of a literature. Literary traditions are certainly a quality that sets writing separated from other shape of composing. Literature fiction investigates shade of language, subject and imaginary tends to be a character driven instead of plot driven. In fiction the connection of what speaker say to what creators think is a interpretation. I was wondering why readers attend to literature differently that its utterances have a special relation to the world? The relation is called a fictional that include speakers, actors, events and an implied audience and also the fictionality is not limited to characters and events. These are the features of the language related to the situation of utterances.

After reading chapter 2 I learned that there are many angles of literature. The most interesting and useful angle to me is the literature of fiction. I prefer this angle because I feel that it’s the angle we can benefit the most by. I learned that literature represents people and different languages. I feel that literature of fiction introduces us to new worlds of experiences, where we can explore other human conditions. I believe literature as fiction can improve every relationship we face.

In the beginning, I didn’t realize that there are so many kinds of literature. When I read this article, I found it interesting that literature is also divided into so many kinds. I think the article is very good. We can’t just look at it from a professional point of view. Some non-literary works will also record a lot of real things, so we must consider literature comprehensively.

Annotation Question:

These two well-known poems are examples of how African-American poets turned to poetry to describe the African-American experience. Please make at least two annotations on either or both of these poems that describe how the poet conveys the African-American experience. To do this follow the instructions I describe on the assignment page. 

“Yet Do I Marvel”
by Countee Cullen

I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind
And did He stoop to quibble could tell why
The little buried mole continues blind,
Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die,
Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus
Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare
If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus
To struggle up a never-ending stair.
Inscrutable His ways are, and immune
To catechism by a mind too strewn
With petty cares to slightly understand
What awful brain compels His awful hand.
Yet do I marvel at this curious thing:
To make a poet black, and bid him sing!

Theme for English B
by Langston Hughes

The instructor said,
Go home and write
a page tonight.
And let that page come out of you—
Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it’s that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you.
hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?

Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like
the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be
a part of you, instructor.
You are white—
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me—
although you’re older—and white—
and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B.

After reading the chapter ‘What is Literature and does it matter’, I still believe that literature VS non literature cannot be distinguished by anyone besides the creator of the piece, and if an outsider can, I believe they must know every single fact about to piece down to where the original thought about the creation of the piece came from. The way the author of this reading describes the two is almost as if they rely on each other to become one. Cullen also says that the word ‘literature’ isnt just a word, it is used to describe many things, i agree with this. I believe literature is used to create non literature.

A question that stood out to me is in fact “What is Literature and does it matter”. I say this because even still, I couldnt describe the difference between literature and non literature. DOES it matter???

1.In the chapter2 “What is literature and does it matter?” which is written by Jonathan Culler, he points out that literary and non-literary cannot be clearly defined according to their style, How to defined them depends on how readers think about them. Looking though history, literary and non-literary both act as the container of culture, have developed their diversity under many cultural backgrounds. However, Culler also attempts to address the most importance quality of the literature, which is utility. He lists a puzzle in the article that extracts random words from a context and line them on a page, the result shows that the sentence lost its function because it does not make sense anymore (24), it proves that utility is a vital quality of literature. In my opinion, the most important aspect of this chapter is understanding the utility of literature. Therefore, to understand it well students need some training such as: “memorize them, study their grammar, identify their rhetorical figures and their structures or procedures of argument” (22). The reason why I think the definition of literature is important because society needs improvement. Without an efficient way to work and learn, the society can hardly develop. Besides, being logical and relevant is the reason why literature attracts people’s attention and makes them feel it is worthy.

2.The question stays with me is if reading is like a conversation between literature and reader, will the values of reader cause cultural extinction?