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One major research area in the empirical study of literature pertains to the role of foregrounding (i. e., stylistic deviations and parallelism) in the reading process. The associated phenomena are arguably key to understanding what... more
One major research area in the empirical study of literature pertains
to the role of foregrounding (i. e., stylistic deviations and parallelism) in the
reading process. The associated phenomena are arguably key to understanding
what distinguishes literary reading and essential for the investigation of its impact
on readers’ interpretation and aesthetic appreciation. We trace the origins
of the concept back to Aristotle and follow various theoretical elaborations in
the works of twentieth-century literary scholars and linguists, right up to the
moment when developments took an empirical turn. We will see that the original
scholarly assumptions were inspiration for an impressive amount of qualitative
(e. g., think-aloud studies and in-depth interviews) and quantitative (e. g.,
experiments, neurocognitive studies) research. The results have deepened our
insights about the way textual foregrounding affects readers’ experiences and
how these experiences may be associated with carry-over effects (e. g., critical
thinking abilities). Besides the state of the art in all the relevant lines of research,
we offer readers a comprehensive overview of the many remaining problems
that require further (perhaps interdisciplinary) study.
to the role of foregrounding (i. e., stylistic deviations and parallelism) in the
reading process. The associated phenomena are arguably key to understanding
what distinguishes literary reading and essential for the investigation of its impact
on readers’ interpretation and aesthetic appreciation. We trace the origins
of the concept back to Aristotle and follow various theoretical elaborations in
the works of twentieth-century literary scholars and linguists, right up to the
moment when developments took an empirical turn. We will see that the original
scholarly assumptions were inspiration for an impressive amount of qualitative
(e. g., think-aloud studies and in-depth interviews) and quantitative (e. g.,
experiments, neurocognitive studies) research. The results have deepened our
insights about the way textual foregrounding affects readers’ experiences and
how these experiences may be associated with carry-over effects (e. g., critical
thinking abilities). Besides the state of the art in all the relevant lines of research,
we offer readers a comprehensive overview of the many remaining problems
that require further (perhaps interdisciplinary) study.
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In the past, several studies have found empirical support for the psychological notion of foregrounding. In this article we will present the results of a series of reading experiments investigating descriptive and evaluative reader... more
In the past, several studies have found empirical support for the psychological notion of foregrounding. In this article we will present the results of a series of reading experiments investigating descriptive and evaluative reader reactions to poems, both in their original form (containing rather heavy foregrounding, both deviation and parallelism) and versions from which all foregrounding has been removed. In this sense the research presents a replication of earlier experiments as well as a comparison with some more recent ones that failed to find empirical evidence for the notion of foregrounding. It will also cast light on Bortolussi and Dixon’s (2003) ‘rereading paradigm’. The results will be combined with a reconsideration of the concept of literariness, which will be confronted with the variety within a reader population, as well as with the diversity within a text corpus. The latter will be confronted with Van Peer’s (1991) effort to develop a descriptive definition of liter...
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by Marisa Bortolussi and Peter Dixon. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. pp. xi + 304. ISBN: 0–5218–0411–6This is an important book. At a time of academic over-production, this is no light statement. When Dixon and Bortolussi... more
by Marisa Bortolussi and Peter Dixon. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. pp. xi + 304. ISBN: 0–5218–0411–6This is an important book. At a time of academic over-production, this is no light statement. When Dixon and Bortolussi wrote in 2001 that ‘the resolution to the present situation is to foster a new interdisciplinary enterprise that brings together the best of narratology and discourse processing’ (p. 277), this turned out to be a programmatic statement. In their new book, Bortolussi and Dixon have indeed taken a major step forward in the development of such an enterprise.‘Psychonarratology’ is defined by Bortolussi and Dixon as ‘the investigation of mental processes and representation corresponding to the textual features and structures of narrative’ (p. 24). Its interdisciplinary nature lies in the fundamental shortcoming the authors envisage in two fields: narratology and discourse processing. While narratology has been highly successful in highlighting textual featu...
