... criteria for classics are more a matter of sociology than of aesthetics. Bloom’s reputation perhaps unfairly fell victim to the so-called “ Canon Wars ,” likely at times because of … Bloom defended the notion of a universal canon … ... in fields where there are no clear criteria, such as literary fiction, canons are often a mess. When considering the term “literary canon,” one is ultimately considering the whole of the seminal works in the arts that have come to define a genre. See Howard D. Weinbrot, “Enlightenment Canon Wars: Anglo–French Views of Literary Greatness,” ELH, 60 (1993), 79–100. More restrictively, it is writing that possesses literary merit. Literary canons are more like collection of works measured by others on the basis of literary skill and value. If I had to guess, I’d say that in the five or six hundred years alone there have been literally hundreds of books written in the English language. Literature, in its broadest sense, is any written work.Etymologically, the term derives from Latin litaritura/litteratura “writing formed with letters,” although some definitions include spoken or sung texts. Canonicity involves not merely a work’s admission into an elite club, but its induction into ongoing critical dialogue and contestations of literary value. Yeats chose the epigraph in 1938, just before World War II, for a poem proclaiming that sexuality holds his interest more than politics. There are a lot of books out there. Derived from the Greek word kan ôn meaning measuring rod or standard, the canon has been compiled by literary critics, scholars and teachers over time in order to assert which works of literature are ‘essential’. Chiariello believes there’s a middle ground: “In terms of cultural literacy,” she says, “it can both be true that the classics are lacking in diversity and that a … (shelved 31 times as literary-canon) avg rating 4.28 — 4,333,872 ratings — published 1960 The early church used four criteria to determine the canonicity of a New Testament book. And in many quarters of academia, mention of the name of Yale literary critic Harold Bloom provoked, at the very least, a raised eyebrow and pointed silence.
The Old Testament canon was well established by the time of Jesus. Underrepresented Perspective: some works introduce a much-needed fresh perspective to the literary canon, which is full of stories told from a white dude’s perspective. "Canon is also defined as "the books of the Bible officially recognized by the Church," and the idea of a literary canon also implies some such official status. Works have been included arbitrarily, and inclusion and disinclusion seems to be at random. However sometimes up to 10% of these may be disagreed upon. Derived from the Greek word kan ôn meaning measuring rod or standard, the canon has been compiled by literary critics, scholars and teachers over time in order to assert which works of literature are ‘essential’. This sort of looking to an author's work as a measure of literary success and value is precisely what being part of the literary 'canon' is all about. T he widely debated term ‘literary canon’ is used to classify a group of literary works that are considered the most important from a certain time or place.

While now in print for almost two decades, The Western Canon remains the most famous recent attempt to preserve the traditional notion of a pantheon of world literature. However sometimes up to 10% of these may be disagreed upon. Students should be thinking about the criteria for being in the canon and getting a jump on tomorrow’s selections. Western literary societies have a large amount of consensus on which works should be included in the literary canon. Literary Canon Literary Canon Research Papers look at how culture defines literary canon and how it can be found in all genres of literature. Underrepresented Perspective: some works introduce a much-needed fresh perspective to the literary canon, which is full of stories told from a … The literary canon is made up of works of literature that have been particularly influential and lasting. Canon by Harold Bloom, a distinguished literary critic and professor at Yale University. Generally there has been a region attached to the canon such as the Western Literary Canon or American Literary Canon. Evangelical Christians have followed the example of Jesus and recognize the canonicity of the Old Testament.

Canon Fodder: Denouncing the Classics.