Literary Visions

Literary Visions is a 26 half-hour telecourse that is brought to life by noted critics, authors, scholars, and actors as they explore literature and literary analysis. Dramatizations, readings, and discussions build skills in critical thinking and writing. Excerpts of both classic and contemporary works represent the expanding diversity of literature and its role in influencing and recording humanity.

Organized around three major genres of literature-short fiction, poetry and drama-the television programs examine literary elements such as character, plot, and symbolism. Host, Shakespearean actress Fran Dorn, identifies these elements within dramatizations of the representative literary works. Commentary from noted critics contributes the multiple perspectives that would be found in class discussion. Contemporary authors James Dickey, August Wilson, Maxine Hong Kingston and Tillie Olson, among others, discuss their inspiration and the craft of creative writing.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

INTRODUCTION:

101) An Introduction to Literature
This overview introduces the course content and approach.

102) Responding to Literature
A focus on critical approaches to literature is presented by the scholars who will appear throughout the series. This program also previews selected dramatic scenes from upcoming programs and excerpts from the author interviews which highlight the series.

103) The Art of the Essay
A documentary segment tracing the development of the formal essay and the birth of printing technology, and their impact on the growth of political democracy. The program then turns to the informal essay.

SHORT FICTION:

104) The Elements of Short Fiction
A dramatization of Frank O'Connor's First Confession and an interview with Ernest Gaines demonstrate the elements of fiction.

105) Plot and Structure in Short Fiction
A dramatization of Stephen Crane's The Blue Hotel exemplifies the relationship of plot, structure and conflict.

106) Character in Short Fiction
Techniques of characterization and the importance of point of view become clear in a dramatization of Tillie Olsen's I Stand Here Ironing.

107) Setting and Character in Short Fiction
Setting reveals character in Susan Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers while it magnifies meaning for contemporary short story writer Stephen Dixon, both of whom appear on camera during the program.

108) Tone and Style in Short Fiction
An interview with Maxine Hong Kingston highlights this examination of the impact of style on meaning.

109) Symbolism and Allegory in Short Fiction
Symbolism is prominent in a dramatization of D.H. Lawrence's The Horse Dealer's Daughter, while myth predominates in the work of Native American writer N. Scott Momaday, whose interview highlights the show.

110) Theme in Short Fiction
Multiple themes are uncovered in Everyday Use, a dramatization of Alice Walker's short story.

POETRY:

111) The Elements of Poetry
The role of poetry for the individual and the culture is suggested through visual essays, which include poetry readings as well as dramatizations. An interview with James Dickey includes his reading and analysis of his poems, The Performance and The Lifeguard.

112) Setting and Character in Poetry
The historical settings of My Last Duchess, Theme for English B, and Dover Beach convey much about the characters and ideas of these poems. The New England landscapes of Maxine Kumin echo the themes of her poetry.

113) Words and Images in Poetry
Poetry readings, visualizations of poems and an interview with Lucille Clifton, who reads two of her favorite poems, This Morning and Homage to My Hips, reveal the beauty and the workings of poetic language and imagery.

114) Rhetorical Figures in Poetry
The power of metaphor, simile and other figures of speech to make the reader see in new ways becomes clear through dramatizations of Anne Bradstreet's The Author to Her Book, Nikki Giovanni's Woman, and Daniel Halpern's Snapshot of Hue.

115) Prosody and Form in Poetry
Kennedy discusses the importance of rhyme and meter in his poetry. Works by Shakespeare, Dickinson and Hopkins, and contemporary poets like Randall and Adams, are analyzed to show how prosody and form contribute to meaning.

116) Myth, Symbolism and Allusion in Poetry
Four poetic versions of the Icarus myth - those of Sexton, Spender, Williams and Field - are dramatized and compared. Marge Piercy discusses the role of myth in her poetry.

117) Theme in Poetry
Dramatizations of six poems that share the same subject help clarify the difference between subject and theme. Close analysis of poems by John Donne and Donald Hall explore the interrelationship between poetic form and meaning.

DRAMA:

118) The Elements of Drama
Dramatizations of selected scenes from Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and The Glass Menagerie, and an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson introduce the origins, structure and purposes of drama.

119) Characters and Actors in Drama
The development of dramatic character, by playwright and by actor, is illustrated through several interpretations of a single scene from Hamlet and an interview with Shakespearean actor John Vickery.

120) Plot and Conflict in Drama
A dramatization of Oedipus Rex demonstrates the classical plot structure. Dramatist A.R. Guerney discusses conflict and plot in contemporary American theatre.

121) Setting and Staging in Drama
An interview with set designer Chris Barecca, and a documentary overview of types of theatres demonstrate the intertwining of text and technique in dramatic setting.

122) The Language of Drama
Michael Kahn, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger, demonstrates interpretation of dramatic language in a workshop with actors. Director Emily Mann discusses her recent production of The Glass Menagerie.

123) Myth and Symbolism in Drama
Alaskan playwright David Hunsaker's dramatizations of Eskimo myth and his productions of Eskimo translations of Greek tragedies, together with scenes from Oedipus Rex, demonstrate the enduring power and meaning of myth in drama.

124) Theme in Drama
Dramatist David H. Hwang discusses the themes and structures of his plays, which include M. Butterfly. Scholars consider thematic interpretations inherent in the production of a single act of Hamlet.

CONCLUSION:

125) The Power of Literature
This summary of major course themes reviews the impact of literature on the individual through excerpts of series dramatizations and interviews.