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Today’s popularization of modern technologies has allowed literature specialists to access an array of new opportunities in the digital medium, which have brought about an equal number of challenges and questions. "Literary Education... more
Today’s popularization of modern technologies has allowed literature specialists to access an array of new opportunities in the digital medium, which have brought about an equal number of challenges and questions. "Literary Education and Digital Learning: Methods and Technologiesfor Humanities Studies" provides insight into the most relevant issues in literary education and digital learning. This unique reference fills a gap in literature teaching, covering literary aspects both from educational and research perspectives
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1. Acknowledgments 2. Foreword 3. Introduction (by Peer, Willie van) 4. Part I. Textual and generic comparisons 5. 1. Canon formation: Ideology or aesthetic quality? (by Peer, Willie van) 6. 2. Why Hugh Maccoll is not, and will never be,... more
1. Acknowledgments 2. Foreword 3. Introduction (by Peer, Willie van) 4. Part I. Textual and generic comparisons 5. 1. Canon formation: Ideology or aesthetic quality? (by Peer, Willie van) 6. 2. Why Hugh Maccoll is not, and will never be, part of any literary canon (by Olson, Stein Haugom) 7. 3. Popular / canonical: The case of The Secret Agent (by Gorak, Jan) 8. 4. Literary evaluation and poetic form: Poetic form and creative tension (by Barney, Tom) 9. 5. Poetic value: Political value (by Lerner, Laurence) 10. 6. "Too soon transplanted": Coleridge and the forms of dislocation (by Miall, David S.) 11. 7. Evaluation and stylistic analysis (by Short, Mick) 12. 8. The value of Juvenal (by Nash, Walter) 13. Part II. Theoretical reflections 14. 9. Some correlates of literary eminence (by Martindale, Colin) 15. 10. Macbeth through the computer: Literary evaluation and pedagogical implications (by Zyngier, Sonia) 16. 11. How scientific can literary evaluation be? Arguments and experiments (by Fricke, Harald) 17. 12. Philosophical perspectives on literary value (by Livingston, Paisley) 18. 13. The qualities of literatures: A concept of literary evaluation in pluralistic societies (by Heydebrand, Renate von) 19. Author index 20. Subject index
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... THE SEARCH FOR A NEW ALPHABET LITERARY STUDIES IN A CHANGING WORLD IN HONOR OF DOUWE FOKKEMA Edited by HARALD HENDRIX JOOST KLOEK SOPHIE LEVIE WILL VAN PEER JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING ... 1. Fokkema, Douwe Wessel, 1931-. ...
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About half a century ago, a little revolution took place in the study of literature. Following the introduction of the ideas of the Russian Formalists and Prague Structuralists in the West during the late 1960s, a more rigorous approach... more
About half a century ago, a little revolution took place in the study of literature. Following the introduction of the ideas of the Russian Formalists and Prague Structuralists in the West during the late 1960s, a more rigorous approach to the study of literary texts was proposed, initially against fierce resistance from literary criticism. One of the major discussions of the time turned around the poem ‘anyone lived in a pretty how town’ by e.e. Cummings, especially about the heavy foregrounding that may be observed in the text. While traditional literary criticism seemed unable to handle the extreme degrees of deviations from syntax and punctuation, the new paradigm, based on then newer linguistic models, claimed to provide insight into the poet’s technique and intention, but at the same time to gain a grasp of the effects generated by this technique in readers’ processing of the poem. Initially, the debate was very much one of conceptualization and the framing of the function of ...
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This article approaches from an empirical perspective the interrelation between foregrounding and complexity in the evaluation of literary texts. For this purpose, a reading experiment is reported. Participants from three cultures... more
This article approaches from an empirical perspective the interrelation between foregrounding and complexity in the evaluation of literary texts. For this purpose, a reading experiment is reported. Participants from three cultures (Brazil, Egypt, and the Netherlands) read three texts of different degrees of complexity and evaluated them on a number of variables. Subsequently, they re-read and evaluated the texts once more. The hypothesis was that complex texts would be rated higher on a second than on a first reading; the opposite was predicted for the text with the lowest complexity. Results confirmed this hypothesis for only one group of participants, which raises questions about the nature of a “reading culture.”
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In this paper, I shall present a broad outline of some underlying theoretical and methodological issues that may contribute to a better understanding of the sources of intercultural conflict and ways to avoid or mitigate them. The core of... more
In this paper, I shall present a broad outline of some underlying theoretical and methodological issues that may contribute to a better understanding of the sources of intercultural conflict and ways to avoid or mitigate them. The core of the argument will be that noble intentions do not suffice, but should be complemented with a rigorous self-critique and a search for unintended negative side-effects. Concrete cases discussed are: affirmative action and multiculturalism in higher education, and some Afrocentrists' claims about the black origins of Greek civilization. In each of these cases, it will be argued, the noble intentions associated with the issue may blind us to the historic and methodological twists that the claims are involved in. It is argued that the aims of multiculturalism can be attained only through a rational inquiry of diverse culture: if we are to progress in our study of cultural differences, a fundamental prerequisite is that we have reliable and fair descriptions of those cultures. Some of the irrational tendencies that may be observed in academic forms of multiculturalism are eroding the very basis upon which intercultural communication is possible. The article concludes with the formulation of a hypothesis: it is proposed that cultures develop feelings of superiority which are generated by internal crises that cause uncertainty and by external pressures, especially if they involve a loss of power and a concomitant humiliation
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This article investigates the way in which devices of foregrounding play a role at the typographical level of a text's organisation. In poetry, such devices are very old and are regularly used in a bold way, thereby creating specific... more
This article investigates the way in which devices of foregrounding play a role at the typographical level of a text's organisation. In poetry, such devices are very old and are regularly used in a bold way, thereby creating specific effects. However, a historical overview reveals that such bold typographic experiments are not distributed evenly over time. It also emerges that some of these texts survive in the literary canon, while others are forgotten. On the basis of an analysis of some test cases in literary history, hypotheses are proposed which may explain this uneven distribution. The discussion has also repercussions for issues of value in the study of literature.
