Literature and the Other Arts: International and Comparative Perspectives

Catalog description

A comparative, international examination of the relationship between literature and non-literary art forms. CMLIT 140 Literature and the Other Arts: International and Comparative Perspectives (3) (GH;IL) (BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. All around the world, literature and other forms of creative expression are related in many fascinating ways. Writers and artists often find inspiration from each other, and some artists work across a wide spectrum of genres and embody several identities at once. In different times and places, how have writers and artists reacted to critical events or lifecycle experiences? What techniques have writers, artists, composers, and choreographers shared? In examining a broadly international range of materials, in this course we will consider (1) how artists and writers depict common themes such as nature, death, aging, love, and more; (2) ways in which art and literature relate to each other; and (3) how literature and other arts are influenced by, and in turn exert influences upon, their cultural and social contexts. Using a global perspective, we will examine relationships between literature and a variety of artistic forms, such as painting, photography, comics, film, theatre, opera, music, sculpture, and more. Students will practice enabling skills for reading across genres, media, and cultures, and for expanding their skills in analyzing and synthesizing information, their awareness of a wide variety of value systems and cultural traditions in different times and places, and their horizons of literature in global contexts.