Writing about Literature - Essay and translation skills for university students of English and foreign literature

Sep 26, 2026

Uploaded by dhado

Writing about Literature combines detailed practical and scholarly guidance to help students discover and experiment with literary criticism and language. It supports both young and adult language learners, strengthening essay-writing and translation skills for foreign literature study. Covering topic research, referencing, computer-assisted work, writing craft, style, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling, it also addresses common writing problems. Guidance extends to presentation, arguing a case, and quotation, with dedicated sections for foreign languages and literature.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages153

Reading Time3 h 56 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Introduction

Reading

Texts and their contexts

Critical reading

Reading the critics

Background reading

Research

Looking things up

Dictionaries

Biblical references

Classical references

Oral literature

General knowledge

Trusting the author

Libraries and librarians

Searching on-line

Using Google

Serendipity

Essay topics

Choosing your own topic

Set topics and exam questions

The desert island essay

Structure

Notes and drafts

Arguing a case

Writing

Style

Words, plain and lacy

Jargon and theory-speak

Slips and solecisms

Mixing your metaphors

How to quote

How not to give offence

Titles

Naming your author

Making yourself clear

Some common bad advice

Tell the examiners what they want to know

Quote sparingly

Never say I

An essay should have a beginning, a middle and an end

Spelling, punctuation and grammar

Spelling

Dealing with dyslexia

Punctuation and syntax

Grammar

Further reading

Foreign languages and literature

Languages without Mr Casaubon

Real-life language learning

Vocabulary and grammar

The translator’s craft

Preparing for translation exams

Referencing

Due acknowledgement

Footnotes and bibliographies

Presentation

Studying your academic reader

All about layout

Proof-reading

Safety in cyberspace

Holding it all together

Handwriting in closed exams

Will-power

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Writing about Literature Writing about Literature combines detailed practical and scholarly advice with a sense of the scope and creative possibilities of literary criticism, empowering the student reader to make his or her own discoveries and experiments with language. In addition, it gives valuable guidance on adult language learning and translation skills for students of foreign literature. This handy, accessible guide covers all aspects of the essay-writing process, including: • preliminary reading, and choosing and researching a topic; • referencing and presentation; • computer use; • the art and craft of writing; • style, structure, vocabulary, grammar and spelling; • scholarly and personal insights into the problems and pleasures of writing about literature. Writing about Literature is designed to help its readers do exactly that. Written in an entertaining and informative way, and containing a wealth of practical advice and scholarly insights, this wise, witty and helpful book should be onevery literature student’s bookshelf. Judith Woolf is a Senior Lecturer at the University of York, where she teaches English and Italian literature. Writing about Literature Essay and translation skills for university students of English and foreign literature Judith Woolf LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2005 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of [thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk](thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk).” © 2005 Judith Woolf All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN 0-203-50490-9 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-33856-1 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-31444-5 (hbk) ISBN 0-415-31445-3 (pbk) In loving memory of ROBIN HOOD Contents Preface viii 1 Introduction 1 2 Reading 4 Texts and their contexts 4 Critical reading 15 Reading the critics 18 Background reading 19 3 Research 22 Looking things up 22 Dictionaries 23 Biblical references 24 Classical references 25 Oral literature 26 General knowledge 26 Trusting the author 28 Libraries and librarians 29 Searching on-line 29 Using Google 30 Serendipity 33 4 Essay topics 34 Choosing your own topic 34 Set topics and exam questions 34 The desert island essay 35 vi 5 Structure 36 Notes and drafts 36 Arguing a case 36 6 Writing 39 Style 39 Words, plain and lacy 43 Jargon and theory-speak 44 Slips and solecisms 47 Mixing your metaphors 51 How to quote 53 How not to give offence 54 Titles 57 Naming your author 58 Making yourself clear 59 7 Some common bad advice 61 ‘Tell the examiners what they want to know’ 61 ‘Quote sparingly’ 61 ‘Never say I’ 62 ‘An essay should have a beginning, a middle and an end’ 62 8 Spelling, punctuation and grammar 64 Spelling 64 Dealing with dyslexia 67 Punctuation and syntax 69 Grammar 86 Further reading 93 9 Foreign languages and literature 95 Languages without Mr Casaubon 95 Real-life language learning 97 Vocabulary and grammar 105 vii The translator’s craft 112 Preparing for translation exams 115 1 0 Referencing 116

FAQs

What does the book focus on for students writing about literature?

It concentrates on the full essay-writing process, from preliminary reading and choosing a research topic to writing craft, style, structure, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and scholarly presentation.

How does the book help with research and finding reliable sources?

It guides readers in searching and looking things up, using dictionaries and references, working with libraries, and handling online searching and tools such as Google and broader discovery strategies.

What support does it provide for foreign language and translation study?

It includes sections on foreign languages and literature, vocabulary and grammar, the translator’s craft, and preparation for translation exams, linking language learning with practical translation work.

Sep 26, 2026

Uploaded by dhado