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As far as we can see, in his Note in Language and Literature 8 (1) Ray Mackay (1999) makes no real attempt to counter the arguments made by ourselves, Donald C. Freeman and Paul Simpson in Language and Literature 7 (1) (Short et al.,... more
As far as we can see, in his Note in Language and Literature 8 (1) Ray Mackay (1999) makes no real attempt to counter the arguments made by ourselves, Donald C. Freeman and Paul Simpson in Language and Literature 7 (1) (Short et al., 1998), in our response to his original article (Mackay, 1996) ‘critiquing’ the work of Ron Carter and the other four stylisticians named above. Instead, he says that we have ‘misrepresented’ and ‘demonized’ him as a consequence of his ‘having touched a nerve’ (p. 59). His account takes up most of its space in suggesting that we have been unfair in our response because we are ‘eminent professors’ and he is not, and because of our misrepresentation, intemperate language and slippery tactics. As we cannot perceive what Mackay accuses us of in our work, it is rather difficult to know how to respond helpfully to such an account. Below we make some observations on the nature of the debate, and then follow this with an attempt to get back to a proper understanding of what is meant by ‘scientific’ and ‘objective’ (what we were originally ‘accused’ of trying to be).
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Starting from a thought experiment in which efforts at detecting stylistic variation are examined on a number of parameters, the present article argues that monitoring purely stylistic differences without recourse to semantic material is... more
Starting from a thought experiment in which efforts at detecting stylistic variation are examined on a number of parameters, the present article argues that monitoring purely stylistic differences without recourse to semantic material is difficult if not impossible for humans. It turns out that it can be done quite successfully, however, when special instruments such as computers are committed to the task. Examples of such successes are provided. From this premise, an appreciation of the state of the art in stylistics is proposed, linked to the need for more interdisciplinary research. For one thing, the notion of style is related to similar notions in sociology, particularly the notion of surface variation as developed by James Coleman in his Foundations of Social Theory. It is argued that such cross-breeding can sharpen insights in one's own discipline. It is subsequently demonstrated how insights from evolutionary psychology can be made use of to probe not only stylistic variation but also where such variation originated in the first place. Relating this to a hypothesis first advanced by Trevor Eaton in 1978, this approach also explains the difficulty humans have in perceiving pure' stylistic variation without the help of computers described in the initial section.
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THE ETHICS OF LITERATURE: Two MODELS Willie van Peer 1. Knowledge and certainty ... (1994), Gerrig (1993), Hälasz (1989), Martindale (1990), Meutsch & Viehoff (1989), Nardocchio (1992), Van Peer (1986), Rusch (1995), Schmidt... more
THE ETHICS OF LITERATURE: Two MODELS Willie van Peer 1. Knowledge and certainty ... (1994), Gerrig (1993), Hälasz (1989), Martindale (1990), Meutsch & Viehoff (1989), Nardocchio (1992), Van Peer (1986), Rusch (1995), Schmidt (1981), Steen (1994), and Zwaan (1993). ...
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The present article argues that the content analysis of literature may profit from computational techniques such as Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). LSA is able to calculate the semantic distance between textual items by locating them in a... more
The present article argues that the content analysis of literature may profit from computational techniques such as Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). LSA is able to calculate the semantic distance between textual items by locating them in a vast multi-dimensional space. The results show remarkable similarity when compared to psychological data. LSA has not, however, been employed for content analysis in Dutch. We offer two explorative examples, one with Dutch lexical items and one with Dutch literary texts, to demonstrate ...
