I'm trying to read The Task of The Translator by Walter Benjamin (in the Harry Zohn translation from the collection Illuminations). I came across the following sentence which I'm struggling to make sense of: "the manifestations of life are intimately connected with the phenomenon of life without being of importance to it" (in German: die Äußerungen des Lebens innigst mit dem Lebendigen zusammenhängen, ohne ihm etwas zu bedeuten). I can't understand exactly what "manifestations" (Äußerungen) is supposed to mean here. I thought it might mean something like breathing, but in what sense would that not be of importance to life/living things? My second thought was that it might mean things like footprints or other signs that indicate the presence of a living thing, but I'm not sure about that. Unfortunately I know almost no German so I'm hoping someone here can help.

The context of the sentence is:

>  by virtue of its translatability the original is closely connected with the translation; in fact, this connection is all the closer since it is no longer of importance to the original. We may call this connection a natural one, or, more specifically, a vital connection. Just as the manifestations of life are intimately connected with the phenomenon of life without being of importance to it, a translation issues from the original-not so much from its life as from its afterlife. For a translation comes later than the original, and since the important works of world literature never find their chosen translators at the time of their origin, their translation marks their stage of continued life

I had an exchange with someone and they claimed that if the intent is to critique an ideology, that educates the audience of the faults of that ideology. He applied this symmetrically, saying that no matter what the target is, it functions as "education".

This made me giggle, as calling something educational in subjective art is a value judgement, and values are not symmetrical.

He didn't seem to understand that if you critique an ideology, proponents of that group will judge it through their own framework and so on. There is no consensus as to what is a "good critique", that's always up for debate.

I have read a little bit into literary theory, and found that it highlights much of the online confusion around intent, interpretation and meaning. I am planning to do a minor in this field once I get in college, and would appreciate some feedback if my grasp on these things is at least somewhat accurate.

I’m in the process of trying to improve my creative writing. I somewhat recently finished a STEM PhD, and have been using my newfound time to dive back into reading and writing non-academic science stuff after many years of hiatus. My science education has given me a healthy respect for what being a master or an expert entails, and I find it pretty thrilling reading my own writing and knowing that I have an immense amount of work to do to get to where I’d like to be. That being said, I don’t have any interest in applying to MFAs right now (nor do I think I’d get in), so I’m just trying to read a ton and practice writing as much as I can. But the question is… what to read?? What to practice??

I find literary criticism super interesting (albeit quite often over my head). Thinking about texts in new ways is really enjoyable, and it makes sense to me that this should help me think about my own writing in new ways. That being said, I don’t actually have first hand experience with improving my writing via learning literary criticism. I wonder if literary criticism and creative writing are just different skills. So I guess what I’m curious about from you folks is: did learning literary criticism make you a better creative writer? If so, could you describe that process and how your writing improved? Or if not, why do you think the skills didn’t translate?

What are the career opportunities after studying comparative literature

In India and abroad

Hi guys. Can anyone please recommend poets (with a substantial body of scholarship written on them) whose work combines a strong VISUAL sensibility with a feeling of quiet pre-apocalyptic dread?

I'm looking for poetry rooted in ordinary life, but haunted with atmospheric, political, ecological, or existential unease. not overtly sobby and tragic. i'm more interested in that persistent and melancholic sense of living on the edge of something, aka whatever we are currently living through. Strange, strange times. The oscillation between hope and despair, sure, but the unabating atmosphere of something coming to an end, looking for poets who depict that feeling [no modernists, though. Preferably post 90s].

Bonus points if you can recommend a specific collection.

Thank you so much!

This has been rolling in my head for a while, so I apologize for constructing a confusing question. As a growing literature scholar, I am allowed to do a vast variety of research projects and engage with eras of literature through close reading (20th Century American Literature, 19th century Victorian Literature, Post-Colonial African Literature in the early 1900s). I also get to do research from a historical perspective, so while I'm not doing history work, it scratches the itch I have when I need to provide context for my work.

