9 Linguistics and Literature

Description: Introduction to Theory of Literature (ENGL 300) In this lecture on the work of Roman Jakobson, Professor Paul Fry continues his discussion of synchrony and diachrony. The relationships among formalism, semiotics, and linguistics are explored. Claude Levi-Strauss's structural interpretation of the Oedipus myth is discussed in some detail. In order to differentiate Jakobson's poetic functions, Professor Fry analyzes the sentence "It is raining" from six perspectives. Significant attention is paid to the use of diagrams in literary linguistic theory. Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: open.yale.edu This course was recorded in Spring 2009.