The presentation assesses the final outcome of the international REDES (Research and Development in Empirical Studies) project. Founded in 2002, for about a decade it functioned to promote the investigation of culture, literature,... more
The presentation assesses the final outcome of the international REDES (Research and Development in Empirical Studies) project. Founded in 2002, for about a decade it functioned to promote the investigation of culture, literature, language and media from a multicultural perspective. More than stimulating research by (especially) beginning students, it aimed at helping them become autonomous researchers by way of using empirical methods. Our aim is to see how participants benefited from this experience after over a decade. To this end, 53 REDES participants from three regional groups (Brazil, Germany and Ukraine) answered a questionnaire about how they saw the project in terms of its effect over their lives and careers. The results from the data analysis indicate that not only many participants felt motivated to pursue further degrees and develop other research projects, but they acquired many skills which have been considerably influencing their careers in different fields of action
Music and voice are at the origin of poetry, which is important for the way it gets across. In ancient times people sang poetry for an audience (e.g., the rhapsode in Greek culture): the audience listened to the Iliad while the singer... more
Music and voice are at the origin of poetry, which is important for the way it gets across. In ancient times people sang poetry for an audience (e.g., the rhapsode in Greek culture): the audience listened to the Iliad while the singer accompanied himself on the lyre. Initially, literature was public, not private, and in Antiquity it was oral, meant to be memorised and recited. It is only in the 19th century that people started reading to themselves. With this idea in mind, in this presentation we will position poetry where it belongs: in the real world, in the social sphere, embedded in a live performance, vibrant with music. We will view poetry as an oral act and discuss how its recipients experience the madness and magic of words and rhythm. To this end, we will look at the YouTube performance by a Portuguese fado singer, Mariza, and report the results of an experiment in which participants reacted to the song with and without the text and its translation being available. In doing...
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ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how doing empirical research can lead to insights in the way in which literary texts generate meaning and aesthetic value. The focus is firmly on techniques for carrying out small-scale, manageable projects of an... more
This chapter focuses on how doing empirical research can lead to insights in the way in which literary texts generate meaning and aesthetic value. The focus is firmly on techniques for carrying out small-scale, manageable projects of an empirical nature, suitable for undergraduate students to carry out. The chapter suggests that a key way for students to learn stylistics is through the practical experience of carrying out research for themselves.
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The term 'empathy' is associated with positive values in western cultures: it is generally thought good if people feel empathetic, and children are standardly brought up to take feelings of other people into consideration. But... more
The term 'empathy' is associated with positive values in western cultures: it is generally thought good if people feel empathetic, and children are standardly brought up to take feelings of other people into consideration. But what if empathy is distressful? Literary authors are often quite adept at describing situations or events which may evoke extremely strong empathetic emotions. Concerning such emotions, two questions will be raised in this paper. First, why is it that people seek out such powerful yet distressing emotions? Secondly, what are the effects of being exposed to such literary descriptions evoking distressful empathy? To answer the latter, the results of a reading experiment will be presented. The hypothesis, developed in the framework of Terror Management Theory, that direct confrontation with one's mortality strengthens both prejudices against outsiders and in-group values, will be tested. The results will be compared with earlier work, in which th...
Linguistics and literary studies are neighbouring disciplines, both drawing heavily on language, communication, and the way people relate to each other and the world. Linguistics grew out of preconceived elements and empirical... more
Linguistics and literary studies are neighbouring disciplines, both drawing heavily on language, communication, and the way people relate to each other and the world. Linguistics grew out of preconceived elements and empirical observations, gradually making way to more abstract theories of language. These developments, abstract as they may have been, were always accompanied by practical questions: how to learn and teach foreign languages, what script to use to render spoken language in a written form, how to improve the linguistic skills of young or professional people, or how to use language in a persuasive way. The social gains from this development are obvious.
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The authors offer an overview of the theory of foregrounding from its origin in the philosophy of Aristotle and later development in the works of the Russian Formalists and then the Prague Structuralists. The focus is made on the benefts... more
The authors offer an overview of the theory of foregrounding from its origin in the philosophy of Aristotle and later development in the works of the Russian Formalists and then the Prague Structuralists. The focus is made on the benefts of Empirical Study of Literature that enables researchers to apply a more rigorous and accountable methodology in investigating both the content and the form of literary texts as well as readers’ reactions to them.
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The term ‘empathy’ is associated with positive values in western cultures: it is generally thought good if people feel empathetic, and children are standardly brought up to take feelings of other people into consideration. But what if... more
The term ‘empathy’ is associated with positive values in western cultures: it is generally thought good if people feel empathetic, and children are standardly brought up to take feelings of other people into consideration. But what if empathy is distressful? Literary authors are often quite adept at describing situations or events which may evoke extremely strong empathetic emotions. Concerning such emotions, two questions will be raised in this paper. First, why is it that people seek out such powerful yet distressing emotions? Secondly, what are the effects of being exposed to such literary descriptions evoking distressful empathy? To answer the latter, the results of a reading experiment will be presented. The hypothesis, developed in the framework of Terror Management Theory, that direct confrontation with one’s mortality strengthens both prejudices against outsiders and in-group values, will be tested. The results will be compared with earlier work, in which this hypothesis, co...