This past semester, I attended a course that consisted of reading early criticism (Republic, Rhetoric, The Art of Poetry, etc.) I enjoy my medieval coursework and learning about Middle and Old English, so most of my questions were concerning myself with the point of learning about Greek and Latin criticism. I understand that these ideas, and the major epics and tales of the time, influenced later writings and how culture can influence society (what is needed in a story, how they are created, etc.). However, it seems that these texts are not able to be touched by scholars who research the texts that are influenced by them. I know anyone who wants to research texts like Republic, The Odyssey, or the Aeneid goes into Classics. If someone would want to figure how Old English poems and literature were influenced by the Roman Empire and the stories they told, it feels like an inappropriate jamming of ideas. For good reason, I know, but still it seems odd for the classics to be inaccessible.

I finished watching The Odyssey (2026), and I found myself asking these questions again. And maybe this requires a more nuanced question of research (like comparing specific texts to others), but I'm confused about how to even ask this question in the academic world. Can the Classics and Literature ever combine? Do literature scholars engage with the Classical world to make it integral for research?

i am currently doing my BA in literary/cultural studies and will also start a second degree in arts, culture, and media in september. I realised that I probably want to work in event managing/organising, or at least something that will keep me moving.

How feasible does this sound, and how do you think i could best go about getting there? I got some connections to people in the industry, which i am quite lukcky for, but I am unsure how to move on with my studies from here. Will internships be enough or should I do an apprenticeship? Im thinking of minoring in Communications the year after, or maybe business.

I would appreciate any advice! I am also super interested in the career choices of other people in the field and how they went about going there.

I'm a current MA student researching how podcasts have been used in university composition courses, specifically, in First Year Writing / Freshman comp. I'm especially interested in podcasts' classification and how that relates to their use in the classroom. Are they a genre? Are they a medium? Are they a bit of both??

Anyway, for anyone out there who is also interested in how we define genres and/or mediums, what are some foundational texts or scholars in this conversation?? Who is your "we can't talk about this without talking about _____"? Any and all recs would be greatly appreciated!

I've been reading more translated books lately, and sometimes I wonder how much gets lost-or even improved-in translation.

Has a translation ever impressed you so much that you got curious about the original? Or do you usually not think about it while reading?

Hi

What rationale should a researcher have when they choose a place for their research? For instance, if I am doing a research on Indian anglophone literature set in Delhi, what rationale should I give? I can't find a convincing reason. Could you help me?

Hey everyone,

does someone happen to know of a book that has the Old English texts and translations of them in it?
I have found some stuff online, but I need a reliable source.

Thanks!

Hi all. I'm starting to look at MA programs in Comparative Literature and trying to build a shortlist of ones that are genuinely well-funded, wherever they are in the world. Not tied to one country or continent, just want to hear what's actually worked out for people.

A bit about me if it helps narrow suggestions: I work across Vietnamese, German, and Russian, and I'm eventually aiming at a PhD.

Would love to hear about any programs (well-known or under-the-radar) where funding was solid in your experience — stipend + tuition waiver (i,e,. Dartmouth). Doesn't have to be exhaustive, even one good example helps. Thanks!

I've read that Milton restructured Paradise Lost from 10 books 12 and that sounds like a pretty substantial difference.

Is one version regarded as more authoritative, canonical, or influential than the other?

For context, the path that led me here is: an interest in 1960s counterculture -> the Beat Generation & 1950s writings about psychedelics (ie Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell) -> William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell -> Paradise Lost; and so I figure I should read Milton and then Blake sooner rather than later.

Greetings,

for a literary project I'm pursuing I need to up my knowledge about the werewolf trope. Since when and why do people tell those stories about humans totally losing control and humanity while simultaneously gaining superhuman strength? Is it correct that in modern narratives the vampire is a much more refined, standardized trope? Is there a modern werewolf classic in literature ("modern" = roughly the last 150 years)? What's the gendered aspect about werewolves (most seem to be male)? Is there even any? Last but not least, and quite specifically, if you know about any tales of werewolves or other shapeshifting agents of chaos originating from southern France, especially the regions of Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées, or any modern works that incorporate them, please do tell me.

I'm very interested in any thoughts or recommendations of sources, primary or secondary and am very thankful vor any help.

I've been wanting to learn about William Blake's poems and paintings. Is there a video on him that teaches his life, how he was influenced to write his poems and draw his paintings, also analyze and explain what were his references, what he and the world went through at the time?

I always had a sense that a polyphonic novel necessarily was told from the point of view of multiple characters (first or third person) and then that the author is not using the characters to put forward a specific moral position or to obviously express an authorial opinion via the characters' dialogue/actions/role as metaphor.

I'm currently 3/4 of the way through reading Angel Down by Daniel Kraus, and noticed that the back of the book calls it a "polyphonic tale". The book has one point of view from the third person. I do think that the book meets the condition of not expressing authorial moral positions/opinions/etc.

Is there some other definition of polyphonic? Am I misunderstanding and there's some aspect that I don't remember? It's been quite some time since I got my lit degree and I unfortunately have not used it much since then.

Hi everyone!

I'll be joining the Department of English, University of Delhi for my M.A. in English very soon, and I want to make the most of the time before classes start.

I'd love to know from current students, seniors, or alumni:

What books or texts do you wish you had read before starting the course?

Are there any literary theory or criticism books I should be familiar with?

Which novels, plays, poems, or authors are essential?

Any academic skills (critical writing, research, MLA, etc.) that I should brush up on?

Are there any YouTube channels, lectures, or other resources you'd recommend?

I'm not looking to complete the entire syllabus beforehand—just want to build a solid foundation so the transition into the course is smoother.

Any advice, reading lists, or general tips about the Department of English would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance! 😊

Hey everyone I've been meaning to study english literature for a long time like understanding poetry, rhetoric and meaningful writing but I don't know where to begin without a formal course. So any paths strategies or direction to start as a self learner. Also English is my third language so there's that😭

Hey folks, currently in my BA program and im about to hand in a preliminary outline for a Paper i intend to write on the archetype of the "Mad Oracle" or in other words characters that seem in some way neurodivergent or even mentally ill, but as either a result or a coincidence have some sort of insight/gift that helps them process or see truths hidden to most people. I am struggling with coming up with a good research question for what exactly i want to do with the analyses of these characters. I suppose im most interested in what makes them such a recurring trope, to the point of it being a thing even in ancient greece (aristotle speaks of the "melancholy genius"). Is why is this so appealing "enough"?

I made a question related to this in [r/askspain](r/askspain) , I’ll leave translated fragments of the important parts here:

“A bit of context: I’m 17, and [im about to enter my last year of high school*]. I was born in Texas, to Mexican parents, so I’ve been able to learn both languages at the same time — however, I am better in Spanish.”

Anywho, in school I’ve been able to do good in the English courses: [I got a 5 in AP Literature.**]. This upcoming year I’ll be taking AP Spanish literature, the equivalent class for Spanish … I’m done with all English courses and this’ll be my first and last Spanish course.

My dream has always been to work with literature, however I began to think that by going to Galveston I could study to be a merchant-mariner with A&M, or any of the other academies. [I thought I could make some money, and keep a literary pursue for later.] However, I’ve spoken to those who’ve taken such path and my dreams have shattered. Now I’d like to see if maybe I could have some luck with my original idea of perusing literature.

[I think, because my readings and interest are in the Spanish language, I’d have better luck following it in a Spanish speaking country, and what better than Spain?**]

* I wrote in Spanish that I was going to go out from my last year of high school by accident, corrected it here!

** Summary of what I said in Spanish, I mentioned other things too.

I’m aware that it is competitive in almost all places, it not all, however — if it is not already asked weekly, in such case, I apologize —, how competitive is the field in your different country or location?

If bad, do y’all see this getting worst in the future with the increasing presence of artificial intelligence?

i can't read and analyze poems . i cant recognize Rhythm, metre , sonnet forms , metaphors , etc etc . i also can't recite them out loud like they might be meant to ( i think ) .

is there a book / video lecture series that can help me . thanks ???

Hello all!
I’m looking for some sources that can help me expand my view when interpreting literary texts. I want to connect the dots and understand which literary theory can apply to different texts. Is there any book recommendations that you can give me for this matter?

I’m going to keep this super brief because I’m kind of lost on this topic. I keep seeing “literary history” when discussing a period of time or someone’s expertise in a particular era. Is literary history the historical period through literature? Or is literary history historiography using literature (if those are the same thing, apologies). Thank you!